When do you need a voltage stabilizer for household appliances in the house?
Today, the number of household and multimedia appliances in every family is growing by leaps and bounds, and all devices consume electricity. A voltage stabilizer for a refrigerator, computer, TV and other devices that make the life of a modern person easier and more interesting will protect complex equipment from power surges. The purchase of such a device is especially important for residents of small cottage villages and detached houses, where the input voltage in the network does not always correspond to the optimal value.
What is a stabilizer and why is it needed?
Changes in voltage negatively affect all devices that consume electricity. It has been established that fluctuations in the network reduce the life of devices by four times, and energy-saving lamps fail even faster.
Fluctuations are caused by load changes and are inevitable. How often electricity “jumps” depends on the length of the power line, the connection of some powerful energy-intensive device, and sometimes on the time of day, because the evening load on the network in a populated area is always greater than the daytime. The result is burnt household appliances and losses for the owners.
A voltage stabilizer will help you avoid these troubles - a device for automatically maintaining voltage at 220V at high or low values in the supply network.
This useful device not only increases productivity and increases the service life of household appliances, but also saves energy. Modern stabilizers, both in appearance and functionality, are incomparable to those voluminous, rumbling boxes that were installed next to the TV 30–40 years ago. Today it is a small device with a convenient display on which the voltage indicators in the network are displayed. The device operates absolutely silently. Many devices have a turn-on delay function, due to which the start of the TV or refrigerator is delayed for a few seconds, during which the regulator will check the signal quality.
Do I need a stabilizer for my computer?
Computer technology occupies a special place in the life of a modern person. You can’t do without it either at home or at work. Every family certainly has at least one computer, and sometimes several. This electronic device has a very complex structure and requires special care, and most importantly, high-quality electricity.
A sudden shutdown of a computer threatens its owner with serious troubles, the smallest of which is the loss of unsaved data or printed text. Frequent automatic reboots caused by power surges will quickly render sensitive equipment unusable.
A stationary personal computer is equipped with its own power supply, which can protect the device from slight fluctuations in the network. But a sudden surge in electricity can destroy the most serious components, right down to the motherboard.
A voltage stabilizer will help protect your computer from potential danger.Perhaps for residents of large cities, where everything is in order with electricity, this purchase is irrelevant, but in remote areas a stabilizer for a computer is necessary.
A stabilizer with a power of 500 W is suitable for one computer.
Stabilizer for LCD TV
All modern televisions manufactured after 1985 are equipped with switching power supplies that operate over a wide voltage range. The manufacturer reports this with the inscription 110-260 V AC (or similar) on the rear panel of the device. The electric flow, when passing through this node, is straightened to the optimal value, so the LCD TV is not in danger of burning out transistors or other troubles.
A short circuit will not harm the latest technology, unless it occurs in the TV itself. If there is a short circuit somewhere in the electrical circuit, the TV will simply turn off and the current will be redirected. It’s a different matter if we are talking about an old tube TV that some thrifty grandmother still has. Here you simply cannot do without a stabilizer.
Does a refrigerator need a voltage regulator?
The refrigerator can perhaps be considered the most necessary unit in the household. It would be a shame if such a necessary thing fails due to unstable voltage in the network.
It is worth remembering that a refrigerator breakdown due to power surges does not entitle you to warranty repairs.
A voltage stabilizer is needed for the refrigerator. Due to the special design of this type of household appliance, the regulator must be single-phase, with a power of at least 220 W.
Installing a stabilizer will protect the main components of the refrigeration unit, namely the compressor motor and electronic control, from damage when the network voltage changes up or down.
Of course, in a house located in a metropolis, there is less chance of equipment being damaged due to power surges and surges. However, in settlements remote from the center, where the quality of electrical lines is not sufficiently monitored, such breakdowns are quite possible.
Stabilizer for gas and electric boilers
Many modern houses are equipped with heating boilers:
- gas,
- electric,
- inverter
This equipment creates and maintains heat in the room and also heats water. The most sophisticated electronics are responsible for the operation of such devices, because all processes are performed autonomously, with virtually no human intervention.
A network voltage regulator is necessary for an electric and especially a gas boiler.
If an electric boiler breaks down and suddenly stops working, it’s not so bad. In the worst case, the owners will freeze a little until new heating equipment is installed.
It is much worse if, due to electrical failures, the start sensor in the gas boiler fails or begins to work incorrectly. The device will turn on automatically, despite the fact that the electronic ignition will not work. Natural gas will accumulate in the room, and this poses a direct threat to human life.
Sometimes it is not possible to guess about a breakdown right away, but only after some time, when when paying for utilities it is discovered that there is a significant overconsumption of gas or electricity.To protect yourself from these troubles and save your family budget, you need to purchase a voltage stabilizer for the boiler.
Stabilizer for washing machine
Any washing machine requires high-quality and stable electricity. The washing process usually lasts at least one and a half hours. At this time, all the most important electronic components operate in extreme mode. If the voltage in the network increases sharply, the electronics and engine of the machine - parts that are especially sensitive to changes in electricity - will fail.
In addition, even a non-working washing machine can be damaged due to unstable power supply. Therefore, at the end of washing, it is imperative to disconnect the device from the network.
A voltage stabilizer is required for a washing unit. Moreover, the power of the device should be 10% more than the power consumed by household appliances. So, if an LG washing machine has a power of about 2 kW, then it is recommended to buy a 2.5 kW or even 3 kW stabilizer.
Permissible deviations of the network voltage from normal are indicated by the manufacturer in the technical data sheet for the washing machine. If unexpected power surges occur, expensive equipment may break down or begin to operate incorrectly.
How to calculate stabilizer parameters
It is not necessary to buy a separate stabilizer for each household appliance, be it a refrigerator, washing machine or computer. It is more convenient and expedient to use one device for all the equipment in the apartment. The main thing is to correctly calculate the power of the device so that it is enough to protect several electrical devices.If you buy a stabilizer of obviously low power, it will not be able to perform its protective functions, and problems will constantly arise with the equipment.
To calculate the stabilizer power, you need to do the following:
- count the number of electrical appliances that are planned to be connected to the regulator;
- For each device, write out the power consumption declared by the manufacturer from the technical data sheet;
- add up the written values;
- add 20% to the amount received.
Thus, if the total power of all household appliances is 5 kW, then the stabilizer must support at least 6 kW.
In addition, the choice of voltage stabilizer power depends on the number of phases in the network of an apartment building or a separate cottage. Information about this can be found in the special inscription on the meter.
For a person who has absolutely no understanding of electrics, it is very difficult to correctly calculate the required power of a voltage stabilizer in the network. In this case, it is better to contact specialists.
Residents of small settlements, where, as practice shows, various disruptions in networks are not at all uncommon, are recommended to have a voltage stabilizer. This will protect expensive devices from sudden power surges, extend the life of the devices and the quality of their operation. You can purchase and install a common powerful regulator for all devices, or one for the most expensive and necessary device, such as a boiler or TV. In large cities and towns, where the network voltage is usually within established limits, you can do without a stabilizer.