Power supply is erratic at most places in India, with voltage fluctuating in both directions

(up and down) at many places frequently. These voltage fluctuations can damage
appliances, there by causing them to end much before their normal useful life. When
voltage goes down, electric current in the appliance increase, which can result in
burning of the appliance. Voltage Stabilizers have thus found place in many homes and
offices in India. In this article we will talk about voltage stabilizers: what they do, how
much power do they consume and how to select one for your setup.
What are voltage stabilizers and how do they work?
As the name suggests, voltage stabilizers stabilize the voltage, which means if the
supply voltage fluctuates or varies, it brings it to the desired range. It does so by using
electromagnetic regulators that use tap changers with autotransformers. If the output
voltage is not in range a mechanism switches the tap, to change the transformer to
move the voltage in acceptable range. It does not give a constant voltage output, but
operates the system in a safe voltage range.
How to choose a right sized stabilizer?
Sizing of a stabilizer is very similar to sizing of a UPS or Inverter (power backup). The
most important thing is to know the load connected to the stabilizer. First you must note
down the power (or watts) for all the appliances that will be connected to a stabilizer.
The sum total of the power consumption (or watts) will give you the load on stabilizer in
watts. But most stabilizer sizes are in VA (Volt Ampere) or kVA (kilo Volt Ampere which
is equal to 1000 Volt Ampere). Although to get to actual VA (or Volt Ampere) from Watts
(W) you will have to do some measurements, but to give a rough approximation, you
can increase the Watts value by 20% to get the approximate VA size that you may need.
So for e.g. if sum of watts connected to your stabilizer is 1000 then you can take a 1200
VA or 1.2 kVA stabilizer. (Please note that 20% is suitable for residential systems and
may not work in industries if your power factor is bad).
Are there different single-phase and three-phase
voltage stabilizers?
Yes they are. But a three-phase voltage stabilizer is required only if voltage stabilization
is needed for a three phase motor or for stabilizing voltage for a full three-phase setup.
All appliances that are used at homes can work on single-phase voltage stabilizer, and
a three-phase voltage stabilizer may not be required for residential use unless one is
trying to stabilize the voltage of complete house on a three-phase connection.
It is not recommended to put a stabilizer for the complete house because voltage
stabilizers also consume electricity, and thus using it for the whole house will result in
electricity consumption for all 24 hours. Instead if it is used for individual appliance, then
it can be switched off when the appliance is switched off.
How much electricity do voltage stabilizers consume?
Electricity consumption of voltage stabilizers depends on the efficiency of the stabilizer.
Typically they are 95-98% efficient. Which means, they consume about 2-5% of the
maximum load. So if you have a 1 kVA (or 1000 VA) stabilizer, it would consume about
50 Watts (on peak load). Which means if a 1kVA stabilizer is left on for 10 hours, it
would consume about 0.5 unit of electricity. Thus leaving it on for 24 hours can lead to a
lot of electricity consumption.
Do modern refrigerators/air conditioners come with in-
built voltage stabilization?
Modern appliances (mostly refrigerators and air conditioners) do come with a bigger
voltage range for operation, i.e. if in past refrigerators worked well only between 200-
240V, now they have a bigger range of 170-290V. But they do notcome with in-built
voltage stabilizers. Using voltage stabilizer with such appliances may not be necessary
unless voltage in your area shoots up or down much above or below the limit in which
the appliance can operate.
Conclusion
Always choose a right sized voltage stabilizer and also try to get them for individual
appliances rather than for the whole electricity connection. Leaving them on for longer
duration can result in higher electricity bills.