Question:
What is the difference between the SafetyGate Consumer and SafetyGate Professional ?
Answer:
The SafetyGate Professional and the SafetyGate Consumer are each designed to work in a 15 amp environment however the SafetyGate Professional version is designed for professional applications. Its housing is made from a different grade of plastic which has a stronger crush-resistance than the SafetyGate Consumer. There is a more costly assembly process which achieves this goal as well. On the technical side all SafetyGate products all possess surge protection circuitry. The MOV component on the SafetyGate Professional is of a higher rating and designed to be more functional in a Professional environment.
Question:
My machine has a 1/2 HP motor. How do I convert that to amperage?
Answer:
The calculations for horsepower to amperage are as follows.
[Horsepower X 746] divided by [efficiency* X voltage] *usually 85% on an electric motor
Question:
Can I use my SafetyGate Professional on my extension cord that has multiple tools connected?
Answer:
The SafetyGate Professional is designed to be connected to a single tool. It is not recommended to be used on a multiple connection extension cord or power strip.
Here is why:
The SafetyGate works by recognizing when a load is down line during initial power up or power restoration. That means that when the SafetyGate is plugged in, it immediately looks for a power load, and if it sees one, it goes into “Safe” mode to restrict power flow. Once it see’s that the load has been cut, it then resets and allows power to flow.
If it does not see a power load, it assumes everything is fine and allows power to flow. Plugging in a device to the SafetyGate after it has initially received power will provided no restart protection. That is why it is designed to lock on to the tool’s power cord and is marketed as “becoming the tool’s new plug”.
If it is used on an extension cord or other outlet, then when the cord is plugged in and there are no tools yet attached, as far as the SafetyGate is concerned everything is OK and it allows power to flow. Once again, plugging in a tool to the power cord after the SafetyGate’s initial power up has no effect because as far as the SafetyGate is concerned, everything was fine at power up. When connected directly to each tool, power to the tool has no option but to flow through the SafetyGate first, so if the tool is plugged in with the power switch on, regardless of where it is the SafetyGate will recognize the power input and the load at the same time and restrict power to the tool until the load is cut, by shutting off the power switch on the tool.
Occasionally when workers use a single SafetyGate on an extension cord or quad box with multiple tools attached, they will receive the SafetyGate benefit if everything is already plugged in and has been working when an outage occurs. For instance if your workers are on a site and power drops and is then restored, because everything is already plugged in, the SafetyGate will see both the power restoration and the load of the plugged in tools and restrict power. This is not a recommended use because although it will protect against restarts in the event of an outage, it WILL NOT PREVENT RESTARTS AFTER AN ACCIDENTAL PLUG REMOVAL UNLESS IT IS ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE TOOL.
Question:
My tool’s power cord is damaged and I need to replace it. Can I remove the SafetyGate and use it on my tool’s new cord?
Answer:
The SafetyGate was designed to be simply removed from the tool should the user decide to replace the tool’s power cord or the tool itself.
This is done by lifting up the white tab on the plug end of the SafetyGate. That will release the locking mechanism and allow the SafetyGate to be easily removed. There is no need to damage the SafetyGate or your tool’s power plug to remove it from a tool.
Note:
It is not recommended that a single SafetyGate be used on multiple tools. It was designed to be in place as anti-restart protection for the tool itself; as accidents always occur unexpectedly. Reliance on memory to install a safety device at each use is not a good or practical idea. Much like not wearing a seat belt with the idea that you would attach it just before an accident.
Question:
What is the recommended way to unplug my tool from the power supply outlet when a SafetyGate is attached?
Answer:
As with any electrical plug, the SafetyGate should be removed from the outlet by holding the SafetyGate and pulling it away from the outlet. We are aware that many workers will pull on a cord to unplug it. We strongly advise that process will not only damage the SafetyGate but also the tool’s plug and in fact the outlet itself. Proper care of your SafetyGate Professional products as well as all of your electrical tools will allow them to last for many years.
Question:
This product is a complete no-brainer. So why doesn’t my equipment have this built in?
Answer:
We asked the same question when we decided to invent and patent the SafetyGate circuitry back in 2008. The short answer is previous anti-restart solutions have been both cost and physical size prohibitive on small appliances and tools. As to why they still have chosen to avoid implementation of an important safety feature into new products, we don’t know.
SafetyGates were designed so that restart protection can be easily installed on an existing tool. We are in discussion with many tool manufacturers in an attempt to have them build this feature into their tool’s power cord, eliminating the need for a retrofit product such as the SafetyGate Professional. The SafetyGate Professional retrofit is designed to protect workers with their current tools while tool manufacturers hopefully get their act together and create new tools that do not expose workers to restart hazards.
