What is Undervoltage? How do I protect my equipment?
Date:2022-12-05 Click:27
Undervoltage is defined as a condition where the applied voltage drops to 90% of rated voltage, or less, for at least 1 minute.
This condition if allowed to persist, can expose electrical devices to problems such as overheating, malfunction, premature failure and shut down, especially for motors (i.e. refrigerators, dryers and air conditioners). Common symptoms of undervoltage include: motors run hotter than normal and fail prematurely, dim incandescent lighting and batteries failing to recharge properly.
Operating in Undervoltage conditions for long periods of time can drastically reduce the life of the equipment and eventually lead to premature failure.
Protection of equipment can easily be achieved by installing an Undervoltage relay. This will continually monitor the supply voltage to the equipment and in the event of an Undervoltage condition, will then switch of the supply to protect.
In situations where the voltage dips for a very short period of time, an adjustable timer included with the Undervoltage relay will prevent the internal relay from de-energising thus avoiding nuisance tripping.
