I have a 5hp compressor that I wired on a 30 amp 240v circuit. The wiring goes to a large fused switch. I would like to add an indicator light, using a vintage caged, explosion proof style light, spliced in after it passes through the switch, so that the light will be on when the compressor is on. The wiring goes through 3/4 conduit. I know I could just pull another wire for a neutral and use one of the hots from the compressor circuit. The problem is I have multiple circuits in the conduit and I'm right at my fill level. I was thinking of purchasing an old fixture and using a high voltage bulb, but I'm not sure if that will work. Can the fixture be retrofitted to work with 240v? I'm assuming I can't "borrow" a neutral from another circuit, so does anyone else have an idea? Do 240v light fixtures even exist? Thanks, Mike.
240v indicator light
- Thread starter mikej805
- Start date
1970W-30
Well-known member
sberry
Banned
The rest of the world doesn't have indicator lights on comps and if it need one they would install it at the factory. These are on hi amp circuits and not designed to have additional wire and lights cobbled on without adding extra protection.
Mr. T
Well-known member
This seems like you'd be a lot better off using a relay and a lower voltage supply for the light.
So just to confirm I didn't miss it, sberry, you didn't actually have a constructive solution to the issue, correct? While I agree the rest of the world doesn't "need" the light, they are convenient for those who sometimes forget to shut their compressor down, especially when it is remotely located. Many people, including members here, utilize an indicator light, and I was just looking for a solution so that I could too. Thanks for your input.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#ac-to-ac-power-distribution-transformers/=xy6mzl
Above is one way to skin the cat. A control transformer is common in the application. Don't forget proper fusing.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#hazardous-location-light-fixtures/=xy6p2n
The above link has hazardous location fixtures, what I think your referring to, with 250 volt bulbs as an option. Look at the bottom of the page.
lg
no neat sig line
Above is one way to skin the cat. A control transformer is common in the application. Don't forget proper fusing.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#hazardous-location-light-fixtures/=xy6p2n
The above link has hazardous location fixtures, what I think your referring to, with 250 volt bulbs as an option. Look at the bottom of the page.
lg
no neat sig line
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Warrenator
Well-known member
Buy yourself a 220v LED bulb from one of the many fine China stores. You can buy them with a standard E27 base. Use your favorite 115V style fixture, just wire it for 220. Label it super well as non standard so nobody tries to put a regular 115v buld in there.
Nice idea with the vintage explosion proof fixture.
Nice idea with the vintage explosion proof fixture.
That's kind of what I was thinking, just wasn't sure if it would work. Would I need to find a base designed for higher voltage and larger wiring or would whatever comes in the fixture work?
you mean amps, and no. just use a low wattage 250v bulb. and label it if you want, but if people routinely change bulbs for you in your shop without you knowing, the worst that will happen is the bulb blows...the world won't end...
sberry
Banned
My otherwise engineered and listed device usually to someone starts adding features to a listed engineered appliance usually to add something while at first my look like a better idea than it is.
Now along comes someone with a bright idea and puts a part from a food warmer on it meant to be on a 20A circuit. Same for the hour meters and other than standard controls, 75 years they been building in safety down to the most basics until someone comes along and fools with it,,, then we get the pile on, you go girl to something that is way more complicated than at first glance.
Now along comes someone with a bright idea and puts a part from a food warmer on it meant to be on a 20A circuit. Same for the hour meters and other than standard controls, 75 years they been building in safety down to the most basics until someone comes along and fools with it,,, then we get the pile on, you go girl to something that is way more complicated than at first glance.
alfredeneuman
Well-known member
that's a great point. I've often thought about putting a food warmer on my air compressor's on-light circuit, which is why I've added a wifi connected safety interlock rigged to the refrigerator door and the safety seat switch on my lawnmower that only allows me to use my air compressor if nobody is mowing the lawn or getting a beverage...
sberry
Banned
What wire would you recommend for this and would it need fusing or is there additional ocpd on this unit for the control wiring?
torqueman2002
Well-known member
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sberry
Banned
I am guilty. I am still de engineering stuff I did when I was younger. Every once in a while I try to fix a booger.
As simple as it sounds really good factory or service guys simply get all the details to getting it back to the way it was when it was made or get installed correctly. This is a big one, lots of stuff put together that works, some of it good but isn't right for one reason or another.
I am on a job now the 3rd time I had it r&r and now the only thing I am sure of is that I don't have it right and instead of racking my brain again might wait for my tech type to get home. We worked on it yesterday, had it all together at 4 and realized there was at least 2 pcs of broke steel, 2.5 more hrs and restoring a couple parts to stock dimension I am feeling good about myself till this morning I realize we still got it out of phase and times wrong.
What makes it worse was it was sitting in out face most of the time. Didn't help we had it apart a couple weeks and didn't read instruction. What seemed relatively straight wasn't so obvious but essential and may have been previously serviced and timed incorrectly.
Point of the story,,, how many times I fool with something, have a problem and somehow its related to some well meaning seemingly innocent change I made to it from the mfg.
sberry
Banned
I changed a guard on something the other day, MF been working for years like it was, hunted and pecked and found lots of little problems but never dreamed the change I made brought an intermittent problem in no way would one connect.
Here a ground wire was connected on the blind side of the panel, must have fell off the bolt and land on a piece of metal to work for a day or 2, finally fell out where I could see it. Ran it all with a test light, all worked, must have vibed loose on occasion and unlatched the ign.
Here a ground wire was connected on the blind side of the panel, must have fell off the bolt and land on a piece of metal to work for a day or 2, finally fell out where I could see it. Ran it all with a test light, all worked, must have vibed loose on occasion and unlatched the ign.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
OP- Does your compressor have a starter?
And what size wire did u run to the compressor?
And what size wire did u run to the compressor?
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Well if u have a starter u could connect one side of a 240v light to one of the coil terminals. The other side can go to the other line in.
sberry
Banned
If it goes to a line in would it not have to be 12 wire? 14 up to 30a but there is a real possibility since we have 8 wire we could see the potential for a bigger breaker so any added wire should meet the short circuit potential?
In theory we could use a smaller wire if we used this to a fuse?
In theory we could use a smaller wire if we used this to a fuse?
sberry
Banned
I am always curious where the code stops? We seem to lose a lot of sleep over small 5 hp on 10 cables, I am sure there is a good reason and maybe somewhere it has happened to someone with lottery odds but I bet its way down on the list of burning the shack down.
Make sure to wire number 8 to it so you can jackleg some stuff on after the incoming connection. This is not particular to the OP, its human nature. Hard to discipline ones self to leave it alone,,, hahaha
Make sure to wire number 8 to it so you can jackleg some stuff on after the incoming connection. This is not particular to the OP, its human nature. Hard to discipline ones self to leave it alone,,, hahaha
sberry
Banned
Just curious, did you add 15 or 20A fuse to this?
so...uhhh...after saying how easy this is...and being a little sarcastic about people overthinking a simple lightbulb on the hot side of the pressure switch....uhhhh....well....I accidently left my compressor on and lines pressurized last night after painting a fender on a Malibu....
Daughter called out to me on her way to work at 5:30am this morning, Dad, some machine is on I can hear running in the polebarn and it looks smoky....
I now have a compressor leaking everywhere, oil covering everything, and probably ruined the compressor from running all night. don't know what blew initially, but it was leaking at the pressure switch, main in line, and the FRL on the wall...
Guess that's Karma....BTW, new compressor will have a light and i'll post exactly how I did it...
Daughter called out to me on her way to work at 5:30am this morning, Dad, some machine is on I can hear running in the polebarn and it looks smoky....
I now have a compressor leaking everywhere, oil covering everything, and probably ruined the compressor from running all night. don't know what blew initially, but it was leaking at the pressure switch, main in line, and the FRL on the wall...
Guess that's Karma....BTW, new compressor will have a light and i'll post exactly how I did it...
sberry
Banned
I bet it is karma. What are the odds? I had my back up on for years and finally figured out to turn off the breaker as I never used it anyway and have a lot of hose out. I have been turning off a ball valve to a reel outside that has a 20 yr old hose, been waiting for it to pop and is swelled up but doesn't leak a bubble.
My comp has been on since 1972.
My comp has been on since 1972.
Warrenator
Well-known member
What you want here is a light that will illuminate when the main switch for the compressor is powered ON. It should be wired in parallel to the compressor, the main current for the compressor goes through its' own thick wires, the lamp can come off the same terminal but just use thin wires, 16 gauge ought to be plenty. It is just an indicator that the circuit is on, doesn't tell you if pressure is present or anything else fancy. The compressor should be wired as it normally would be, don't try to put a relay in or anything that will confuse the situation especially for troubleshooting. When you leave the shop for the day, all the lights are off, you are good to go.
DX.COM has the LED lamps i was talking about earlier with an E27 screw base. (Commonly called an Edison base.)
DX.COM has the LED lamps i was talking about earlier with an E27 screw base. (Commonly called an Edison base.)
so my compressor blow out turned out to be the tubing for the HF auto-drain split...got it fixed. as promised, pics of my new indicator light.
I initially opened the pressure switch to attach it there. you'll notice the two hots on the left are from the main, the right are to the compressor motor. You want to tap off those on the left. I started to, but decided it would be cleaner to do it where it plugs in due to the way the on/off red switch works. I ended up tapping the light off the receptacle instead. when the circuit is live, the bulb is on. easy peasy...
I initially opened the pressure switch to attach it there. you'll notice the two hots on the left are from the main, the right are to the compressor motor. You want to tap off those on the left. I started to, but decided it would be cleaner to do it where it plugs in due to the way the on/off red switch works. I ended up tapping the light off the receptacle instead. when the circuit is live, the bulb is on. easy peasy...
Attachments
you know that most of your cell phone charge is 110V or 220V compatible ? You can get pretty creative with those.....
The question to clarify is ....
Do you want the lights lit when the compressor circuit is energized regardless if the motor is running or not ?
or
Do you want the light to lit only when the compressor motor is running.
The question to clarify is ....
Do you want the lights lit when the compressor circuit is energized regardless if the motor is running or not ?
or
Do you want the light to lit only when the compressor motor is running.
Perfect, thank you.
When the circuit has power. Otherwise, I'll forget it and it will likely turn on in the middle of the night and wake the neighbors.
or blow a line and run all night making a mess...btw, if you use a HF auto-drain kit, apparently the life expectancy of the tubing is 9yrs, 4 mths.
I replaced the line with 1/4 copper tubing instead for mine.... had to get different tubing adapters for it.... but those things don't seems to be working effective at all. anyways that is another thread thing.
But anyways OP you can always check out some 5V LED bulbs and your spare / recent old cell phone charging adapter is rated for 110V and 220V 50 / 60 HZ input. it's in their find print some where on most of the adapter.
sberry
Banned
So the problem was something the owner added on?
teamextreme
Well-known member
Unless you're deaf, I'm pretty sure you're going to know when your compressor is running without the help of an indicator light
