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Rooftop and other large air conditioning systems often fail without warning at the worst possible time - on a hot summer day when they are needed the most. A SymCom Model 460 MotorSaver® can prevent these failures.
Electrical problems between the power company and the air conditioner are often the cause of many failures. Imagine the power lines running from the power company to the air conditioner. When the lines leave the power company, they twist and turn for miles over land, under water, underground, on power poles, and through transformers, with thousands of connections along the way. The power to operate the air conditioner is transmitted over these power lines. If faults were to occur at any point along the way, the air conditioner would not operate properly or could be damaged beyond repair.
So, what can go wrong along the way? Remember, these wires are outside and are vulnerable to damage from many sources including lightning, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, fallen branches or trees, auto accidents, maintenance and construction errors. These problems often result in rolling blackouts that can be very damaging to air conditioning systems.
Large air conditioners require power on three different lines in order to operate. This is called a three-phase system. If one of the lines (phases) or connections is broken, a phase loss occurs and the power is said to be single phased. If the air conditioner is running when this occurs, it may continue to run, but its compressor motor will overheat and eventually fail. If it is not running, it will try to start, again overheating the motor. In some cases, due to the transformers in the system, a broken line may not result in a complete loss of power on that line. Some power will still exist on all three, but one line will be considerably lower than the other two. This is a voltage unbalance and it will also result in overheating of the motor and eventual failure.
Low power is worse than no power at all. At times, when almost everyone is using their air conditioners, the power company may not be able to generate enough power to keep up with the demand. This can result in voltage well below what is required for equipment to operate properly. Lights go very dim and flicker and motors hum or buzz. This is considered a low voltage or brownout condition which can cause severe damage over time.
What about too much power? Late in the day, when it begins to cool down and businesses close, the voltage demand from air conditioning is rapidly reduced. Until the power company can react, the voltage may rise beyond what is required for equipment to operate properly. This is called a high voltage condition. As with low voltage, if not corrected quickly, damage will occur.
Power often goes off, then back on quickly, sometimes 2 or 3 times in a few seconds. This is called rapid cycling and it can be very damaging to equipment. Air conditioners must remain off for a minimum period of time to allow the system to stabilize before they are restarted. If restarted too quickly, they are said to rapid cycle (or short cycle) and damage or total failure is likely.
The power company isn't always to blame. While most electricians or maintenance people are careful, the wiring to the air conditioner can be connected incorrectly. If this happens, the air conditioner is said to have been reverse phased. The motor will run in the wrong direction and may be severely damaged. There have been situations where the main power connected to an entire building was wired incorrectly and several air conditioners and other equipment were damaged.
Damage can be prevented...Install protection TODAY!
The SymCom Model 460 MotorSaver® is the perfect solution. The Model 460 will monitor all three power lines and either prevent the air conditioner from running should a problem exist or shut it off before the problem can cause any serious damage or catastrophic failure.
