CONTACTOR 16 WAY (2 AUX) 80AMP

Description

Contactor 16-Way (2 Aux) 80 Amp is a heavy-duty industrial electrical contactor that we have been supplying to UK commercial lighting operations since 2017 for safe, reliable high-current switching of multiple HID or LED grow light circuits. A contactor is an electromagnetically operated switch designed to handle the high inrush currents of multiple HPS or CMH ballasts simultaneously — currents that would rapidly destroy standard relays or timer contacts. In any commercial grow room with 8 or more lighting circuits, a properly rated contactor is essential for safe, long-term electrical reliability.

Why Contactors Are Essential in Commercial Grow Lighting Installations

Standard plug-in timers and consumer-grade relays are rated for resistive loads — the steady current draw of a device at full operation. HID lighting ballasts are inductive loads that draw a surge current at switch-on that can be 3–10x the normal operating current. A single 600W HPS ballast drawing 2.7A at steady state may surge to 15–20A at switch-on. Multiply this across 16 circuits and you have momentary current demands of hundreds of amps that will weld relay contacts, blow MCBs and create serious fire risks in under-rated installations. The 80-amp rated 16-way contactor is specifically designed for this inductive, high-inrush switching duty — its heavy-duty silver-alloy contacts are rated for the mechanical and electrical stress of thousands of on/off cycles under full inductive load. The two auxiliary contacts allow integration with environmental controls, alarms or indicator circuits.

Installation and Electrical Safety

This contactor is a fixed electrical installation component and must be installed by a qualified electrician in accordance with BS 7671 wiring regulations. Mount in a suitable IP-rated enclosure and connect the coil to a low-current control signal (typically from a lighting timer or environmental controller). All 16 load circuits and the main busbar connections must be sized and fused in accordance with the load they will carry. Combine with a commercial lighting timer and appropriate MCB distribution board for a complete, compliant commercial lighting control system.