7 contactors 1 time clock

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JDB3

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San Antonio, Texas
Lately I have been doing mainly residential. I have been asked to give a bid for exterior lighting currently on
5 2 pole 20 amp & 2 1 pole 20 amp circuit breakers. The only control currently for these lights is by turning the breakers on - or - off. The manager would like to change this by using contacts operated by a time clock. Therefore I am thinking 5 2 pole contacts & 2 1 pole contacts, then these controlled by a single pole time clock. Does this seem right or is there a better way? Thanks, one & all.
 
You could do that or you could do (1) 12p Lighting Contactor if all of the lights are to come on at the same time.
It really doesnt matter other than figuring out what would be the most economical.

If the Lights are to come on at different times, you would then need seperate contactors with the amount of Poles to accomodate the number of circuits and either seperate timeclocks or a programmable timeclock where you could program the outputs to a different time setting.

JAP>
 
I would use an ASCO #917- 12 pole contactor as Jap mentioned. Expensive but you only need to install one enclosure. If you use a momentary contact time clock you cold also add manual override toggle switches.
 
JDB3 said:
Lately I have been doing mainly residential. I have been asked to give a bid for exterior lighting currently on
5 2 pole 20 amp & 2 1 pole 20 amp circuit breakers. The only control currently for these lights is by turning the breakers on - or - off. The manager would like to change this by using contacts operated by a time clock. Therefore I am thinking 5 2 pole contacts & 2 1 pole contacts, then these controlled by a single pole time clock. Does this seem right or is there a better way? Thanks, one & all.
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Do these lights stay on dusk to dawn? If so, how about a photocell to control the coil of a contactor?
 
stevebea said:
Do these lights stay on dusk to dawn? If so, how about a photocell to control the coil of a contactor?
Click to expand...

A photo cell sounds good and they are cheap "but" I can normally install a nice digital time clock with a battery back up for less money than I can install a photo cell once you add the cost of conduit to the location of the photo cell.

I like a time clock better when you need to check the lights during the day because it's easy to push the on (override) button and turn on the lights.. Also you give the manager the option to turn on the lights just before dusk, some of those fixtures take a few minutes to warm up and give very much light ( don't want customers in the dark even for 5 minutes ).
 
These lights would all come on at the same time. The panel that these lights are feed from also feeds other items as well. The wall space is rather full, so i plan to put all the contacts in one enclosure. I t would be difficult to run a photo cell to this location. Thanks for all the answers.
 
I've made something similar, only the 'activation' was a kitchen fire system, rather than a time clock.

My solution was to mount several contactors (4-pole) in a gutter. Rather than tie the contactor coils into the fire pull station, you would tie them into the timer. You'd be able to use any timer you liked. If you like, you can get power for the timer from one of the lighting circuits.

When I do lighting controls, I like to include a switch that can serve as a 'manual on.' This comes in handy for lighting maintenance.

Combining a photocell with a timer is not ideal. The lights will start to come on when the timer first energizes the photocell, then turn off as the photocell recognizes that it is still daylight.

Intermatic tells me that their 'astronomical' timer can be set to turn the lights on at sundown, and off at a fixed time. I have not tried this, but Ilike the idea.
 
90% of Outside Lighting Controls that I see, have the Photocell as the Primary control for the Lighting Contactors, run through a contact on the timeclock.

This allows the outside lighting to turn in the evening when it gets Dark, and also on and off during a "Dark Day" when it may be stormy outside.

The Timeclock merely determines at what time during the day or night you want the Photocell to activate the Contactors.

If they want thier Outside Lighting to come on and off during the day, if it gets dark, but dont want the lights to burn all night, they may set the timeclock "On" at 6 AM an off at Midnight or something like that.

Then the Photocell controls the lighting during that period as long as the contacts on the Timeclock are closed.

JAP>
 
renosteinke said:
Combining a photocell with a timer is not ideal. The lights will start to come on when the timer first energizes the photocell, then turn off as the photocell recognizes that it is still daylight.
Click to expand...

We do that all the time, it works great.

Put the photocell ahead of the time clocks contacts.
 
renosteinke said:
Combining a photocell with a timer is not ideal. The lights will start to come on when the timer first energizes the photocell, then turn off as the photocell recognizes that it is still daylight.
Click to expand...


That's the problem.

You dont have the timer energize the photocell...... the photocell needs to be powered all the time to keep this from happening.

JAP>
 
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