NJ_WVUGrad, it costs the same to contract out a $20 job as it does to contract out a $500,000 job. We get charged a flat fee for "design" and a flat fee for "oversight". So even the smallest job will cost $5000 right off the bat. I guess I could put in a trouble call and complain the outlet is "broken" and needs replaced, which would only cost $500... but paying $500 for a $20 job is still waste. And a lie.
It doesn't actually cost $500 for a hammer- not if you buy a case of 1000 of them at a time. It's when you buy just 1 that it gets outrageous.
I saw an easy solution, one I can safely do myself without ruffling anyone's feathers, and end up with a safe product in the end, even if it doesn't look like the standard way of doing it. I'm well capable of bending EMT and putting boxes precisely where they need to go, but not authorized to do work like that myself- hardwiring a surge supressor, though, that's different!
This disconnect is fed from 3x 15A breakers on a single yoke. It's a fused disconnect switch and missing the fuses (1/phase), so I'd have to install some fuses, but that's not a big deal. (There are 2x 20A fuses in another abanded switch I could use, considering the breaker is already protecting the cable, but I'd rather use 15A) There's a fitting on the switch already, left over from the previous usage, but I didn't look too closely- I highly doubt it's the right kind, but I don't mind swinging by the supply house and spending $2 out of pocket for the right one. So, 15A breaker, 15A fuse and 15A breaker on the surge supressor itself- should be pretty well protected!
I'd want to mount the surge supressor(s) to the wall to make the install look cleaner, but that's just a couple expanding drywall screws.
