Leading surge arrester manufacturers estimate the expected life of surge arresters is between 25 and 30 years, primarily due to moisture ingress problems. LCRA’s experience aligns with the manufacturers’ suggested life expectancy on surge arresters. Silicon carbide surge arrester technology, once prevalent, became an obsolete technology for the industry approximately 30 to 40 years ago due to reliability concerns. As a result, MOV surge arrester technology became the industry's preferred choice. But now the electric power utility industry is experiencing unplanned arrester failures and fault events from aging MOV surge arresters that have exceeded expected service life. This paper outlines LCRA’s proactive replacement program for these surge arresters.
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