Pressure switches are valued because of the control they give their operators over the systems in which they’re included. In an air compressor, for example, the pressure switch is triggered when the pressure within an enclosure reaches a certain reading, either activating or deactivating the equipment that causes compressed air to be forced into the enclosure. In such cases, the switch prevents the air compressor from being overfilled, which prevents damage to the compressor, the tank and to any other objects or people who may be nearby.

Many of the different kinds of systems in which pressure switches are included benefit from pressure switches in this way – they allow their users a measure of control over their equipment. But are there situations in which a pressure switch should be adjustable? Let’s first return to the example of the air compressor. It’s clear that a user shouldn’t be allowed to adjust a pressure switch so that it allows him or her to exceed the maximum recommended tank pressure. In this case, an upwardly adjustable pressure switch could be a hazard. Now consider the converse. Suppose a tank was used to fill individual tires repeatedly in sequence. The maximum factory default capacity of the tank may be higher than desirable. In this case, the pressure switch could be adjusted so that the tank would be filled with only enough air to optimally fill each tire. The tank could then be refilled to that same preset level, and the cycle could continue.

This is kind of a far-fetched example – there probably aren’t many contexts in which such equipment would be used for such purposes. But you can use the analogy to help visualize other situations in which adjustable pressure switches might be useful. Adjustable pressure switches are useful in all kinds of contexts – carpentry, automotive repair and manufacturing, research and development and many other examples.