Correcting Issues With Industrial Equipment

Five Benefits Of AC Current Switches And Why It's Important

13 September 2017 by Joann Freeman

Electricity is just one of those things that is often taken for granted. You turn on a switch, plug a cord into an outlet, and everything works like you expect it to. Yet electricity is much more complicated than that. It is much more than wires, fuse boxes, and fuse switches. There are also breakers and current switches. Here are five benefits of AC current switches and why it is important to know and understand what current switches do.

AC Current Switches Control the Flow of Current

Electricity is a surging force of energy. If left unharnessed and unhindered, it would flow fast and furious and take any direction it wants. For that reason, current switches are used to control the flow and contain the electrical beast.

Switches Keep AC and DC Separate

Here in the U.S., Edison's alternating current (or AC) won out over Tesla's direct current (or DC). That means that almost everything that requires electricity in this country uses AC, not DC, as its source of electrical power. However, there are times when both types of current run simultaneously and need to be kept separate. That is when the current switches sense, or detect, which type of current is in use and block the other type of current from crossing streams. 

They Signal Appliances and Electrical Devices to Start

It is a common misconception that any appliance or electrical device that is plugged into a wall turns on because you turned it on. Actually, that assumption is only half true. You are signaling the current switch to activate the appliance or device, which then allows power to flow. It is the current switch that does the majority of the work in getting everything electrical to work as it should. If you have a damaged or defunct current switch in an appliance, your appliance will not turn on.

They Assist in Providing Additional Power When Needed

There are many industrial machines as well as a couple residential use machines that require more power than the standard 120 VACs (volts of alternating current) all other machines and appliances use. One such example is your central air conditioning unit. These appliances need extra voltage to function, and without the addition of another fuse box outside the house, your air conditioning would overwhelm the fuse box inside the house.

An AC current switch is involved in this process. When you flip on your air conditioning, the current switch detects that you are operating a non-standard voltage appliance. It helps redirect additional power to the outdoor fuse box so that your air conditioner can turn on and operate. Without the current switch in operation, your air conditioning would not have enough current, and you would be very hot, sweaty, and bothered indeed.

They Prevent Electrical Explosions

Finally, current switches prevent electrical explosions. Electricity is constantly looking for an escape to the ground. Imagine that electricity is more like a caged monster. It needs to be caged or it could burst forth and destroy everything in its path. That is what current switches do. They hold back the power and keep the "monster" caged.

The AC current switches in everything you own stop electricity from reaching you, stop it from jumping over other streams of electrical current, and stop electricity from exploding forth and connecting with you as you touch the ground. They play a very important role in how power moves, flows, and is distributed, and in preventing it from hurting anyone. This is important to know and understand so that you never attempt to mess with electrical components on your own, or assume that you know how to fix an appliance that is suddenly not working. Let the professionals manage this instead.

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