What occurs to the contacts of a manual starter when power is lost?

In a manual starter, when power is lost, the contacts revert to their default position, which typically means they open. This behavior is due to the design of manual starters, where the control circuit is broken when the power supply is interrupted. The contacts are mechanically held in place when the manual start button is engaged, but once power is cut, the mechanism allowing the contacts to stay closed is no longer active.

The default position refers to the state of the contacts when no external forces are acting on them—essentially, they return to their de-energized state. In automatic starters, loss of power leads to the contacts opening to ensure safety and prevent damage, a principle that also applies in manual operations.

Thus, the correct understanding of this scenario reinforces how electric control systems are designed for safety and reliability, ensuring that devices do not remain unintentionally powered without an active input.