Imperial 38246

IRE/IRG/ISPAE/ICMAE/ISBE-INFINITE CONTRO

An infinite switch is a rotary switch which controls the power dissipated by a heating element. It is used on electric ranges, hot plates, warming drawers and zones, barbecue grills, space heaters, quartz heaters and many applications which call for proportionate control of a resistive load. An infinite switch, simmerstat, energy regulator or infinite controller is a type of switch that allows variable power output of a heating element of an electric stove. It is called "infinite" because its average output is infinitely variable rather than being limited to a few switched levels. It uses a bi-metallic strip conductive connection across terminals that disconnects with increased temperature. As current passes through the bimetal connection, it will heat and deform, breaking the connection and turning off the power. After a short time, the bimetal will cool and reconnect. Infinite switches vary the average power delivered to a device by switching frequently between on and off states.