Noisy Contactor

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EEC

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A 3 phase contactor was real noisy when first pulled closed, then after about 20 seconds sounded normal. What do you believe the cause could be?
 
EEC said:
A 3 phase contactor was real noisy when first pulled closed, then after about 20 seconds sounded normal. What do you believe the cause could be?
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This just a guess because I normally have to be there to get any real idea. I would think the plunger is not seating properly at first. Weak coil or dirty. There is all kind of stuff that can get in equipment, dust and dirt, insects. When it makes a noise try pushing down on the plunger with a screw driver and see if the noise doesn't stop.
 
growler said:
Vats a swarf ? :?
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Swarf, as it generally applies to electrical equipment, is the detritus that comes from drilling holes for conduit entry or mounting of components. It is usually the result of someone being sloppy about protecting existing components (or removing a backpan) when installing it.
mill-electrical-box-swarf-paper-loose-IMG_5805.JPG

It's from the machinists world and applies to any chips and grit left over from a machining operation.

Generally if it was swarf though, the noise would not have stopped after 30 seconds of being energized continuously (unless it was not continuous and you didn't say that). From my experience it was more likely something organic, like a spider or bug, and after 30 seconds of pounding by the armature it was liquefied.
 
Jraef said:
Swarf, as it generally applies to electrical equipment, is the detritus that comes from drilling holes for conduit entry or mounting of components. It is usually the result of someone being sloppy about protecting existing components (or removing a backpan) when installing it.
View attachment 16563

It's from the machinists world and applies to any chips and grit left over from a machining operation.

Generally if it was swarf though, the noise would not have stopped after 30 seconds of being energized continuously (unless it was not continuous and you didn't say that). From my experience it was more likely something organic, like a spider or bug, and after 30 seconds of pounding by the armature it was liquefied.
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Swarf gets flattened.
 
Jraef said:
Swarf, as it generally applies to electrical equipment, is the detritus that comes from drilling holes for conduit entry or mounting of components.
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detritus ? We are having quite the expand you're vocabulary day.
 
Johnnybob said:
Yup, dirty coil. Blow it out with some canned air.
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Think twice about this. The stuff is not air. Read the can and it tells you not to use it to clean shredder because of the gas getting set off by the sparks in the brush or switch. Certainly not something to use near heavy duty contactor. The stuff is flammable and you can easily prove it yourself.
 
Electric-Light said:
Think twice about this. The stuff is not air. Read the can and it tells you not to use it to clean shredder because of the gas getting set off by the sparks in the brush or switch. Certainly not something to use near heavy duty contactor. The stuff is flammable and you can easily prove it yourself.
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Yes, but if is all powered down and isolated, as it should be before any maintenance work is commenced, I don't see it being a problem.
 
Besoeker said:
Yes, but if is all powered down and isolated, as it should be before any maintenance work is commenced, I don't see it being a problem.
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As long as he's aware it's a flammable gas and there are no other contactors that might operate before he can give it time for gas to clear.
 
Electric-Light said:
As long as he's aware it's a flammable gas and there are no other contactors that might operate before he can give it time for gas to clear.
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Or use nitrogen, but you will be lugging a much heavier can around because of the pressure it needs to be stored at to get any significant use out of it.
 
Electric-Light said:
As long as he's aware it's a flammable gas and there are no other contactors that might operate before he can give it time for gas to clear.
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I was thinking in terms of isolating the entire enclosure so that there no live anything including contactors.
I don't see how anyone would be permitted to work on it otherwise.
 
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