Electric Motor Protection Relays Explained

Single phasing, Earth faults, and short circuits are just a few potential points of failure in motors. Electric motor protection relays can help.

Electric Motor Protection Relays Explained

No facility wants to halt production due to an Earth fault or short circuit, but these things do happen. Still, you can prevent these shutdowns by using electric motor protection relays. That said, not everyone understands the intricacies of these useful devices. Read on to discover an explanation of electric motor protection relays.

Why Is Motor Protection Important?

The vast majority of motors in any given industry are induction motors. They are economical and easy to maintain, but they do require certain technology to run optimally and without failure. When you operate these motors without motor protection, you open yourself up to all sorts of financial risks.

In addition to the cost of repair or replacement, you’ll also lose money from shutting down production. Because induction motors are vital to your facility, you won’t be able to get back up and running until you fix the problems. You’ll lose precious hours fixing the problem, taking your employees away from other important tasks.

How Motor Protection Relays Work

You might wonder how motor protection relays work to solve this problem. They protect against short circuiting, thermal overloads, locked rotors, single phasing, and Earth faults. Once the relay detects a fault, it will open the breaker to disconnect the faulty circuit. Motor protection relays can also notify you when this occurs so you can get your people on it right away.

Benefits of Motor Protection Relays

This process avoids the potential of a motor functioning at limited capacity until it breaks, giving you time to address the problem as you see fit. By using an electric motor protection relay, you should not need to replace your motors. Instead, you can perform small repairs on the faulty circuits.

When you need GE Multilin relays for your facility, AX Control has you covered. We carry the products you need for your industry, and you can always reach out to us with any questions you may have.

Now that you know how electric motor protection relays work, you should have a better understanding of whether you need one in your facility. Make sure you look over the benefits of motor protection relays carefully. They can save you a lot of time and money.