Have you ever heard the term Air Break Switch? Do you know what it is, and why they’re critical for an electrical system?An air break switch, like the name suggests, is a known break in the power line system that can be manually opened or closed. If closed, electricity flows past the break and on down the line. If the switch is open, electricity from the substation stops at that point.
Why would we need to stop the flow of electricity?
To explain, we’ll create a small-scale scenario. Let’s say a substation distributes power to ten homes, with an air break switch between the fifth and sixth homes. If something like a tree limb were to fall on the line beyond the fifth home, it would knock out power to all ten homes. Since it happened past that fifth home, however, the air break switch would come into play.
Once the problem is identified, a lineman could open the air break switch causing a break in the line after the fifth home. Now power could be restored up to that point, stopping at the break. This would leave only five homes without power until crews fix the line.
Take that small example and expand it to
real-world numbers
, and we’re talking a lot more than ten homes with power while crews work to restore power.BEC uses more than 100 air break switches at key points along 4,600 miles of power lines. Those air break switches have the potential to keep the lights on for hundreds, if not thousands of members during the worst of times.To learn more about outage restoration, visit BanderaElectric.com/Reliability.
A sink top air switch activates your disposal by pressing a button, which sends a pulse of air through PVC tubing to a control box underneath your sink which contains an air switch. The sink top air switch is compatible with most garbage disposals and installation is easy! Not only that, but Presair’s garbage disposal air button system is one of the safest and most stylish options out there.
Air switches do not rely on electricity therefore the air button can be mounted on the counter or sink surfaces. The mounting style allows easy access compared to the traditional wall switch. The wall switch is best mounted off the surface area of a counter or sink (to avoid the wet environment), which can make them an inconvenience. If the switch were installed near the sink, exposure to water and other liquid, with the potential of a shock hazard! Using a disposal air switch you remove the risk of electrical shock because there is no current at the point of actuation. The garbage disposal air switch is a great solution for island sink installations.
Garbage Disposal Buttons can be purchased individually or in a complete assembly to activate your garbage disposal safely. Buttons are available in a number of different finishes to match your kitchen decor.
The Garbage Disposal Air Button system is user friendly and easy to install by following the below installation and operation instructions:
1. Mount air button To mount on counter top: Drill 1 ¼” hole in counter top. Use rubber gasket above counter and tighten with plastic nut from below counter.
– OR –
To mount air button on sink top: Use hole for sprayer or soap dispenser. Use rubber gasket above sink and tighten with plastic nut from below sink.
2. Attach one end of air tube to bottom of button and the other end to the white nib on the black converter box. Note: Air tube can be cut to length as necessary.
3. Plug SafeAire converter box into wall outlet. (Outlet should be three-prong grounded outlet.)
4. Plug sink disposal cord into SafeAire converter box.