Welcome to Module 19, which is about Starters, devices that control the use of electrical power to equipment, usually a motor.

Back to Basics

Welcome

Welcome to Module 19, which is about Starters, devices that control the use of electrical power to equipment, usually a motor .

As the name implies, starters “start” motors. They can also stop them, reverse them, accelerate them, and protect them.

Starters are made from two building blocks, Contactors and Overload Protection:

Contactors control the electric current to the motor. Their function is to repeatedly establish and interrupt an electrical power circuit.

Overload Protection protects motors from drawing too much current and overheating, from literally “burning out.”

Figure 1. A Starter is Made Up of a Controller (Most Often a Contactor) and Overload Protection

Like the other modules in this series, this one presents small, manageable sections of new material followed by a series of questions about that material. Study the material carefully, then answer the questions without referring back to what you’ve just read.

You are the best judge of how well you grasp the material. Review the material as often as you think necessary. The most important thing is establishing a solid foundation to build on as you move from topic to topic and module to module.

A Note on Font Styles

Key points are in bold.

Glossary items are italicized and underlined the first time they appear.