What is special about a lighting contactor?
Lighting contactors are relay switches that control the flow of electricity through a circuit powering the lighting in a given area. A lighting contactor switch operates at a lower but safer load and controls the high voltage/current circuit using an electromagnet. Turn the power off for the entire system.
What is an electrically held contactor?
Electrically-held contactors only engage and disengage with the presence of power when the coil is energized. What this means is that when the coil engages the contacts, it will stay held like that until you cut power to the coil – in which case the contactor goes back to normal.
What is a lighting contactor panel?
Contactors can be used individually for simple control schemes or as integral components in full-featured lighting control systems. Siemens contactors for lighting control provide reliable and efficient means of local or remote switching of lighting as well as non-inductive loads.
Do contactors wear out?
In most cases, the contactor does not simply wear out from normal use. Usually, the reason for contactor failure is misapplication. That’s why you need to understand the basics of contactors. When someone uses a lighting contactor in a motor application, that’s a misapplication.
Are contactor contacts wired like a load or a switch?
The contacts are a switch. They are wired in circuits exactly like switches and they behave like switches because they are switches. Relay coils are loads; specifically, solenoids.
What advantage does an electrically held contactor have over a mechanically held contactor?
Electrically held contactors rely on a constant connection to remain connected to the circuit and keep the contacts closed, while mechanically held contactors can de-energize and be removed from the voltage.
What is the difference between a relay and a contactor?
A contactor joins 2 poles together, without a common circuit between them, while a relay has a common contact that connects to a neutral position. Additionally, contactors are commonly rated for up to 1000V, while relays are usually rated to only 250V.