The Complete Buying Guide for Voltage Stabilisers

How often have you brought a brand-new home appliance without buying a voltage stabiliser? Probably never. If you live in a country where your electricity supply is plagued with voltage fluctuations, you will need stabilisers to safeguard your appliances. Stabilisers are essential to prevent expensive appliances from permanently damaging by power fluctuations.

A voltage stabiliser will give your appliances a long life and is a long-term investment. Our blog discusses everything you need to know about voltage stabilisers and what to consider when investing in one.

Voltage Stabilisers: Why Are They The Lifeline For Your Appliances?

As small and compact as they seem, voltage stabilisers are powerful electrical devices designed to recognise and regulate voltage fluctuations and deliver a consistent voltage output range.

Let’s explain how a stabiliser works without sounding complicated and technical. When your utility voltage is too low, the in-built electronic circuit in your stabiliser senses it, enabling an electromagnetic relay to compensate for the voltage loss and feed the regulated power to the connected equipment. When the incoming voltage is too high, the stabiliser activates another electromagnetic relay to deduct the excess voltage.

What Powers Your Voltage Stabiliser?

Your voltage stabiliser is no less of an engineering marvel. They are built with electronic circuitry that uses electromagnetic relays to change the taps of the in-built autotransformer to generate the desired voltage when the power fluctuates. When the voltage supply falls outside the range, a mechanism switches the transformer tap and brings the supply into the safe range.

There is no dearth of stabilisers in today’s market. Voltage stabilisers are in high demand due to the influx of innovative home appliances into the consumer market. Stabilisers designed with the latest technology can protect your expensive home appliances from voltage fluctuations for a long time. However, there is one contingency: You cannot use the same type of stabiliser for all your appliances. There is no “one-size-fits-all” because different stabilisers are needed for different appliances.

Why Do We Need Different Stabilisers For Different Appliances

It is important to choose a voltage stabiliser, especially for the appliance to which it will be attached. Stabilisers are classified according to the following:

• Energy limit
• Appliance features

All appliances are designed to operate on a specific energy limit, and voltage stabilisers are manufactured with these specifications. Based on these criteria, there are different stabilisers available for:

• Power mainlines
• Air conditioners
• Music systems
• LCD and LED TVs
• Smart TVs
• Washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Convection ovens
• Treadmills

It is not right to pick any stabilisers off the shelf. It is crucial to select the right one, and you need to consider aspects such as:

• Appliance’s range of power consumption
• Level of voltage fluctuations in your area

When you purchase a new refrigerator or air conditioner for your house, your salesman will recommend you to club your purchase with a stabiliser. Here are five technical factors to check when before paying for the voltage stabiliser:

1. Working range

The working range of a stabiliser is the voltage range in which the stabiliser regulates the input voltage and delivers the desired output.

2. Load connection

One of the most important aspects is the nature of the load connected to the stabiliser. Getting the VA (or Volt Ampere) from Watts (W) will require some measurements, but you can approximate the VA size by increasing Watts by 20%.

3. Surge current

You should also consider the surge current that flows through your device when you switch it on.

4. Voltage rating

Every stabiliser has a specification sticker with information about the following:

• The power rating of the device
• Voltage
• Current

The standard service voltage for stabilisers manufactured in India is 230 VAC, 50 Hertz.

5. Stabiliser rating

You can calculate the stabiliser rating by multiplying 230 x maximum rated current for all the appliances you want to connect to the device and adding an extra 20-25%. If you intend to add more appliances to it, you need to keep a buffer accordingly.

Next, you should look for certain features to ensure you are buying an upgraded device. A good, modern stabiliser should have the following:

• Indicators to display the voltage supplied to power the appliance.
• Time delay systems enable a time-lapse for the compressor to balance the current flow during a short power cut.
• Digitisation to ensure accuracy, reliability, and multi-device adaptability.
• Mounting convenience ensures the stabiliser can be mounted on walls or placed on a higher level for better protection.
• Overload protection automatically turns off the output during a short circuit or power overload.

Are you still in a dilemma about investing in stabilisers? Do you think your TV or air conditioner does not require a stabiliser because it has upgraded technology? Well, think again, or you could end up with a severely damaged device.

3 Reasons Why Your Home Appliances Need Voltage Stabilisers

A good stabiliser will not cost much, and even if it does, it is not an expense, but an investment, because it:

1. Prevents equipment malfunction

All electronic devices come with safe operating limitations, and any non-compliance can have disastrous consequences for your device, from simple malfunctioning to complete operational failure.

2. Enhances appliance longevity

Voltage stabilisers smooth out power from the electric grid by suppressing surges. In the absence of a stabiliser, your appliances are susceptible to sudden spikes and dips in the current supply. A voltage stabiliser will ensure your appliances work for years without any issues.

3. Ensures overall safety

When your expensive equipment is connected to stabilisers, there is a much lesser fire risk due to faulty wires and short circuits. In short, a stabiliser provides round-the-clock protection to electrical appliances, your home, and your family.

Some things are more a necessity than a luxury, and a voltage stabiliser is one of them. Now that you understand the importance of these devices, it is best to buy the appropriate stabilisers for the devices in your home. Nantech Power Systems, Chennai, provides a wide range of affordable voltage stabilisers for various appliances. Give us a call to find the right one for your requirements.