Need help on shunt trip breaker wire up

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Please forgive any errors I commit here as this is my first post and this old man's not too comouter literate.

I have a Fire Suppression system similiar to an Ansul system. In the "control" box there is a mechanically operated micro-switch with two "fingers" that operate this switch manually when the system is tripped. Now coming off this micro-switch are 3 wires, a black and red = NO, and the red and brown = NC. Now I have a GE 20 amp 110v snap in shunt trip breaker that has 2 black wires on it. My question is, once the micro-switch is manually tripped, the shunt trip breaker is to trip, but I am unsure where the black, red and brown wires from the micro-switch go. I have tried hooking up the two wires from the breaker to both red and black and to red and brown and manually tripped the micro-switch and nothing happened. I know I am missing the boat here, can someone please steer me in the right direction? Two black wires from the breaker go where? and the Normally Open or Normally Closed wires go where? One must surely go to neutral, but I admit I am lost....Any help is surely appreciated to the utmost......Bob in central Florida
 
Please forgive any errors I commit here as this is my first post and this old man's not too comouter literate.

I have a Fire Suppression system similiar to an Ansul system. In the "control" box there is a mechanically operated micro-switch with two "fingers" that operate this switch manually when the system is tripped. Now coming off this micro-switch are 3 wires, a black and red = NO, and the red and brown = NC. Now I have a GE 20 amp 110v snap in shunt trip breaker that has 2 black wires on it. My question is, once the micro-switch is manually tripped, the shunt trip breaker is to trip, but I am unsure where the black, red and brown wires from the micro-switch go. I have tried hooking up the two wires from the breaker to both red and black and to red and brown and manually tripped the micro-switch and nothing happened. I know I am missing the boat here, can someone please steer me in the right direction? Two black wires from the breaker go where? and the Normally Open or Normally Closed wires go where? One must surely go to neutral, but I admit I am lost....Any help is surely appreciated to the utmost......Bob in central Florida
Where is your power supply to the circuit?

Hot to the common on the microswitch, red/brown from the microswitch to one of the black wires on the shunt trip, and the other black from the shunt trip to then neutral.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
One must surely go to neutral, but I admit I am lost....Any help is surely appreciated to the utmost......
Bob, I've done a lot of these. Every one is different. For the fastest help, PM me for my number. Talking on the phone can save a lot of time and fingertips.
 
Your shunt trip breaker has two black wires hanging off it, Im assuming as most of them are, that it has a 120v coil in it then. If so, then one black wire goes to your neutral buss in the panel. The other is for the switched side of that micro switch, and you will need to use another circuit in that panel to feed the line side of that micro switch. So when the micro switch moves from N.O. to closed it allows current to flow to the shunt coil tripping the breaker. Most jurisdictions will require a handle lock on the breaker supplying your shunt control circuit. Also make sure your sequance of operation is right prior to ordering your inspection failing can be expensive.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Just to add, Bob did call me, we went over the actual wiring, and I believe we got it straight. Just a simple single shunt-trip, one wire switched, one to neutral bus.

I recommended supplying the microswitch with the same hot as the load, so the shunt won't remain energized, just in case it's not rated to be continuously powered.
 
Just to add, Bob did call me, we went over the actual wiring, and I believe we got it straight. Just a simple single shunt-trip, one wire switched, one to neutral bus.

I recommended supplying the microswitch with the same hot as the load, so the shunt won't remain energized, just in case it's not rated to be continuously powered.

I yet have to see a shunt trip coil that is rated for continuous use.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I yet have to see a shunt trip coil that is rated for continuous use.
Same here, but, many come with built-in auxiliary contacts that open the coil circuit when it trips.

Surprisingly, it seems the smaller ones all come that way, but, larger ones have optional contacts.

The point is to not to wire them that way unless the documentation or label says they are so rated.
 
Just to add, Bob did call me, we went over the actual wiring, and I believe we got it straight. Just a simple single shunt-trip, one wire switched, one to neutral bus.

I recommended supplying the microswitch with the same hot as the load, so the shunt won't remain energized, just in case it's not rated to be continuously powered.

I want to thank Larry for his help and willingness to share his knowledge. After spending some time on the phone with him, I believe I understand the principle and how and why this works. It really isn't too complicated, but it was necessary for me to understand the inner workings before I hook it up wrong.
Anyway, my hat off to Larry........Thank you sir.
Bob.
 

mcclary's electrical

Senior Member
Location
VA
I want to thank Larry for his help and willingness to share his knowledge. After spending some time on the phone with him, I believe I understand the principle and how and why this works. It really isn't too complicated, but it was necessary for me to understand the inner workings before I hook it up wrong.
Anyway, my hat off to Larry........Thank you sir.
Bob.



Larry's a heck of a nice guy. Half the restaurants in Richmond are running off his stuff:D
 
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