Benefits of Fused Disconnect Switches

When considering protecting your business, assets, employees, and even clients, choosing the right electrical safety equipment is absolutely paramount. You’re likely at least peripherally familiar with many of the options available, be they circuit breakers, safety switches, or fused disconnects.

But of all of these, there is likely more confusion about a fused disconnect switch over any other. Interested in learning about the specific applications of a fused disconnect, and what kinds of advantages these tools bring? PSI Power & Controls can help.

As a long-standing family-owned business we’ve been gladly serving commercial and industrial clients for well over fifty years. We place a huge priority on educating and informing clients, which is why we’ll be covering fused disconnects pretty heavily today!

Interested in electrical safety equipment for your business, or looking for top-class fused disconnects to suit your needs? Feel free to check our product guides for some great choices, and if you have any questions, contact us online.

What Are Fused Disconnect Switches?

We’ve covered this topic in other posts, but the short of it is that a fused disconnect is a safety disconnect switch fitted with a fuse. The goal of a fused disconnect is to open a circuit and disengage power quickly and definitively in the case of an overload or short.

When potentially harmful electrical problems arise the fused disconnect detects them, the fuse blows, and the equipment is shut off automatically. To restore power the issue must first be rectified, and then the fuse in the disconnect must be completely replaced.

What Are the Advantages of a Fused Disconnect Switch?

Because the fuse must be completely replaced, the process of recovery will take more time. In situations where cost versus time is a huge deal, fused disconnects are often forgone and a switchable disconnect will be used instead.

That said, many situations absolutely require the presence of a fuse to stay within NEC code, and furthermore, fused disconnect switches carry some unique advantages as well.

• Can monitor higher loads. Fused (or “fusible disconnects”) switches are most typically used in systems that carry an exceptionally high load, such as what can be found in major industrial equipment. This is because fused disconnects naturally carry a higher “Amps Interrupting Capacity,” or AIC. The addition of the fuse or fuses equips the disconnect to more precisely monitor huge draws of power, allowing for a more precise failsafe.
• Is overall the safest option available. When a fused disconnect detects an issue, it will immediately open the circuit and shut off power to the system it is monitoring. No delays and no mistakes—just absolute protection. This makes them exceptionally desirable in applications where equipment can potentially carry harmful risks to operators and bystanders, making fusible the go-to choice in many cases.
• Fulfills certain NEC requirements. In many cases, certain equipment may absolutely require the presence of a fuse within the system. Fuses can be added in a number of ways for certain, but simply adding a fused disconnect is a cost-efficient and simplistic method of meeting code requirements while satisfying your specific equipment needs..

Safety Equipment and Fused Disconnects with PSI Power & Controls

Looking for fused disconnects, breakers, control systems, or any other emergency electrical and failsafe equipment for your business? Our specialists can help you get exactly what you need!

Contact us today at 704-594-4107 or via e-mail online!