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+-- Thread: OT rating of switches for motors. (/showthread.php?tid=7348790)
OT rating of switches for motors. - barryvabeach - 06-15-2019
Sorry to be OT, but since it involves switches for induction motors, thought someone here might know. I have looked at a flour mill made by a company, and their website has a number of claims about the mill, some of which seem pretty questionable. In looking deeper, I see that they offer replacement switches for their mill, which uses a Dayton induction motor - mostly 1/4 hp, but they claim that the different switches are designed for different number of hours of use per week
This switch comes standard will all electric units. Suggested use is for this household use switch is 1-2 hours or less of milling time per week. Option 2: Heavy duty switch, on/off switch, part 1X978, price $49.95 extra ,installed. This optional switch can be installed in machines used for small bakeries, matza bakeries or similar semi commercial and heavy duty applications. Suggested use for this switch is 5-10 hours of milling time per week. Option 3: Three way heavy duty (forward-off-reverse) switch, part 2X5S, price $79.95 . . . Suggested use of this switch is 10 –20 hours of milling time per week.
I can understand different sized switches for different hp motors, but does it make any sense to say that for a particular motor, you would want a stronger switch if it stayed on longer? http://retselusa.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/24_38/products_id/432
BTW, I am actually looking at a used version, but the switch info caught my eye.
RE: OT rating of switches for motors. - jteneyck - 06-15-2019
Seems like a Sales ploy to me. I've always thought a switch was rated for so many amps, regardless of how long it was engaged, but I'm definitely not educated in the field. I'll be most interested to see what people who are have to say.
Are you a baker? If so, what? When I was younger and more motivated I used to bake bread every week because I couldn't find slow rise sourdough breads like in Germany, or SF sourdough. Whoever convinced the American public that Wonderbread was good for you was a Marketing genius - and knew nothing about what real bread tastes like. Thankfully, some motivated younger folks are starting to resurrect the baking of quality breads again. And beer. And coffee.
John
RE: OT rating of switches for motors. - Ohio Mike - 06-15-2019
(06-15-2019, 08:57 AM)barryvabeach Wrote: Sorry to be OT, but since it involves switches for induction motors, thought someone here might know. I have looked at a flour mill made by a company, and their website has a number of claims about the mill, some of which seem pretty questionable. In looking deeper, I see that they offer replacement switches for their mill, which uses a Dayton induction motor - mostly 1/4 hp, but they claim that the different switches are designed for different number of hours of use per week
Household use switch is 1-2 hours or less of milling time per week.
Heavy duty switch for 5-10 hours of milling time per week.
I'm guessing they are calculating the number of ON/OFF cycles the switch will endure per week. Quality switches can survive more cycles. And I agree it's likely a sales ploy as it ought to be manufactured with a durable switch to begin with.
RE: OT rating of switches for motors. - barryvabeach - 06-15-2019
(06-15-2019, 10:25 AM)Ohio Mike Wrote: I'm guessing they are calculating the number of ON/OFF cycles the switch will endure per week. Quality switches can survive more cycles. And I agree it's likely a sales ploy as it ought to be manufactured with a durable switch to begin with.
John and Mike, thanks for the input. John, yes I do a fair amount of baking, and mostly slow rise sourdough, with 100% home milled flour. Wonderbread is more like cotton candy than what I make.
RE: OT rating of switches for motors. - daddo - 06-15-2019
50 bucks for a switch? Yikes.
Adapt a 10-20 amp wall type switch and never worry again. The motor just wants voltage- it doesn't care what type switch delivers it.
You could also go to Altex and get a spst switch. I'd guess a 10 amp switch would last a lifetime.
RE: OT rating of switches for motors. - TDKPE - 06-16-2019
What they said. Cycles, not hours, with greater number of hours per week translating to greater number of on/off cycles per week, with only a given number of cycles to be expected in that switch (statistically speaking, of course). For a 1/4 hp induction motor, a $3 wall switch would probably outlast the machine, though. Like the way garbage disposals used to be wired, using a cheap wall switch. And even if it broke, the heaviest toggle switches in that form factor are only like $12 and that one looks easy to replace, from pics of that series mill on the manufacturer’s web site.
RE: OT rating of switches for motors. - kencombs - 06-18-2019
Motor rated switches are rated differently. The on function is not a problem, just make contact, send volts/amps. Off is another matter. A cheap switch will arc across the contacts when cycled off under load, especially with heavy loads.. Repeated operations will eventually degrade contact surface and/or the springs. That's why a lot of 'wall switches' are not even rated for motor loads, and most are rated at low motor HP.
RE: OT rating of switches for motors. - Bob Vaughan - 06-21-2019
(06-16-2019, 07:22 AM)TDKPE Wrote: What they said. Cycles, not hours, with greater number of hours per week translating to greater number of on/off cycles per week, with only a given number of cycles to be expected in that switch (statistically speaking, of course). For a 1/4 hp induction motor, a $3 wall switch would probably outlast the machine, though. Like the way garbage disposals used to be wired, using a cheap wall switch. And even if it broke, the heaviest toggle switches in that form factor are only like $12 and that one looks easy to replace, from pics of that series mill on the manufacturer’s web site.
Excellent observations on the switches.
Over the years I've seen a lot of motor problems caused by cheap, flimsy switches but those problems involved higher HP motors.
My own kitchen disposal is rated at 9 amp, 1/2 Hp motor. It was wired with a household light switch for a couple of years but I got to thinking about it and decided I didn't want disposal motor problems caused by a crappy switch. I installed an old Delta low voltage control magnetic starter that I had refurbished. There is a remote control on the front of the kitchen cabinet. Now the disposal starts with a satisfying 'click'. There's easily $300.00 replacement cost worth of switch there. No Asian import switch for my wife's kitchen.
[attachment=18959]
The only photo I've got showing the installed switch inside the cabinet.
RE: OT rating of switches for motors. - TDKPE - 06-21-2019
Wow. I put one of those on my 2 hp 240V upgraded Plus 10 RAS. Got it on ebay for cheap, NIB.
But for the disposal, I used the lowest voltage control there is - an air switch, with the button in the counter top.
