What does this surge protective device (spd) annual checklist cover?

13 items across 5 sections, covering protection status, isolation and lockout, connection integrity, return to service, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.

Who should run this inspection?

The electrician on the annual electrical service, with the panel de-energized where the scope requires.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Once a year, folded into the annual panel and breaker service so the SPD connections are checked while the enclosure is already open.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 10 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.

What most often fails a surge protective device (spd) annual inspection?

Indicators glanced at with the cover on all year, so a phase that dropped protection months ago is only caught now, if at all. Terminal lugs assumed tight because nothing looked wrong, when an annual re-torque would have caught the connection that was slowly backing off.

Can I use this checklist in RTI?

Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Free checklist

Surge protective device (SPD) annual maintenance checklist

The annual surge protective device service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NEC (NFPA 70), manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

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The checklist

Every item, and the photo evidence it needs

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.

Protection status

Each phase indicator verified against live panel state
Per-phase indication confirmed against the phases actually present at the panel, so a lost phase of protection can't hide behind a summary light.
Surge counter or event log read where fitted
Event count or log noted against the prior year; a jump in events flagged as a site with a real surge problem to look into.
No photo
Module dates and replacement history reviewed
Module install dates and part numbers checked against the replacement log and the manufacturer's service-life guidance, with modules nearing end of life noted for the owner.
No photo

Isolation and lockout

Isolation agreed with the owner before the SPD is opened
Panel outage agreed with the owner for an integrated SPD, or the owner told protection is off while an external unit's feed is open.
No photo
SPD feed locked, tagged and proven dead at its terminals
Feed breaker, or the panel feed for an integrated unit, locked and tagged, the utility coordinated for a line-side unit, and absence of voltage proven at the SPD terminals.

Connection integrity

All accessible connections inspected and re-torqued
Line, neutral and ground terminals inspected, torque verified or resistance measured, re-torqued only where found loose, no signs of heat, corrosion or arcing at any lug.
Enclosure, breaker and ground path confirmed intact
Dedicated overcurrent device confirmed correct, ground/bonding conductor intact and unbroken, enclosure sealed against the environment it sits in.
Conductor size and routing observed with the cover off
Conductor size compared with the manufacturer's instructions and routing noted as installed, with long or looped leads reported to the engineer, not reworked on site.
Modules seated and sockets checked for heat damage
Each plug-in module fully seated and latched, no cracked housing, melted base or scorching on the module or its socket, and fixed units checked for the same.

Return to service

Cover fastened and locks removed before the feed is closed
Tools and debris out, SPD cover or panel dead-front fastened, and each lock and tag removed by the person who hung it before the breaker is closed.
Feed closed and every phase indicator showing protected
Feed closed under the energized-work procedure, each phase indicator and any remote alarm point back to normal, and the owner told protection is restored.

Records and spares

Annual findings and module history sent to the owner
Indicator status, counter reading, connections found loose, modules replaced and open defects written up and sent to the owner for acceptance.
No photo
Spare modules checked against the installed SPD where kept
Where the owner keeps spare modules, part number and rating match the installed SPD and the spares are stored dry and unopened.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Indicators glanced at with the cover on all year, so a phase that dropped protection months ago is only caught now, if at all.
Terminal lugs assumed tight because nothing looked wrong, when an annual re-torque would have caught the connection that was slowly backing off.

Verified against

NEC (NFPA 70)

Common questions

6 answers

What does this surge protective device (spd) annual checklist cover?: 13 items across 5 sections, covering protection status, isolation and lockout, connection integrity, return to service, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?: The electrician on the annual electrical service, with the panel de-energized where the scope requires.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Once a year, folded into the annual panel and breaker service so the SPD connections are checked while the enclosure is already open.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 10 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a surge protective device (spd) annual inspection?: Indicators glanced at with the cover on all year, so a phase that dropped protection months ago is only caught now, if at all. Terminal lugs assumed tight because nothing looked wrong, when an annual re-torque would have caught the connection that was slowly backing off.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?: Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Related checklists

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Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.