Owners of country houses actively use various powerful household appliances. An oven, a washing machine, a coffee machine, a bread machine - all these devices give a big load to the network. In suburban conditions, the power grid can be unstable, which leads to damage to household appliances. Therefore, the owners install voltage stabilizers on devices in the country or in the apartment.
Description and types
A stabilizer is a device that converts input energy and maintains the applied voltage within certain limits. It performs a protective function, since only after passing a stabilizing device does household appliances receive electricity for operation.
The best stabilizer option is an automatic device. It does not require human intervention and reliably protects electrical appliances.
For home use on 220 V emit:
- Network stabilizers. Connect to a regular outlet on certain devices.
- Trunk. They are installed on all equipment in the house and are connected to the electric main. The total load exceeds 4000 watts.
The main tasks of the stabilizer include:
- Bringing the incoming voltage to a normal level.
- Switching off devices during strong surges in the network.
The stabilizer is installed next to the switchboard. Cannot be installed in the basement or in the attic.
There are various types of devices that you should familiarize yourself with before buying. They differ in principle of operation and conditions of use.
Electromechanical
The device is based on an autotransformer, which is controlled by an electronic circuit. Adjustment is carried out by a rotary graphite contact equipped with a servo drive. They can be used as network or trunk devices depending on their rated power.
Advantages:
- The operating voltage range is from 130 to 260 V.
- No interference.
- The shape of the output voltage is not distorted.
- Resistance to overloads.
The disadvantages include the inability to work in low temperature conditions and the low stabilization rate. Also, during operation, users may hear noise. It is better to use such stabilizers for infrequent power surges.
Relay and hybrid
The basis of such devices is also an autotransformer. The difference lies in the way voltage changes - in relay and hybrid devices, it occurs due to switching sections of the winding.
Relay stabilizers can cause the lamps to flash. Also, during operation, clicks can be heard, so it is better to install such a device in a place remote from the recreation area.
Benefits:
- Performance.
- Response area increased to 105 V.
- No maintenance required.
- The service life is 10 years.
- They work at temperatures up to -30 degrees.
- They can work on the street.
- Withstand a load of 110% of the nominal value.
Relay devices are more expensive than electromechanical ones.
To remove the disadvantages of relay and electromechanical stabilizers turned out in a hybrid device. It works in a wide range from 105 V to 280 V. Voltage regulation is smooth. If the voltage drops below 140 V, the relay part starts to work, providing 220 V. Disadvantages - it is installed on the floor and can not function at temperatures below 0 degrees.
Electronic
It works on the basis of thyristors and triacs instead of relays.This leads to the fact that the output maintains normal voltage when the input drops to 60 V. The operation is silent, since there are no moving parts. The service life is high, they have an extended warranty of up to three years. Electronic stabilizers are small, they are conveniently mounted on the wall. They are used even in apartment buildings. They have a small adjustment step. By cons include the high cost of stabilizers.
Other types
The listed types of stabilizers are the main ones and are most often used in private homes. But there are other devices with a different principle of operation. Such devices include ferroresonant stabilizers. They are suitable for work in small houses. They consist of a core, between the windings of which ferroresonance occurs, and capacitors. The advantages include high performance and reliability. Minus - low efficiency, noise, dimensions, cost.
In a separate group include electronic stabilizers with double inverter conversion. These are expensive devices that are better to put on one of the most valuable device. They can compensate for any changes in the network.
Criterias of choice
Before choosing a voltage regulator, you need to find out which network it will be connected to. A single-phase device is suitable for 220 V. For 380 V, three-phase or 3 single-phase devices are needed. The choice depends on the following conditions:
- If the house has appliances designed for 380 V, one three-phase stabilizer is installed.
- If such electrical engineering is absent, it is more profitable to mount three single-phase devices.
The main criteria by which the stabilizer is selected are voltage, adjustment limits, accuracy and the presence of additional functionality.
Power
Two methods can be used to select a power stabilizer. The first is to calculate the total load of all connected electrical appliances. The second recommended technique is to see the cutoff current of the machine at the input. It is already selected taking into account the maximum load and with a power reserve. Then, with a 50 A circuit breaker installed, the power of the stabilizer should be 220 * 50 = 11 kW. Based on this value, the stabilizer closest to the load is selected (in this case 10 and 15 kW). At full load, a larger value is taken, with an incomplete load, less should be selected.
If a three-phase stabilizer is installed, the power is multiplied by 3. For a 16 A machine, the power is 16 * 220 * 3 = 10.56 kW.
Limits of regulation
The input voltage ranges specified in the documentation are those values within which the regulator will equalize the current. With different parameters, the device turns off.
Before choosing a device for this parameter, you should measure the voltage in the house and record the maximum and minimum values. It should also be borne in mind that when working near the border of the range, the accuracy of the supported parameters drops to 18%. A device operating for a long time under such conditions will overheat and may break.
Output voltage accuracy accuracy
It is selected according to the values prescribed in the passport for household appliances. Most electrical appliances operate at 5-7% accuracy. The lamp intensity noticeably changes already at 3% voltage deviation. When buying, you need to select a lower limit.
Additional options
Many stabilizers are equipped with a function of protection against high currents and voltages. If you purchased a model without this function, you must additionally put a protective relay.
There is such a device as a bypass. This is a switch with which you can directly connect the input and output.It is used when the stabilizer breaks down for a while, until a repair or replacement of a failed device is made.
Stabilizers come with multiple displays. They indicate the current load, input and output values, operation mode.
Any devices connected to the network become warm. Temperature can lead to distortion and malfunction, therefore it is recommended to buy models with cooling.
Popular brands
The Italian company ORTEA occupies a leading position in the sales of stabilizers. They have representative offices in all major world countries. They offer devices of the Gemini line at 20 kVA, Orion up to 250 kVA, Sirius new up to 6000 kVA and others. Work at the lowered temperature
The Russian company Bastion also manufactures protective equipment for electrical engineering. The company has its own design office, so they are fully engaged in the entire process of production and testing of equipment.
"Recanta" manufactures its equipment in China. This company is a leader in sales of welding and protective equipment. Service centers are represented in any country in the world. A popular relay stabilizer ASN - 2000 N / 1-C operates at input voltages from 140 to 260 V. Power is 1 kVA. It weighs 4 kg. The cost is approximately 3,500 rubles.
Calm also plays a leading role in the manufacture of voltage stabilizers. 2 series of protective devices are presented - Matrix with a power of 0.5 kVA - 2 kVA and home inverter InStab with a power of 0.5 kVA and an accuracy of at least 2%. The pluses include seamless switching and input interference filter.
