The abundance of protective automation manufacturers offering their products on the Russian market can confuse a novice master when purchasing them. It is quite difficult to figure out which of the brands is worthy of attention, and which should not be spent on. Today's article will tell about one of the most famous brands under which machines are produced - Legrand. This French company has long established itself in the Russian market as a manufacturer of high-quality equipment, the cost of which is acceptable for people with any income - you can find devices of any price category in the product line.
A bit of Legrand history
Initially, after the formation in 1866, table china was produced under this brand. However, with the advent of electricity, the direction has changed dramatically. After the guide wasentrusted to industrialists from the north (Jean Verspierin and Edouard Decoste), production has completely headed for the manufacture of electrical products.
In Russia, the brand first appeared at the hearing before the 1980 Olympics. Then Legrand completely takes over the equipment of the protective automatic equipment of the Kosmos hotel, which he successfully copes with. But because of the policy of the Soviet Union, the brand cannot immediately gain a foothold in the market. Only in 1993, their first representative office was opened in Moscow. To date, Legrand machines are among the most popular and bought in our country.
Equipment produced under this brand
The devices offered by the brand are quite diverse - the line includes all types of protective equipment for electrical panels in an apartment or a private house, as well as for internal wiring in rooms. Among the products you can find:
- circuit breakers;
- voltage control relay;
- differential automata;
- sockets, dimmers;
- residual current devices.
Legrand circuit breakers do an excellent job of their functions and are quite durable at the same time. However, wide popularity has led to the fact that many fakes under the brand have appeared. Therefore, when choosing and purchasing equipment, you should pay attention to some features that distinguish counterfeit products from the original.
Distinguishing featureslow-quality products
The first thing you should pay attention to is the appearance of the products. Uneven gaps between the case and the keys, extraneous inclusions in the plastic that differ in color, and fuzzy markings will indicate a fake. The technical documentation that comes with the device will also help in determining - for a fake, the text may be blurry and difficult to read.
Another feature of circuit breakers is a round plug on the side panel. If it can be pulled out, and a bimetallic plate is visible under it, then the product is original. Fake manufacturers do not bother with unnecessary details. For this reason, such a cork can simply be printed on a plastic case, and it will not be possible to open it. This suggests that the product is not 100% original and is unlikely to work even if a short circuit occurs, not to mention heating or overload on the line. Such devices are not only useless, but sometimes even dangerous when installed in the electrical panel of an apartment. Indeed, in this case, the owner is sure that the network is protected, which is not true.
Legrand assault rifles: varieties and features
Similar devices may differ in their technical characteristics. The most common models of Legrand DX3 circuit breakers, in the lineup of which there are products for 1 or 3 phases. The current at which the cutoff occurs may also differ.
Automatic machines Legrand DX3 single-phaseexecutions are perfectly suited for protecting individual lines of the domestic electrical network. They are used to divide the incoming current into groups, regardless of the rated voltage. But three-phase devices are used as introductory machines in 380V networks. At the same time, they are also suitable as protection for various electric motors or other equipment operating from high voltage. At the same time, users note a greater number of operations in the event of emergency situations on the line than their Chinese or even German counterparts, without harm to performance.
Legrand DX3 protective automation can have a rated current of up to 36A - such devices are used in enterprises. For domestic use, such products are useless.
Residual current devices Legrand
RCDs produced under this brand deserve special attention. They are distinguished by excellent performance, which makes their use rational even in the absence of high-quality grounding. It makes sense to understand the algorithm of operation of such devices.
In the case of correct and stable operation of the ground loop, in the event of a breakdown of the insulation of the phase conductor to the housing of the household appliance, the current begins to flow along the path of least resistance. RCD "Legrand", fixes the leak and turns off the voltage supply to the line. But what happens in the absence of normal grounding? In this case, the conductor with the least resistance becomes the person who touched themetal case of a household appliance that is energized. And here a huge role is played by how quickly the residual current device can recognize the leak.
The huge advantage of the Legrand RCD is that in such a situation a person practically does not have time to feel the effects of an electric current, while some other brands do not save from a sensitive and rather unpleasant discharge.
Residual current circuit breakers
Legrand RCBOs have gained popularity due to their reliability and reliability. The cost of such brand products is slightly higher than other competitors, but it is worth noting that as a result, the costs are lower due to rare breakdowns that require equipment replacement. For household networks, difavtomat 16A are used. It is this rating that is most acceptable due to the fact that indoor sockets are designed for such a current.
RCBO combines the protective functionality of AV and RCD, which eliminates the need for switching additional equipment, for which there is often not enough free space on the DIN rail. Often this factor is decisive when purchasing a device. To be precise, a difavtomat can take 1 or 2 modules, while an RCD with additional protection requires 3.
If it is decided to protect individual lines, then devices with a lower rated current can also be used - their cost will be lower. But the installation of a more powerfulequipment, in the case of using devices on separate lines, is not recommended. It is believed that difavtomat 16A is the best option.
Voltage control relay
Such devices are rarely used in new buildings. The fact is that transformer substations installed relatively recently have a sufficient power reserve, which practically eliminates voltage drops in the network. But for old apartment buildings with non-modernized substations, voltage surges and drops are not uncommon. The same applies to the private sectors. In such cases, installing a voltage monitoring relay can save expensive household appliances, for which a voltage drop can be even more dangerous than a sudden surge.
Such devices can be configured by the user to a specific range. If the voltage exceeds the set thresholds, the power supply will be turned off. After a certain time, the relay will again try to supply voltage to the network. If the trigger is eliminated, the line will continue to operate normally.
Video review of Legrand machines
For those Dear readers who want to understand in more detail the characteristics of the equipment of this brand, it is proposed to watch a short but very informative video.
What can be said in conclusion
Despite the fact thatLegrand equipment is in a higher price category than protective devices of other brands, this does not affect the popularity of the brand, which is due to the quality and reliability of the manufacturer's products. In general, the safety of the power grid, as well as human life, is not an area that should be saved. Having paid a slightly higher price, the home master can be completely sure that there is no threat to himself or his loved ones. And this is exactly what the owner seeks when installing protective equipment.
