Colombia. In many cases, a person's first and only contact with the power grid is through power outlets, with which they interact to connect all the appliances and devices in the home, from the fridge and washing machine to mobile phones.
This point of contact is very important because its proper functioning and quality depends on the provision of energy for electrical equipment, in a reliable, safe, efficient and timely manner. Needless to say, the malfunction of these devices not only puts at risk the connected device but the electrical network and even the building. If a failure is generated, the worst-case scenario is a fire generated from an electrical shock.
What, how and why do you take them?
Schneider Electric has developed power outlets that adapt to the lifestyle of each person, that adjust to the conditions of each space and that improve the quality of life of those who use them, with the highest standards that guarantee safety, reliability and energy efficiency. With a correctly installed installation and using the appropriate power outlets for each type of work, energy consumption costs can be reduced by up to 30%.
According to the Colombian technical standard NTC2050, which has become the country's electrical code, an outlet is "a device that has female contacts for the connection of a plug and terminals for the connection to the output circuits."
Care and maintenance
It is important to understand that each socket has its task and its energy load limit. If this is exceeded and we do not use the appropriate outlets, we obtain excessive heating of the plugs and the outlet that can end in short circuit. In situations, damage to equipment or even more serious damage to the physical integrity of network users is incurred.
This is prevented from the installation process itself. Properly installed outlets increase the level of safety for people, reduce the risks of electric shock in the home, office or wherever they are, since well selected, polarized and installed, they are highly safe and at the same time mitigate possible damage to equipment or the internal electrical network.
Outlets like other appliances in the facility have a useful life that depends on use, measured by the number of operations or service time, which for manufacturers recognized with Schneider Electric reaches 5 years, on average. However, it is prudent to carry out preventive maintenance every 3 years to adjust the terminals and check the working temperature, as well as the connection with the grounding system.
To detect an outlet that needs to be changed, it is necessary to perform a visual inspection of its condition and operation, which must be perfect. When in service the working temperature must be the same as the environment. Additionally, the contact between the socket and the plug must be easy, solid and safe, there are socket testers that indicate the correct polarization and connection of phase, neutral and ground, as well as more specialized devices that help verify the voltage level in the outlet device.
Efficient shots
These five points ensure that the outlet works properly and fulfills its mission of providing energy efficiently and safely always:
1. Periodic review: nothing better than making a periodic check of the power outlets and the rest of the devices of the electrical network, this helps to control the damages or failures and to repair or replace them in a timely manner, minimizing the risks.
2. Cleaning: Keep the outlets clean, free of dust or grease and other elements that may become a risk to the power outlet. Similarly, avoid painting them when performing maintenance work because they lose their protective characteristics.
3. Avoid overheating: If a socket generates heat it means that it is poorly connected or that it is generating a short circuit that can become a greater damage if you do not adjust it in time. Likewise, do not abuse the power strips and multi-sockets that can become overloaded and heated if you connect too much equipment and put the network at risk or can cause a fire.
4. Do not stress the cables when installing the equipment: By tensioning them, the cables become more vulnerable to shocks and can damage both the connected equipment and the power outlet itself. By the way, do not pull the cables to disconnect the equipment, this can end in a short.
Finally, do not wind the cables too much, instead organize them, identify them with marquillas and perform cleaning and maintenance of them periodically.
5. Do not connect heavy-duty equipment: Industrial equipment consumes and uses energy differently than household appliances, so industrial mat washers, paint compressors or welding equipment can burn the mains if connected to the grid. Use an external outlet or the one available in your home or office for this purpose.
These instructions will make the outlets last longer and allow energy to flow in the home and office reliably and safely.
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