volt free

[ashleyqueen]

Could someone please explain to me what volt free means?

 

[Andy™]

i assume you mean 'volt free contact' or similar?

basically, its the switched side of a relay, or a switch to close a circuit depending on application

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

The term Volt Free refers to switch contacts on a relay or timer that have no power on them unless you connect an additional supply to it.

e.g. Some time clocks have contacts that have integral 230v connection, so the switch output is NOT volt free.

Others just purely make or break a contact but do not output any voltage. these are volt free.

Many PIR switches use the supply to operate the PIR as one half of the switch to output to the light..

So the contact cannot by voltfree as you couldn't use it to operate an isolated supply from the PIR.

Other PIR's do actually have a separate pair of contacts that you have to strap a link across to get them to output 230v..

So those are voltfree.

Basically if you can isolate the switched load and the switching supply control then the contact are volt free..

as with a traditional relay.....

say you have a 12v DC supply to operate a coil contact..

and the switched contacts are rated to operate anything within a certain voltage range.

so you could put a 230v load onto the isolated (volt free) switch contacts.

:coffee

 

[Evans Electric]

As put so well above, another example could be on a Fire Alarm panel , a relay switches in alarm condition , the contacts are "volt free" so could be used to shut down a gas valve, or activate smoke extractors . Stuff which is not powered by the Fire Alarm itself.

And welcome to the Forum, Ashers.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Could someone please explain to me what volt free means?

Welcome to the forum Ashleyqueen, hopefully your question has been answered by the earlier posts. From the content of your question I assume you are a student? So I have moved your thread into the Student & Learning zone. Any more questions, just ask.

Doc H.