So, I needed a pressure switch for my latest project. I’ve used a few different brands before, but I heard some good things about Gems, so I figured I’d give them a shot. First things first, I needed to figure out exactly what I needed. This wasn’t my first rodeo, so I knew to consider the basics.
Figure Out What I actully Need
I Grab my notebook and start to write something：
- Pressure Range: What’s the minimum and maximum pressure this thing needs to handle? I jotted down the specs of my system to make sure I got it right.
- Media: Is it air, water, oil, or something else? I note that what I want to measure.
- Electrical Connection: How does it need to connect to my system? I check my wiring diagrams to see what kind of connector I need.
- Output Type: Do I need a simple on/off switch, or something with an adjustable range? I wanted a basic SPDT switch, so I made a note of that.
- Environmental stuff: Does it need to be waterproof, explosion-proof, or anything special? Luckily, my setup is indoors and pretty standard, so I didn’t need anything fancy.
Installation
With the switch in hand, it was time to install it. I’m pretty handy, so I wasn’t too worried. I turned off the power and the main supply for saftey, always remenber saftey first!
I find a good location to mount the switch, following the datasheet, and used some Teflon tape on the threads to make sure there were no leaks. Then, I carefully wired it up according to the wiring diagram, double-checking everything before turning the power back on. I’m a big fan of double-checking – measure twice, cut once, as they say, it save me a lot of time!
Testing and Setup
Power back on! I slowly increased the pressure and watched the switch. It clicked right when it was supposed to, and the output on my multimeter was exactly what I expected. Sweet! I ran a few more tests, increasing and decreasing the pressure, just to make sure everything was working consistently. No surprises, which is always a good thing.
All Done
It ended up being a pretty straightforward process. The Gems switch seems solid, and it’s doing exactly what I need it to do. If I need another pressure switch in the future, I’d definitely consider using Gems again. For this one, so far so good!