Types of AC Switches and how to choose the right one?

To turn ON and OFF any electrical equipment, you need a device called a switch. Switches are the most important electrical equipment in control system engineering. However, it isn’t a case of one size fits all, and different switches are needed for different appliances. For instance, switches for AC, refrigerators, and geysers will differ from switches used for fans and lights depending on the electricity and current required to operate these appliances.
You will find mainly two types of switches in the market- mechanical and electrical. Mechanical switches are the ones where it requires manual contact with the switch to operate. Whereas the electrical can act as semiconductors without any physical contact.
Switches Used for Air Conditioner
Almost every household must install an air conditioner in this scorching heat worldwide. You will also find air conditioners in stores, malls, commercial buildings, and every outdoor place. So, if you are planning to buy switches for your AC, you may come across push button switches and a double pole switch.
Read on further to understand the switches suitable for controlling the air conditioner.
Double pole switch
A double-pole switch can be used for a home wiring system but is often used in industrial applications. These switches generally control 240-volt appliances or fixtures from a single wall location. These appliances include an electric furnace, geyser, heater or air conditioner.
These double pole switches are usually rated for 30 or 40 amps, rather than the 15 or 20 amps for standard single-pole wall switches, which are double.
You will also find that these double-pole switches have a green grounding screw for connecting the grounding wire of the circuit.
Push Button Switch
A pushbutton switch is often installed to control action in a machine or other type of process. These switches can be commonly found within the home and workplace areas. These pushbutton switches can also be called pushbutton switches or push switches.
The pushbutton switches are generally made from materials like plastic or metal. And the push button switches may be flat or customised to ergonomic specifications. In addition, you will find a wide variety of pushbutton switch models powered by momentary or latching action.
Functioning of push buttons
Functioning of mostly all the push button switches is the same way. First, you must apply a general pressure on the button or actuator. Pressing the button will result in the depression of the internal spring and contacts and the touching of stable contacts at the switch’s bottom. During this process, the electrical circuit will either close or open. Then, a continuous pressure must be applied to the push button of a momentary switch to initiate the action.
Push Button Switch Types
Various types of pushbutton switches are available, each with unique advantages. Therefore, you must make the right choice that is the most suitable type for your particular application. A few factors that will depend on choosing the correct switches are the intended task, actuator style, and IP rating.
Commonly available types of pushbutton switches include:
- Momentary Push Buttons
- Arduino Push Buttons
- Position Push Button Switches
- Push to Make Switches
- Push to Break Switches
Dual Colored Button Switches
As the pushbutton switches are two-positioned devices, they are actuated with a button that is pressed and released. As mentioned above, these switches have an internal spring mechanism that returns the button to its “out” or “unpressed” position for momentary operation.
Similarly, the dual push button switches feature one button for connecting the electric power and the other for disconnecting the same. The dual-coloured push button switches are often used for AC.
Usually, you will find that the ‘ON’ button on the dual pushbutton switches is green in colour. And the other button resembles ‘OFF’ in the colour red. Also, these colours on the dual colour pushbutton switch ease and make us avoid confusion while operating the AC. Visit Indoasian.