Relays and Contactors are thought of interchangeably often. However, you’ll be very sorry if you must ever specify a relay in a situation calling for a contactor. To handle 10A or above, an outside ac unit contactor is better suited while both are electrically operated switches employed for switching and control of loads, while relays are happiest operating below 10 amps.

Making and breaking an electrical power circuit, a contactor is a device. For example, for turning on and off an electrical motor, we usually use a contactor.

A change in conditions in one or more associated circuits, or the same circuit operates the contacts in one circuit in a device called contactor.

Contactors Attributes

For operating in a normally open condition, these devices are designed which means there’s no connection when it’s de-energized. To ensure the circuit is broken when it’s de-energized, better contactors like those supplied by companies use spring-loaded contacts.

Arc suppression is provided by contactors and to interrupt the circuit, they incorporate overload protocols if a current exceeds a pre-selected threshold for a prescribed period. They’re deployed to manage Chosen based upon the amp ratings of the load; an additional power supply for excitation is required by the carrier ac contactor.