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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Electrical bug problem

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NC Wayne

12-12-2004 17:05:51




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Hey guys, I just found something kinda unusual today I thought I'd share. I had some problems the other night with the motor starter on my air compressor wanting to chatter when it went to shut off. It's a 5 HP single phase compressor so I couldn't just run it though the pressure switch like the smaller ones due to the high amp draw. So,I've got it wired to run start/stop using a Square D pressure swich to actuate a regular Suare D motor starter. I had it running a good bit the other night when got to where it seemed to start and run fine, but it was like it didn't want to shut down instantly like it should when it reached the set pressure. I figured maybe the contacts in the starter were welding themselves and causing the problem so I bypassed the control circuit and jumped a hot wire straight to the coil to see what happened. That time the contacts on the starter closed and then opened right up like they were supposed to when I cut the power so I knew that wasn't the problem. It had gotten late by then so I came on in and left it til this afternoon when I had wouldn't have to work with a drop light. The only thing left to check was the pressure switch so I pulled the cover on it to check the contacts. Like I had figured on the starter, I thought maybe they were arcing as they broke,and trying to weld themselves together and causing the problem. Well I hit the override lever to open the contacts and believe it or not a small beetle of some kind fell out from between them. Somehow he had gotten between them when the pressure was up and the compressor wasn't running. When the pressure dropped and the contacts closed he got trapped and squashed. I guess bug guts must be conductive or the contacts were able to make enough to start the compressor, I don't know. All I can say is when it fell out it was flat and dried out. I cleaned the contacts off and fired the compressor up and when it went to cut off that time it did just like it's supposed to. I've always done wiring for myself and friends and did industrial maintenance for about 5 years and in that time have seen some really strange problems when it comes to electrical systems. Out of all the problems I've encountered this is the first time I can truely say "There was 'just a bug' in the wiring". Anybody else out there ever had anything like this happen to you ???

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jeffcat

12-14-2004 00:14:16




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 Re: Electrical bug problem in reply to NC Wayne, 12-12-2004 17:05:51  
OK let us add another before bed time. I work in commercial kitches and you just wouldn't beleave! How about a votech school that had cooking school. They trained kids who though they wanted to cook at the local golf clubs etc. They had an all electric kitchen and ANY designer in their right mind knows the ANY cook will take gas over juice ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. Now we have a service call on their electric Hobart fryer. They turned it on and the breaker in the pannel goes BANG! Ok- I figger there is a blown off wire or such and so with the pannel lockout in place I take the cover off and put it on the counter. As I look down, there I see across the element legs is a nice big Norwegian cooked rat done very nicely at 480 volts three phase!!!!! ! As I "with great care" lift this poor toasted bugger out of there with my needle nose plyers he slips and hits the floor. He broke into three pieces! This is FACT and no bunk. If you want to know the school or where it is I will tell you. Pleasant dreams. jeffcat

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Jim K

12-13-2004 05:31:58




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 Re: Electrical bug problem in reply to NC Wayne, 12-12-2004 17:05:51  
Being an electrician I've found al kinds of wierd stuff, the biggest problem I see is mice getting into panel boards through unused knockout holes and getting stuck accross the two live breaker busses, don't really cause a problem but it's kinda gross scraping them out with a screwdriver.
so plug all unused holes in your panels.



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Big Jim

12-12-2004 22:30:31




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 Re: Electrical bug problem in reply to NC Wayne, 12-12-2004 17:05:51  
The name "bug" supposedly got into computer language in the time of the first digital computers - a monster with relays and vacuum tubes. It quit working and a technician found something like a miller moth caught in a relay contact That day, a new term for trouble was born.



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Gene Davis (Ga.)

12-12-2004 20:42:58




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 Re: Electrical bug problem in reply to NC Wayne, 12-12-2004 17:05:51  
I had trouble once with ants getting into a well pressure switch and it wouldn't shut off. Fortunatly it was a jet type pump and would not build up enough pressure except to stall out and smoke the 1/3 h.p. motor.



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