Today, power sources are used in various applications such as lighting, electronic development, industrial control etc. They play an essential role since these devices are responsible for transforming electrical energy and providing different levels of power.
Likewise, they are responsible for carrying the entire load and operating whatever is connected to the power supply. It is important to understand that when choosing a power supply, different aspects must be taken into account, such as:
- The application or type of installation
- The electricity of the load to be supplied
- The quantity of the power supply
How Do You Know if a Power Supply Is of Good Quality?
A quality power supply has various certifications, which show that the product has already passed certain tests and that it complies with safety, manufacturing and electrical parameters standards. These certifications are issued by different organizations that are dedicated to carrying out this type of process, since they have certified facilities and laboratories that guarantee each product test carried out in these facilities.
What Are the Standard or Certifications That Power Supplies Must Have?
There are safety standards and certifications that are important to ensure that a power supply is of quality, including certification like EAC. These certificates can be applied in different places or regions of the world, as each place has its own standard.
Why Is It Important to Choose a Quality Power Supply?
The main reason is to avoid any kind of accident, whether it is a material accident or loss of human life, because a source that is not of quality or does not have any certification is very likely to cause minor accidents or even, in worst cases, a fire.
In those situations, the fires are caused by a poor quality power source that does not have the necessary protections.
What Protections Do Quality Power Supplies Have?
There are three very important protections against:
- Overloads
- Overheating
- Short circuit
The protection against overloads occurs when we connect or request more current than the power supply can provide, this value is known as the nominal power, an example is the following:
If we have a 12V power supply that supports a current of 6A, but a load of 8A is requested, what will happen is that the power supply will not support the load, however it will not be damaged since it has this protection. It will only turn off, in this way, we can ensure the electrical installation will not cause a fire.
The protection against overheating occurs when we ask for a load equal to the one supported by the power supply, although technically a power supply mentions that it has a nominal current, this does not mean that it supports all the load, since it is recommended that the power supply asks for 80% of its nominal current, to avoid overheating.
But what would happen if you connect to a power supply that supports 10A? This same load can overheat; however, when the power supply exceeds its ideal operating temperature, it intermittently cuts off power until it shuts down, this type of situation also occurs in areas where the temperatures are too high.
Protection Against Short Circuits
This protection is one of the most important, because on many occasions, when installing or checking the connections, they short-circuit; however, if they have been poorly connected and not noticed or if, for some reason, they have short-circuited for a long time, the power supply turns off and prevents the short circuit from passing from the power supply to the entire electrical installation.
In conclusion, a quality power supply can prevent accidents and protect the whole electrical installation, so it is very important to know the aspects to consider when choosing it. So what are your thoughts on this subject? Let us know in the comments below.