The number of electrical appliances in citizens' homes is growing every day. If earlier people in the house had a refrigerator and a TV from electrical devices, today you can count dozens of different elements of digital and household appliances. As a result, the demand for electricity is growing. However, many people live in old houses that were built 40, or even 50 years ago. But why do you need a voltage regulator? And everything is simple. The wiring in these houses and the power lines to them are designed for small energy consumption by residents. And this means that voltage drops in the mains cannot be ruled out. Even in large cities, similar problems are observed, and in villages and small towns the situation is terrifying.
What is a voltage stabilizer for?
Household and digital appliances (in most cases) cannot boast of resistance to power surges. Any fall or sharp growth can cause damage to electrical appliances (refrigerators, computers, televisions). By the way, it is household appliances (not digital) that suffer most from this problem. Large heating appliances such as boilers, which are extremely sensitive to voltage stability, fall into a special risk group.
You can avoid such situations - use a special device that can always give out a stable voltage to the electricity network of the house. That's what a voltage regulator is for.
Who does not need this device?
Not all people need it, because in most cities of Russia the voltage in the network is stable. It makes no sense to buy this device if 230 V is constantly supported in the house without any fluctuations in any direction. Why do I need a voltage stabilizer in this case? Even if you install it, then its work for 99% of the time will be useless. Perhaps someday he will save the TV, because in theory, differences in the network are possible.
Who needs it?
However, this thing is really necessary for those people who suffer from unstable electricity in the house. And although in theory it is possible to sue a company that provides electricity, and to compensate for damage in the event of a breakdown in the refrigerator or other equipment in the house, it is difficult to do so. At a minimum, you will have to fix the fact of a power surge and prove that the refrigerator burned out precisely because of the poorly provided service.
The benefits of using a stabilizer
Are you still wondering why a voltage regulator is needed? When using it:
- All electrical appliances in the house will be powered by the network for which they are designed. Consequently, their service life will increase, and energy consumption will decrease.
- All appliances in the house will be protected from power surges, and even if it happens, computer and household appliances will not fail.
Note that powerful devices that are installed at the entrance to the wiring in the house are quite expensive. Sometimes it makes sense to use a cheap and low-power stabilizer that can only power one computer, for example. This solution is often used in private homes and even offices. Many users are also interested in whether a voltage stabilizer is needed for a gas boiler. If the voltage in the house is unstable, then this device is necessary for the boiler. The boiler automation is powered by the network, and a power surge can damage it. If this happens in the winter, the heating system provided by the boiler will stop at home. Now you know whether a voltage regulator is needed for the boiler, but which one is an urgent issue.
Varieties of stabilizers
The output voltage stability is achieved in various ways. There are dozens of options for network stability schemes, but not all are effective. The following stabilizers are currently sold in stores:
- Step devices based on mechanical or solid state relays - they are based on a standard transformer. Everything works simply: current flows to the primary winding, and the output voltage is removed from the secondary winding, the relay switches the voltage between them. Typically, the switching step is 10-15 V, which allows you to correct fluctuations from 5-7%. This is a very weak indicator, but a similar scheme is cheap and common. Most of the stabilizers that are on sale in the market work precisely in this way.
- Electromechanical. A transformer is also used here, but instead of a relay, the brush moves along the winding as a switch of turns of the secondary winding. These devices are reliable, but are more expensive. Moreover, they have a serious drawback - a slow reaction rate. Sudden power surges in the network will not have time to smooth out.
- Ferroresonance - these devices are very expensive and large, so they are almost never used in everyday life. These are the most reliable and accurate units, and they are used only where sensitive and expensive equipment works.
- Devices based on double current conversion. Like ferroresonance, these stabilizers are also expensive, but also effective. Here, the alternating current is converted into direct current, after which the direct current is transformed back into alternating current. This allows you to smooth out the smallest fluctuations, as a result of which we get a stable voltage at the output.
What is worth choosing?
Speaking about what kind of voltage stabilizer is needed for a gas boiler or other items of household appliances, we can only recommend electromechanical stabilizers. Stepped also fit, but they are effective only when the voltage is only slightly unstable. Therefore, it is best to dwell on more expensive, but effective electromechanical devices. As for ferroresonant stabilizers or devices with double current conversion, they are very expensive and often not available.
Conclusion
Now you know which voltage regulator is needed for the refrigerator or other household appliances. Finally, it is appropriate to warn you of low-quality Chinese stabilizers, which only create the appearance of work. It should be understood that this device should be extremely reliable and high-quality, because how it works, how expensive the digital and home appliances in the house will work, how long it will last. The stabilizer is a prerequisite for homes in which at least once a month there is a change in voltage in the mains. You need to complain about this and get the electricity company to solve the problem, and in case of damage to the equipment you even need to sue it. But it’s much easier and cheaper to buy a stabilizer.