Protection of the refrigerator from the stove and power surges. How to protect household appliances from overvoltage Which refrigerator is not afraid of voltage surges
Quite often, the reason for calling a refrigerator repair technician is the failure of the electric motor due to instability of the voltage in the electrical network. There are situations when requests for urgent repairs come from several residents of one entrance at once, affected by a sharp increase or decrease in its value.
Indeed, modern household refrigerators are designed to operate with a voltage of 220V (nominal value). Maximum permissible deviations range from 187V to 242V.
What happens to the refrigerator if these tolerances are exceeded?
A voltage surge above 242V for a sufficiently long period of time threatens excessive heating of the starting winding. As a result, insulation melts, short circuits and inevitable repairs with replacement of units.
In Russian practice, the opposite situation occurs much more often - when the voltage of the electric current in the network drops below the permissible 187V and remains at such a low level for a very, very long time. If its value is too low, the starting protection relay may not work and the starting winding will not turn on. This is fraught, first of all, with heating of the working winding of the electric motor, which will lead to expensive repairs of refrigerators. Moscow is no exception, and power surges are quite frequent in our capital.
You can avoid such troubles! You just need to take some precautions.
- Firstly, ensure quality contact - no loose sockets or plugs twisted with electrical tape. Reliable contact between the plug and the socket is a mandatory requirement for the operating rules of any refrigeration unit, be it an old Saratov refrigerator that has served you for decades, or the latest Indesit with the No Frost system and a lot of electronics.
- Secondly, allocate a separate outlet for the refrigerator. All other kitchen appliances must be connected to a different power point.
- And finally third, and most importantly: if your home experiences systematic voltage fluctuations and power outages, purchase an electric voltage stabilizer. Instead of spending money on repairing refrigerators every time, spare no expense in purchasing a stabilizer and forget about such problems.
Remember, your refrigerator will work for a long time and properly only if it is correct operation. Otherwise, repairing refrigeration equipment will become a constant cost item in your family budget.
The refrigerator is the most important appliance in the kitchen. Modern models have a high cost. Therefore, careful handling is required for their long service life. One of the most common reasons failure of refrigeration equipment is a voltage surge that is associated with poor quality power supply or emergency power outage. Common causes of breakdowns also include overheating of the device. It may occur due to the proximity of a stove or radiator. Therefore, it is extremely important to know how to properly protect refrigerators from power surges.
Features of the refrigerator
The refrigeration unit is a closed system that is filled with freon. The refrigerant is moved by a compressor driven by a motor with a winding. As the refrigerant moves through different areas, it changes its pressure and temperature.
Inside the refrigeration unit there is an evaporator, to which freon is supplied in a liquid state. In the evaporator, the refrigerant releases cold to the walls of the chamber and to the products. After which the gaseous freon is sucked in by the compressor. This increases his temperature. The vapors give off their heat through the walls of the condenser. The temperature is dropping again. Freon is transferred to the evaporator.
Compressor protection
The most expensive part of a refrigerator is the compressor. It is he who primarily suffers from voltage surges. Low voltage is dangerous for an electric motor, and voltage surges are dangerous for compressors.
When the voltage decreases or the refrigerator is completely disconnected from the network during the discharge stroke, high pressure is maintained, which is also maintained in the network of the compressor chamber. At the same time, the pressure continues to press on the compressor pistons. High pressure creates resistance that prevents the engine from starting. This may happen:
- starting the engine, but with an increase in starting current and high resistance;
- protection is triggered and constant attempts to start the compressor;
- electric motor failure.
With constant voltage drops, the durability of the main components decreases. This can lead to rapid damage to the refrigerator. Thus, to protect the compressor, a restart delay is required to allow the freon pressure to equalize.
Solution
To protect the refrigerator from power surges, certain rules must be followed:
- use of special units;
- compliance with the basic rules for operating electrical appliances;
- repair of all sockets, plugs and other electrical components;
- To turn on the refrigerator, you should use an individual outlet, which cannot be connected to other electrical appliances.
The optimal solution to the problem would be to install special units that will protect equipment from power surges. These include:
- Voltage control relay. One device is used to protect all equipment in the house. It independently turns off the power when the reading changes below or above the normal limit. The relay turns on the electricity after the voltage normalizes. Additionally, there is a pause. Its duration can be set independently or set automatically.
Voltage control relay
- Group voltage control relays. Consists of several voltage control relays. A separate relay is used for the refrigerator. One turns on with a certain delay, while the rest of the equipment in the house can turn on faster. The advantage of this method is its high reliability. The disadvantage is the high price and the need for space in the electrical panel.
- Surge Protectors. It is a fairly expensive piece of equipment, so it is recommended to choose it if power surges frequently occur or if expensive equipment is installed in the house.
Voltage regulator
- Network filters. Protects against minor voltage surges. Can only be used for one device. The use of such a filter requires high-quality grounding. If you do not connect it correctly, the surge protector will only act as an extension cord.
Network filters
These are the main methods of protecting your refrigerator from power surges. Simple ones can be implemented independently. Installing complex devices may require the assistance of a professional.
Protecting the refrigerator from stove and power surges
The combination of a refrigerator and a stove, at first glance, is unacceptable. However, in small kitchens this situation often occurs.
Protecting the refrigerator from the stove with foil
Both devices can be installed so that their side walls touch. But you need to use insulation to protect the refrigerator. This can be any heat-insulating non-flammable material. There are no special devices for protection, so you will have to figure out how to protect the refrigerator from a gas or electric stove yourself.
For this purpose, materials of organic origin can be used, for example, reeds, polystyrene foam or chipboard. The best option would be to use a cork slab. The disadvantage of the material is its high cost. Cork board has a number of advantages. The main one is resistance to absorption of moisture and odors. In addition, such materials are non-hygroscopic. Their disadvantages include deformation when exposed to high temperatures.
Materials of inorganic origin can also solve this problem. The advantage is non-flammability and low price. However, there are also disadvantages, which include the loss of thermal insulation properties under the influence of moisture. Inorganic materials include fiberglass, drywall and absestoboard.
If you do not think about protecting your refrigerator from the stove or other hot kitchen appliances and heating, the following problems may arise:
- Increased energy consumption. Even if the refrigerator is insulated, its walls will heat up if the stove is too close. As a result, the sensor registers an increase in temperature, and the device operates with greater load.
- Uneven cooling. This causes moisture to condense on one side. This affects the quality of operation of the device and the safety of products.
- Difficulty of care. When cooking, splashes of fat and drops of water constantly fall on the side wall of the refrigerator, so it will need care more often.
- Inconvenient cooking. Due to the fact that the desktop can only be located on the side of one of the devices, moving products is not very convenient.
Therefore, to protect the refrigerator, it is recommended to maintain a distance of at least 15 cm between it and the stove. It is best to set it at a distance of 25 cm. This will ensure normal operation. Failure to comply with this rule will reduce the service life of the device.
A simple homemade refrigerator switch-on delay relay will help protect the compressor from breakdown.
The operating instructions for the refrigerator indicate that even after a short-term disconnection from the network, for example, you decided to switch the refrigerator to another outlet, you can turn it on again no sooner than after 10 minutes.
The refrigerator operates in a cyclic mode, which is determined by the installation and environmental conditions.
When the refrigerator is turned on, the refrigerant pressure in the system increases to almost seven atmospheres, and when turned off it drops to one and a half atmospheres or less (curve 1 on the pressure graph).
These pressure changes are very dangerous for refrigerators, especially older models.
The pressure in the system acts on the compressor piston, loading the electric motor. Let's imagine that the compressor was turned off at high pressure, for example, at 6.5 atmospheres, and we tried to turn it on again. Now the engine will work against high pressure during startup and its power will not be enough to move the compressor piston. There is probably no need to explain what can happen when the electric motor rotor is jammed.
However, if you wait a few minutes, the pressure in the system will decrease, and the pressure on the piston will also decrease. The compressor will start easily.
Developed general rule: When turning off the refrigerator, wait ten minutes before turning it on again.
Modern refrigerators of new models contain posistor starting relays instead of traditional mechanical ones. After stopping the compressor, the posistor relay needs some time to turn on the engine again.
The protection allows you to avoid troubles with a blocked engine rotor, but experts believe that it is not worth bringing the matter to the point where the protection is triggered. In addition, older refrigerators and electromechanically controlled refrigerators do not have delay systems, so they may fail. But these refrigerators most often live in villages and dachas. And this is where situations happen when the light goes out and literally immediately turns on again. No one will even notice this, or no one at all, and the refrigerator keeps trying to turn on until the pressure in the system stabilizes or the engine burns out.
To protect such refrigerators, a switch-on delay device was made after disconnecting the refrigerator from the network, which is connected between the power outlet and the plug of the refrigerator. The circuit is simple, it is a regular time relay that starts when connected to the network. devices through a small-sized transformer, a standard bridge and a stabilizer. The turn-on delay is determined by a 47 micron capacitor. and a 5.8 megohm resistor. (series connected 2.4 M resistors and a 1 M resistor).
One indicator indicates that the device is connected to the network, and the second indicates that the load is connected. Particular attention should be paid to the relay that turns on the refrigerator compressor. The relay contacts must withstand the starting current of the compressor motor. In old Soviet refrigerators, the compressor motor power was 300 - 400 watts. Accordingly, the current in operating mode is 1.8 amperes. The starting current is seven times more than the operating current - 12.6 amperes!
The device uses a relay with contacts not rated for 16 amperes.
The relay winding must be designed for a voltage of 12 volts, and the current through it must not exceed 200 milliamps (permissible for the microcircuit). For the selected relay with a 175 ohm winding, all these requirements are met. Structurally, the device is made in a housing on which there is a socket for connecting a refrigerator and two indicators (LEDs).
The operation of the device is shown in the photograph. On the left, the device is turned on. The stopwatch has just started counting down time. The light bulb load is not included. The "network" indicator is on and the "load" indicator is off.
The amount of electricity consumed by the population increases every year. Modern man cannot do without a washing machine, microwave oven, TV, refrigerator, air conditioner and other equipment. Unfortunately, the old apartment wiring was not designed for this. large quantity consumers. And for uninterrupted and long-term operation of household appliances, a stable power supply is necessary. Therefore, first of all, you need to check the condition of the electrical wiring and make a partial or complete replacement. Electrical installation must be carried out competently, carefully and with high-quality materials.
The cause of failure of household appliances can be either high or low voltage in the network. Sudden changes in electricity can also render the equipment unusable.
There are several ways to protect against overvoltage. A high surge of energy can be triggered by lightning discharges. The most in a simple way lightning protection will include turning off all equipment from the network. However, it is not always possible to be at home. Therefore, to protect against overvoltage, a surge arrester must be installed in the cabinet with the electric meter and circuit breakers. With three-phase power supply, a surge arrester is installed on each phase, that is, three arresters are needed.
A cheap and ineffective means of protection includes the usual one. You should not buy the cheapest filter, because it will be an ordinary extension cord. As a rule, the network is equipped with an interference filter, a fuse and a protective element -. When the voltage rises above 260, the varistor sharply changes its resistance and the fuse blows, turning off the connected equipment. A surge protector will not provide 100% protection.
Voltage drops can be caused by the deplorable condition of transformer substations and electrical wiring in houses and entrances. It is also impossible to exclude the human factor when, as a result of illiterate work by an electrician, equipment in the entire house burns out.
To protect against overvoltage, you can use voltage stabilizers and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). There are advantages and disadvantages here. For a good stabilizer or high-power UPS you need to pay a round sum of money. But for powering expensive equipment, such protection is an ideal option.
In order to economize cash and protect your household appliances against voltage surges, it is recommended to install an AZM-40A voltage protection unit. If the voltage changes above 265 volts or drops below 170 volts, the unit turns off all connected equipment. When the voltage level is restored, the protection unit will connect the equipment automatically after 2 minutes.
Another most affordable method of dealing with overvoltage is to install an RCD together with DPN-260 (overvoltage sensor). When the voltage increases, the DPS commands the RCD to disconnect consumers. To supply electricity, you just need to turn on the RCD.
To have maximum protection, use all protection methods. Install arresters, a voltage protection unit, a voltage stabilizer, a UPS and conventional surge protectors. After this, your equipment will be under reliable protection and you can sleep peacefully.
Sudden changes in current in the network often lead to malfunction of electrical appliances, including refrigerators. To protect home electrical equipment from sudden power surges, special devices are used to protect household appliances - these are voltage control relays. Protection against power surges Barrier and Bison are popular; they can be installed with your own hands according to the diagrams.
Why do you need to protect your refrigerator from power surges?
Home refrigerators operate from piston units. When the power is turned off or reduced, the piston that moves the refrigerant through the refrigeration system is under high pressure and requires enormous force to start the entire system. For a correct and safe start, about 6 minutes of disconnection from the power supply are required, but with a sudden jump, the compressor may fail, which leads to breakdown of the refrigerator.
In some cases, the compressor can cope with the voltage drop, but this reduces its service life.
General voltage control relay
A similar device covers all electrical appliances in the apartment. The relay provides a temporary delay of connection to the power supply for 5 minutes, for example, Barrier. Protection against power surges Zubr allows you to delay up to 10 minutes.
The disadvantage of general control relays is that for a certain time all equipment in the house will be de-energized and you will have to wait 5-10 minutes. This is especially noticeable if voltage drops in the electrical network occur frequently.
Combining multiple relays
For everyday comfort, group relays are installed using a cross-module. One relay covers electrical equipment with compressor devices (refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner), while the other provides security, for example, TV, computer, etc. Each of the groups will be connected to the network at its own time: refrigeration units within 5-10 minutes, other electrical appliances within a minute.
However, installing group relays is quite expensive, and additional space is required in the panel.
Relays with built-in timers are convenient to use. They allow you to independently regulate the delay time of power supply to the devices. The advantage of such a device is that it saves space and is low cost.
To protect the refrigerator from power surges in the apartment, it is enough to set the relay timer with the necessary time parameters.
It is possible to install a relay to protect the refrigerator from power surges with your own hands if you understand the apartment’s power supply diagram. The relay is the optimal protection for the refrigerator, designed to preserve its long-term operating condition. While stabilizers or fuses will not fully provide such protection.
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