Unfortunately, when you run an industrial facility, you cannot always just plug your equipment into the outlet on the wall. The circuits in your facility may not be able to handle that. Instead, you may need a bit of extra help from a transformer. If you're looking for a control transformer in particular, you may be wondering what type of features you need. Here's what to look for as you shop.

Voltage

The first thing you need to take into account when choosing a control transformer for your industrial facility is the voltage. Generally, with transformers, there is one measurement for the input voltage and another for the output voltage. Check the voltage on the equipment you plan to connect to the transformer and make sure everything is compatible.

Heat Tolerance

Industrial facilities tend to get hot with all that equipment running. To ensure that your transformer doesn't get overloaded with the temperatures in the facility, you want to check how much heat they can handle. This is usually expressed as a temp rating. If you run a facility such as a large refrigerated warehouse, you also need to look at the temps on the low end.

Encapsulated Fuses

In some cases, you may want to invest in transformers that have an encapsulated fuse. This is especially important in cases where you are using the transformer to deal with changes in the voltage of the line. The encapsulation around the coil helps the heat being created in the transformer to dissipate. That reduces hot spots and ultimately helps the transformer to last longer.

Isolation Capabilities

In some cases, as indicated above, you want to use a transformer that can help to adjust the voltage on a particular line so a piece of equipment can connect with a certain circuit. However, in other cases, you may want a transformer that lets you create an isolated system. If you need that of if you just want built-in flexibility, you need to choose a transformer that can handle both of those things.

Size

Although this may sound overly simplistic, it's something many people overlook when they're buying a transformer. In addition to thinking about the complex electronic elements, you also have to think about simple issues such as size. Measure the area where you plan to put the transformer and make sure the one you plan to buy can fit in that space.