Vertiv 11389 20A Metered Surge Rackmount PDU
Overview
The Vertiv SPAN104-1025TL (part number 11389) is a 1U horizontal rackmount PDU designed for data centers and equipment rooms where facility-level surge suppression is absent or where individual cabinet-level protection is required on top of upstream conditioning. Rated at 20A / 120V / 1.9kW with a NEMA L5-20P twistlock input, this unit delivers ten NEMA 5-20R receptacles with built-in surge suppression and a local digital current meter — everything you need to load-balance a cabinet and defend connected equipment from voltage transients without adding a separate UPS stage.
It ships from the USA and carries TAA Compliant and Buy American Act COTS designations, making it a straightforward fit for federal, SLED, and DoD procurement vehicles where country-of-origin documentation matters. Explore the full Vertiv power and infrastructure catalog for complementary UPS, thermal, and monitoring solutions.
Key Features
- 20A / 120V / 1.9kW Capacity: The full 20A feed keeps a single-phase cabinet running at or near its circuit rating without a dedicated step-down stage. Pair with a 20A dedicated circuit; the L5-20P twistlock plug prevents accidental disconnection on a crowded patch floor.
- 10x NEMA 5-20R Receptacles: Ten duplex-style outlets wired off a single 20A thermal breaker give you enough ports for a fully populated 1U/2U server refresh without daisy-chaining strips. Each outlet is rated at 20A / 120V max output, so high-draw 1U servers won't be throttled by under-rated sockets.
- Local Digital RMS Current Meter (±2% Accuracy): The front-panel LED display shows real-time current draw — useful when commissioning new gear or redistributing load across PDUs. At ±2% accuracy on a full-scale 60Hz sine wave, it's precise enough to catch a creeping overload before the thermal breaker trips, without the cost of a networked monitoring tier.
- 720-Joule Surge Protection with Super MOV Technology: Metal oxide varistors clamp transients to a maximum 340V, absorbing 720 joules of surge energy. For environments near power-hungry industrial equipment, HVAC cycling, or older building electrical, this is the difference between a failed power supply and a recoverable maintenance event. A dedicated red LED surge indicator lights when protection is active or has been stressed — making inspection routine rather than guesswork.
- 20A Thermal Breaker Over-Current Protection: Unlike fuses, the thermal breaker resets manually without requiring a spare part on hand. When a fault clears, a technician resets and resumes — no parts run, no downtime extension waiting on a procurement order.
- 12/3 AWG, 10ft Power Cord: The heavier 12-gauge wire minimizes resistive losses at sustained 20A draw compared to the 14-gauge cord common on lower-rated PDUs. The 10ft cord reaches most cabinet-mounted PDU mounting positions from a standard floor-mounted PDU strip or wall outlet without an extension.
- 1U Horizontal Rackmount, Flush-Mount Capable: At 1.72in × 17in × 4.50in and 8 lbs, the SPAN104-1025TL mounts flush in a standard 19-inch rack or cabinet without protruding beyond the rail plane — important in high-density rows where cable management arms and adjacent equipment leave little clearance. The black powder-coat steel chassis is rigid enough to support cabling weight without flex.
- TAA / Buy American Act COTS Compliant, RoHS Certified: Manufactured in the USA. TAA compliance satisfies GSA Schedule and DHS procurement rules. RoHS certification confirms the unit meets EU hazardous-substance restrictions — relevant for equipment shipped internationally or to environmentally regulated facilities.
- 5-Year Product Warranty + $5,000 Connected Equipment Warranty: The five-year product warranty is a meaningful commitment for a PDU that will likely outlive two server refresh cycles. The separate $5,000 connected equipment warranty covers downstream hardware in the event of a surge that passes through the unit — a real risk backstop, not just a marketing claim.
- UL & c-UL Listed (60950): Dual UL/c-UL listing satisfies both US and Canadian electrical safety standards, reducing compliance paperwork for cross-border installations.
Integration & Compatibility
The SPAN104-1025TL integrates into any standard rackmount PDU deployment scenario without configuration. It operates on 100–120V / 50–60Hz, covering both 60Hz North American grids and 50Hz facilities such as those in Canada or international deployments on 120V legs. The L5-20P twistlock input is the North American standard for 20A dedicated circuits — confirm your facility circuit matches before ordering; if your panel runs NEMA 5-20 straight-blade, a locking adapter or circuit replacement will be needed.
With no network port, the monitoring tier is strictly local. If your operations team requires SNMP traps, remote current dashboards, or per-outlet switching, step up to a networked or switched rPDU in the Vertiv PowerIT line. For cabinet environments where basic metering and surge suppression are sufficient — common in rack and cabinet deployments at remote offices, colocation cages, or secondary server rooms — the SPAN104-1025TL is a cost-appropriate choice that avoids paying for monitoring infrastructure that will never be used. Consider pairing with a compatible UPS upstream for battery backup alongside surge protection.
The unit operates continuously between 10–45°C (50–113°F), appropriate for conditioned machine rooms. It is not rated for outdoor or high-temperature industrial environments. Review your power planning requirements if your ambient temperature exceeds 45°C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Vertiv 11389 TAA compliant for government procurement?
A: Yes. The SPAN104-1025TL is manufactured in the USA and carries TAA Compliant and Buy American Act COTS designations, making it eligible for GSA Schedule, DHS, and other federal procurement vehicles that require domestic or TAA-designated country-of-origin compliance.
Q: What is the warranty on the Vertiv 11389?
A: The unit carries a 5-year limited product warranty. In addition, Vertiv includes a separate connected equipment warranty covering up to $5,000 in downstream hardware damage resulting from a surge event that passes through the unit.
Q: Does the 11389 require a special circuit or outlet?
A: Yes. The SPAN104-1025TL uses a NEMA L5-20P twistlock plug and requires a dedicated 20A / 120V circuit with a matching L5-20P receptacle. Standard straight-blade NEMA 5-20 circuits are not directly compatible without an adapter or circuit modification.
Q: How much surge protection does the SPAN104-1025TL provide?
A: The unit provides 720 joules of surge absorption using Super MOV technology, with a maximum clamping voltage of 340V. A red LED indicator illuminates when the surge protection has been stressed or activated, giving technicians a visual status check during inspections.
Q: Can the 11389 be monitored remotely over a network?
A: No. The SPAN104-1025TL provides local current monitoring only via its front-panel digital LED display (±2% accuracy). There is no network port, SNMP support, or remote management capability. For remote monitoring, consider a networked rPDU in the Vertiv PowerIT line.
Q: What is the operating temperature range for the SPAN104-1025TL?
A: The unit is rated for continuous operation between 10–45°C (50–113°F). It is designed for conditioned data center or equipment room environments and is not rated for outdoor or high-ambient-temperature industrial deployments.
The Vertiv 11389 sits in a specific and often underserved niche: cabinet-level surge suppression with real-time current metering for environments that don't justify the cost of a fully networked rPDU. The 720-joule / 340V clamping spec is the key decision point here — it's a substantive protection tier, not a checkbox item, and the Super MOV response time means transient clamping happens before the connected equipment's input stage sees the spike.
Technical Highlights:
- ±2% RMS Current Meter: That accuracy tolerance is tighter than many networked PDUs at double the price. For manual load-balancing during server migrations or colocation installs, a technician can read the display and make redistribution decisions on the spot without SSH-ing into a management module.
- 12/3 AWG Cord at 20A: The 12-gauge wire is correctly sized for sustained 20A draw — many competing units cut costs with 14-gauge on 20A-rated PDUs, which introduces resistive heating under continuous load. The 10ft length is enough for most rear-rail PDU mounting positions without an extension.
- TAA + Buy American Act COTS Compliance: This combination unlocks procurement pathways that a non-domestic PDU simply cannot enter. If your customer is a federal agency, SLED integrator, or DoD contractor, the country-of-origin documentation is already done — no waiver process required.
Deployment Considerations:
- Confirm the facility circuit ahead of installation. The L5-20P twistlock is a 20A-specific connector — it will not mate with a standard NEMA 5-15 or 5-20 straight-blade outlet. Mismatched circuits are the most common delay on install day.
- The thermal breaker (not a fuse) resets manually after a trip — straightforward for staffed machine rooms, but factor in response time for unmanned remote sites where a trip means a truck roll to reset the breaker before loads come back online.
The SPAN104-1025TL is the right specification for secondary server rooms, colocation cages, and government edge deployments where the primary need is per-cabinet surge absorption, load visibility, and TAA-compliant sourcing — and where paying for SNMP or per-outlet switching would be overhead with no operational return.
