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This webpage describes electrical safety switches:
· What electrical safety switches are.
· Descriptions of different types of electrical safety switches. |
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Electrical Safety Switch |
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Home > RCDs > What RCDs Are > Electrical Safety Switch |
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What Are Electrical Safety Switches?
An electrical safety switch is a switch that removes or diverts the flow of electricity for the sake of safety.
An RCD is an electrical safety switch; an RCD stops the flow of current when the current on the live line is greater, by a set amount (the amount varies), than on the neutral line.
A lightning rod is an electrical safety switch – a lightning rod diverts the flow of electricity (the lightning bolt) down a safe path to earth.
Different Types Of Electrical Safety Switches
RCD
An RCD is a switch that stops the flow of electricity. An RCD stops the flow of electricity when the flow of electricity in the live line is greater, by a set amount, than the flow of electricity in the neutral line.
You cannot destroy energy. What flows into an electrical circuit must flow out; if flow out does not equal flow in the flow is going ‘somewhere else’.
If the flow of electricity is ‘somewhere else’, something is wrong – stop the flow of electricity.
Fuse
A fuse is an electrical safety switch, a fuse removes the flow of electricity when the electrical flow through the fuse is greater than the fuse rating.
Lightning Rod
A lightning rod diverts electrical current from a path that may cause a fire to a safe path to earth.
Lightning is electrical energy, diverting lightning through a lightning rod is a safety action.
On\Off Switch
A standard on\off switch is an electrical safety switch. People turn electrical appliances off for different reasons; for instance save money, lessen the risk of fire and when some is working on the appliance.
Turning an electrical appliance off when someone is working on it is a safety action.
There are different variations of an on\off switch, for instance emergency off switches and ‘dead man’s handles’.
Links
Links – Domestic Electrics & Central Heating Advice
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