HELP , How do i wire my contactor/timer for my lights

[madazz]

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hey all,

 

 

hey i was after some help building my light switch gear box. i have a Telemecanique contactor , circut breaker, (5 min) lock out timer (solid state relay), and a grasslin panel mount timer. i've drawn a diagram can u please help and show me how to wire it up. I live in Australia our power at the powerpoints/mains is 240vac 50hz. I have a bit of a idea but i'd like to make sure i do it right. My contactor is rated for 7.5kw. prehaps any one who knows? and send me the pic back with the right colour wires? Please!!! this will all be mountd in a pvc enclosure.

 

Many thanks really appreciate your help!!

 

madazz

[madazz]

ok a1 and a2 are the easy ones!

The lock out timer is a relay that will lock out the re start of the appliance its running, for a period of time after a power outage. the bulbs i use cannot start hot and need time to cool down before being turned back on. if the power flicks off for 1 min, my lights will not turn on until they have cooled down. If power has been off for 5 mins or longer the relay will know this and switch the lights back on without delay, if power is only out for less than 5 min the relay will come into play and stop the lights turning on until time has passed.

I know that L2 and N4 from timer go to A1 and A2 on contactor, (not sure which one goes to which, L2 to A1???) but i have no idea which way the power should go, weather i run through the circuit breaker 1st or timer ....??? this is the reason i was hoping a electriction could help!. for someone that knows contactors this should be easy.

 

The way i have done the lines for 2, 3, 4, and 5 for timer is how it is on the box, i can scan the original pic and upload if anyone needs it to fully understand how it works, let me know.

 

TIMER:

 

L 2 & N 4 go to appliance .

L 3 & N 4 go to Mains (240V)

 

thanks

[flatcat_auz]

Pay someone......last thing you need is coming home to the fire brigade out the front of your house.

[bufo marinus]

man, your in more strife than Flash Gordon

Dunno who told you you need a delay timer? That's some crazy shit.

Not sure if I'd bother about an additional circuit breaker?

Beginners should stick to a couple 600's max

That thread has all the info I'm prepared to stick my neck out on

Good luck

https://cannabis.community.forums.ozstoners...c=20165&hl=

[madazz]

man, your in more strife than Flash Gordon

Dunno who told you you need a delay timer? That's some crazy shit.

Not sure if I'd bother about an additional circuit breaker?

Beginners should stick to a couple 600's max

That thread has all the info I'm prepared to stick my neck out on

Good luck

https://cannabis.community.forums.ozstoners...c=20165&hl=

if u read thing u'd see that the delay timer only work with a power outage if power is cut for a few seconds or even a few mins your globes will not re strike hot, surly u'd know that. Quickest way to stuff your globes and ballasts. C/B for safety wanna be able to shut it all off in 1 switch. I'm a beginner with elec but i been growing years, prob more than u. just not 100% elec minded.

i've decieded to up my lights to a few more, hence the reason i want a contactor switching them on and off. not having timers fail. not that i've had a problemi just dont want one.

your thread is ok but u wouldnt wanna turn more than 2 or 3 lights with that baby. that power board only rated for 10amps.in fact its all only rated for 10amps scrap 3 lights make that 2. if i brought a contactor like your i'd have the job done, yours is basic. think my job is bit more advanced than yours.

thanks anyway

[bufo marinus]

Well, lets look at reality then.

How many times a day do you expect the power to go out?

In fact how many times per 3 month grow cycle?

I have lamps here that have been through many many power outages, the oldest lamp I still have and it still fires so I don't know why your bothering Industrial installations don't have anything as far as I'm aware that do what your suggesting and they run a lot more wattage than 4 x 600. When the lamp has cooled sufficiently they re-ignite, what's the drama?

By the way if you built 2 of the contactor set-ups I explained in the tute you could plug them into ANY 20amp rated circuit, and if you'd read my tute correctly you'd see I advised to run only 2 lamps per 10 amp power board, so you could actually run 4 x 600 off one double power point

Fitting a delay timer would be as hard as putting it in line with the contactor coil, power is applied to the circuit, 5 mins later a set of contacts closes, so go do that, personally I wouldn't waste my time.

Best of luck with it and happy gardening

[madazz]

Well, lets look at reality then.

How many times a day do you expect the power to go out?

In fact how many times per 3 month grow cycle?

I have lamps here that have been through many many power outages, the oldest lamp I still have and it still fires so I don't know why your bothering Industrial installations don't have anything as far as I'm aware that do what your suggesting and they run a lot more wattage than 4 x 600. When the lamp has cooled sufficiently they re-ignite, what's the drama?

By the way if you built 2 of the contactor set-ups I explained in the tute you could plug them into ANY 20amp rated circuit, and if you'd read my tute correctly you'd see I advised to run only 2 lamps per 10 amp power board, so you could actually run 4 x 600 off one double power point

Fitting a delay timer would be as hard as putting it in line with the contactor coil, power is applied to the circuit, 5 mins later a set of contacts closes, so go do that, personally I wouldn't waste my time.

Best of luck with it and happy gardening

 

 

drama is it fucks your ballasts and globes, its all good some one who know what to do has informed me and its nearlly done. thanks anyway. i'd rather 1 neat little box than 2 power boards/timers/cords, but thats just me. If i was only using 2 400s i'd use your system. but the price its cost u for that add another $20 on top and u could build one to run up to 4 1000s if needed & provided the power in has the capacity to carry that many amps, and in relation to power outages i've just moved to a new area where the power has been out 4 times in the last 2 months. not for long periods but long enough to make my ballast click cause the globes were so hot. May just have been real bad weather and it may never happen again but in case.

Anyway each to there own.

 

Cheers

[bufo marinus]

Yeah fair enough, your correct about the power in, that to me is an important thing, having a known supply that doesn't have the fridge, the jug, the toaster etc on as well, especially when talking 2400watts of Inductive load.

Start up is another problem to consider as the inrush current on start up is about 1.5 times the run current roughly from memory. 3600watts = 15 amps roughly

Your still going to have the same problem at the power point though unless you hard wire the cable into your contactor as a power point is still only rated at 10 amps don't forget, so what you save one way causes you problems in another way thats the beauty of having everything rated at 10 amps You go plugging that thing into one lone power socket and your asking for trouble, you'll need a 15amp socket outlet at least if you don't hard wire it.

As for the ballasts clicking it doesn't do a thing imo. How often does power go out for a few seconds anyway? Oh well, you found someone to help out so good luck.

[Al B. Fuct]

 

Better to mount the stuff in a metal box instead of PVC. Makes earthing everything easier as the box can be used to make some of the earth connections.

Edited July 26, 2009 by Al B. Fuct

[Al B. Fuct]

Dunno who told you you need a delay timer? That's some crazy shit.

Not sure if I'd bother about an additional circuit breaker?

 

A 5 min lockout is actually effing brilliant stuff. I'd like to have a few of those myself. I've lost more than one HPS lamp to hotstarts when AC mains go up & down in a windstorm.

 

The lights having their own ckt bkr is also a very good idea, though a 32A is a bit big, that'll carry 7.6kW. If nothing else it makes a very good on/off switch.