American-made AC Contactor?

[TangoFoxTrot]

I'm replacing the AC contactor, it's a single pole, 30 amp, 24v coil.

It seems everything I'm seeing is Chinese. Even the Ac supply houses. I'm willing to pay more for quality, but I have a sneaking suspicion they all come from the same Chinese factory. Just some places mark them up a lot more than others.

If they're all Chinese, I might as well just go cheap. It's not like a contactor is rocket science, but I would prefer to know I have something that will last.

Is there a quality brand to look for? Do the OEMs use a certain brand?

Thanks

 

[joel63]

I'm replacing the AC contactor, it's a single pole, 30 amp, 24v coil.

It seems everything I'm seeing is Chinese. Even the Ac supply houses. I'm willing to pay more for quality, but I have a sneaking suspicion they all come from the same Chinese factory. Just some places mark them up a lot more than others.

If they're all Chinese, I might as well just go cheap. It's not like a contactor is rocket science, but I would prefer to know I have something that will last.

Is there a quality brand to look for? Do the OEMs use a certain brand?

Thanks

No disrespect, but good luck in finding USA parts.

If it's not too much, consider buying an extra one.

 

[dogdog]

I just got the Bacon DP23024 heavy duty double pole contactor (installed) and the Eaton C25BNB240T Super Duty still in box. Both are US companies, but part is made in PRC and China. Compare it to the original one that was corroded, it is night and day in quality. you still can use them even thought yours is a single pole. only diff is now I just brush some electrical grease on the exposed parts when I put it in. Hope it won't be corroded as fast as the original one.

 

[Bobdog]

Graingers carries the ABB and Square D contactors, but they are far from cheap.

HVAC is a cut throat, low bid business, so most supply houses carry the cheap Chinese stuff now.

 

[slice]

I'm replacing the AC contactor, it's a single pole, 30 amp, 24v coil.

It seems everything I'm seeing is Chinese. Even the Ac supply houses. I'm willing to pay more for quality, but I have a sneaking suspicion they all come from the same Chinese factory. Just some places mark them up a lot more than others.

If they're all Chinese, I might as well just go cheap. It's not like a contactor is rocket science, but I would prefer to know I have something that will last.

Is there a quality brand to look for? Do the OEMs use a certain brand?

Thanks

Mfg use the cheapest they can get. Period. And keep guys like me in business, they only last 5 yr or so.

 

[nochina1966]

Good luck ! Better for you in this piece of **** imported garbage market, that you save yourself some time. My opinion is that light duty contactors are not that complicated. Most failure rates are because something else in your a/c circuit is either causing the points to burn or the coil to buzz. If your doing this as a matter of prevent maint., then just install a little higher contact rating. My beef is we are losing this country to cheap imports, and watching everything else follow, including Manufacturing, jobs, and education, so do the country a favor and buy that US made contactor if it's readily available


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[bonneyman]

I have to agree with most of the previous statements. Finding USA-made HVAC parts is next to impossible. Let me do some sniffing around and see if I can find a USA brand to recommend to you.
A few years ago, I just happened to walk into a supply house, and they had this wall display with old-looking boxes of Honeywell contactors. Made in USA. Apparently, they had recently cleaned the warehouse and moved some stock, and found a small stash of NOS stuff. I snagged 'em! I keep them for personal use or "special" jobs.

On a positive note, if you need a compressor capacitor, get the USA-made multi-tap Amrad Turbo 200. Just went to restock on those, and several of the suppliers have dropped it for the Chinese-made knock-off. But I can still get them.

 

[nochina1966]

I have to agree with most of the previous statements. Finding USA-made HVAC parts is next to impossible. Let me do some sniffing around and see if I can find a USA brand to recommend to you.
A few years ago, I just happened to walk into a supply house, and they had this wall display with old-looking boxes of Honeywell contactors. Made in USA. Apparently, they had recently cleaned the warehouse and moved some stock, and found a small stash of NOS stuff. I snagged 'em! I keep them for personal use or "special" jobs.

On a positive note, if you need a compressor capacitor, get the USA-made multi-tap Amrad Turbo 200. Just went to restock on those, and several of the suppliers have dropped it for the Chinese-made knock-off. But I can still get them.

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[nochina1966]

Remember these ?

.... Since they banned PCB's, capacitors have never been the same !!. Carrier have been experimenting with Castor oil, Ha Ha ! I'm starting to get these back under warranty !


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[bonneyman]

Remember these ?

.... Since they banned PCB's, capacitors have never been the same !!. Carrier have been experimenting with Castor oil, Ha Ha ! I'm starting to get these back under warranty !


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Oh yeah, baby! PCB caps were the best! I don't think I ever saw one "wear" out, though I'd seen lots that were damaged by voltage spikes or lightning strikes.
In fact, at one company I worked for about 20 years ago, we'd scavange old run caps out of units we replaced, and put them in the store room. It was my job to hook a tester up to them and write the mf rating on them with permanent magic marker, as the OEM lettering was unreadable. If we ran into a warranty problem or needed a run cap, we'd pull out one of the ole big boys and install them. 20 year old caps would still work just fine. though, they were big. I remember 2 pound coffee can-sized caps!

 

[bonneyman]

Per the OP, I'm still looking into Siemens. I think they might still be non-Asian made. At least the more expensive models are. The ones for residential use may have outsourced.

 

[nochina1966]

Oh yeah, baby! PCB caps were the best! I don't think I ever saw one "wear" out, though I'd seen lots that were damaged by voltage spikes or lightning strikes.

In fact, at one company I worked for about 20 years ago, we'd scavange old run caps out of units we replaced, and put them in the store room. It was my job to hook a tester up to them and write the mf rating on them with permanent magic marker, as the OEM lettering was unreadable. If we ran into a warranty problem or needed a run cap, we'd pull out one of the ole big boys and install them. 20 year old caps would still work just fine. though, they were big. I remember 2 pound coffee can-sized caps!

Ha ! I remember it took me an hour to clean up all the spew from the cap inside the control box !!


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