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 Answers to some of the our customer's
most frequently asked questions.

Where do transient voltages originate from?

Transient voltages are short-duration impulses that occur above the voltage sign wave. A voltage sign wave has a 60-cycle frequency and is generated from the electrical generating station. In the United States, all electrical appliances -- from toasters to computers -- are operated from 60-cycle sign waves.

A transient voltage is a distortion on the sign wave. I call it "pollution" on the sign wave, like pollution in a riverbed stream.

A large majority of transient impulses come from within a customer's facility. In fact, about 80 percent or more come from within, while the others are from the outside -- from a utility or catastrophic event, such as a lightning strike, or from a "fault anomaly," such as a squirrel on the line or an automobile hitting a utility pole.

From years of study, not only by utility companies but also by research groups, we know that there are a multitude of transient voltages every day, damaging customer equipment. They are generated from motors switching on or off, lights being turned on, ballasts in fluorescent lights continuously lighting the gas in the tube -- any type of load that switches on and off within a business.

The Redi/Volt is then placed in key positions in the business site to capture and eliminate these transient voltages.
 

What are the effects of transients on my equipment?

Ever present in power systems, transient voltage can also cause vibration, noise, excessive wear, and heating of motors as well as pitting and corrosion of motor contacts. Contact arcing can cause a motor to require more current, shortening the motor's life by increased heat from the pitting and carbon buildup on contacts and brushes. This leads to inefficient operation of equipment, accelerated wear, excessive down time, increased maintenance expense, and in some cases, destruction of costly equipment.

Since they are made of metal, motors are excellent conductors of heat. Surges are energy, energy is heat. Induction-type motors have metal axles within a metal bearing. It is really not complicated to understand that when a metal axle and bearing are overheated, the tolerances are reduced, thereby creating extra friction and drag. When the motor senses the problem by slowing down, it then calls for an additional power draw so that it can continue to run at the speed for which it was designed.

By eliminating or minimizing the problem with transient voltage, contact arcing is minimized. The natural rubbing action built into most contacts allows the motor to clean away the carbon buildup. The motor will run cooler and quieter.