ASCO contactor replacement
- Thread starter Rock86
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
Those switches were often used where automatic or remote operation was desired, such as for energy management. A shunt trip breaker opens remotely, but it requires local manual intervention to close.
Last edited:
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Does it work reliably?
These are located in shop classrooms. Remote open, manual close is an acceptable operation. I was asking more if anyone has an opinion about one option over the other.
The panels are being replaced.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
Depending on the size of the breaker, daily shunt trip operation could mean a relatively short breaker life.
Ahh... thats a good thought. This would be connected to an emergency power off switch, so I don't think that it would be a daily operation. At least, in my trade school days, we never hit the e-stop hahaha.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
The last school redo I did, they operated the 'power off' circuit as a means of shutting down the work shops/labs when they were not occupied. They were not really for emergencies as none of the buttons were mushroom head, nor were they conveniently located.
Ahhh... interesting.
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
You would have to install it in another can, that particular contactor is made to fit in a panel board, most other brands of contactors that size will not fit if you want to put the cover back on. LOL!
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
Yes, but the problem will remain. The CAN and/or the wall space for the can is shallow, and modern latching contactors for that size load (assuming 100A) are (probably) no longer than shallow.The guts are going to be replaced.
If this is for life/safety issues, I would be very careful now, that has serious expectations and possible liability consequences. There are now SPECIFIC machine safety systems and contactors that meet a lot of the current and upcoming safety rules, but would entail a re-work of the Emergency Stop provisions in the shop. If it's just to power everything down at the end of the day, then you can look for a Mechanically Held Lighting Contactor. As mentioned, a Shut Trip breaker will not last if it's for daily use. A Motorized Circuit Breaker might, but will cost an arm and a leg.
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
They still make that contactor, we have several customers that use them.
good to know... Thanks!
Russs57
Senior Member
- Location
- Miami, Florida, USA
- Occupation
- Maintenance Engineer
If it just needs to be repaired.....typically all that goes wrong is the coil.
That one looks to be quite old.
That one looks to be quite old.
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
I designed a circuit like that for big box tool rental repair shops, interlocked it with the exhaust fan too, so if the fan quit working for any reason (belt broken, motor quit, etc) it would shut off all the tools in the room including the air compressor. They worked on gas powered equipment like pressure washers in there.
Nice.
I had one of these where the Electrician couldn't read prints and also did not have the slightest clue on industrial controls. I stopped by the project and found a 200A enclosed starter on the wall where the control station was supposed to be. He had the enclosed starter wired up to control another contactor located ahead of the panel. Then after that got 'fixed' and the project was supposed to be completed I checked out the contactor ahead of the panel. Yep it was a latching one. The contractor ended up eating a 200 amp enclosed starter and a 200 amp latching lighting contactor.
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
A company I worked for a long time ago had a dedicated buyer for their projects, I went out to a grocery store we were wiring to hook up the lighting controls. Opened up the contactor boxes, every one of them had a large motor starter instead of a lighting contactor! I called and told him he ordered the wrong thing. He said make it work. I put in the largest overloads they would take, and hoped for the best...........well, it worked for a week or two, then the overloads burned up! LOL!
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
For lighting loads, you could have just taken the OL relay out altogether.
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