As always, our commercial electrical contractors want to emphasise the importance of hiring licenced, qualified, professionals for all of your electrical wiring needs.
It can be very tempting to do your own electrical wiring, but one wrong step can have some very serious consequences.
Not to mention, when you do hire a professional electrician it may end up costing you more if they have to correct poor workmanship you have already done. (And don’t forget – it can also void your warranty or impact any insurance claims.)
However, we do understand that if you’re looking to have electrical work done on your home or business, then you probably want to know what work is actually being carried out.
Today we’re talking about electrical disconnect switches, and how it is that our team go about wiring them.
What is an electrical disconnect switch?
The purpose of an electrical disconnect switch is to block the electrical wiring from its source of power.
As a result, the appliance(s) or device(s) that relies on the power from that switch will turn off.
An electrical disconnect switch can also be used to stop the flow of power to a particular room.
Some units and electrical systems are required to have an electrical disconnect switch installed for safety purposes.
How does a disconnect switch work?
The disconnect switch is triggered by the use of a special breaker. It may even simply be the main breaker for the house.
When the switch is flicked it will directly interrupt the power source from distributing power through the electrical wiring of the home. This will cause the power in the home to go out.
What is an electrical disconnect box?
The electrical disconnect box is installed by commercial electrician in Kingston. It’s where the switch to disrupt the distribution of power is located.
Much like the breaker box, this is usually installed outside of the home.
What is the difference between a safety switch and a disconnect?
We know it can be a little bit confusing when there are multiple names used by commercial electrician in Beaumaris and tradies, but there isn’t actually a difference.
A safety switch and a disconnect switch refer to the same switch that functions to disrupt power to a building, particular room, or certain appliance.
Safety switch and disconnect switch are just two different ways of saying the same thing.
What is the difference between disconnect switch and circuit breaker?
A circuit breaker can be flipped manually, but it can also be triggered when the electrical current has exceeded the capacity of the electrical wiring.
A disconnect switch is flipped on purpose by the homeowner, but a circuit breaker will trip on its own to ensure the electrical wiring remains safe.
Think of it this way: a breaker is a safety precaution. A disconnect switch is used to consciously turn off the power.
Wiring a disconnect switch
The most important thing about wiring a disconnect switch is that you must be a licensed electrician to do so.
Do not attempt to do it on your own. You must give your commercial electrical contractors a call and let them take care of this for you.
How do you wire a 240v disconnect switch?
- Safety first: make sure you turn the power off in the room that you’re doing electrical work in
- There are five wires that you will be working with. Two of them will be hot, two of them are for the load, and the last wire will be the one in the ground. You need to identify each one
- The two hot wires need to be attached to the red and black screw terminals
- The green wire needs to be attached to the 240 volt switch ground screw
- The yellow and blue screw terminals need to be attached to the load wires
- Double check you have done this right
- Turn the power back on at the breaker, and listen for the ‘click’
- Flick the switch again to turn off the load
How do you wire a 3 phase disconnect switch?
The main difference between 3 phase wiring and single phase wiring is that 3 phase wiring has 3 hot wires, and single phase only has 2.
However, there are certain 3 phase wire configurations that use a fourth, neutral wire. This is called a wye configuration.
The delta electrical wiring is when there are only 3 hot wires, and no neutral wire.
The difference between configurations can make it difficult to effectively wire a 3 phase disconnect switch, if you don’t know what you are doing.
That’s why it is a much better idea to seek help from an electrician, rather than trying to do the wiring yourself.
Choose our commercial electricians to wire your disconnect switches
The Powermaster team takes electrical safety very seriously. That’s why it’s so important to us that you’re using our expertise as commercial electrical services near me.
If you need any electrical wiring done, then you need to work with professionals who can get the job done safely.
It’s not just safety that’s important to us though. We want to help the businesses in our community grow and expand.
That’s why we pride ourselves on excellent customer service, particularly our focus on helping your business achieve exactly what it needs from its electrical systems.
Feel free to give our friendly team a call to discuss all the options available to you. Our commercial electricians will be glad to help out!
Call today on 1300 410 141 or get in touch with us online.