Source for 20 Amp, 240 V Toggle switches

Looking for 20 Amp, 240 V Toggle switches. illuminated if possible, to switch off my 3500 and 4500 watt heating elements. I am using regular electrical switches for this now, and want to get something a little better to panel mount on my control panel.

I looked at Automation Direct and didn't see anything.

Thanks

Bill

Windsors said:

Looking for 20 Amp, 240 V Toggle switches. illuminated if possible, to switch off my 3500 and 4500 watt heating elements. I am using regular electrical switches for this now, and want to get something a little better to panel mount on my control panel.

I looked at Automation Direct and didn't see anything.

Thanks

Bill

Click to expand...

I don't know where you live, but there should be an electrical supply house in your area that carries such stuff.

Thanks for the replies. Now if I can find one that is illuminated to save the separate LED light.

Is this just for heat sticks? Or do you have them running on SSRs? If SSR control, switch the low voltage trigger lines.

Else, make damn sure those switches are grounded...

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

Is this just for heat sticks? Or do you have them running on SSRs? If SSR control, switch the low voltage trigger lines.

Else, make damn sure those switches are grounded...

Click to expand...

Not the OP but....

Wow, I never would have considered that! The simple solutions evade me!

Again thanks for the great suggestions.

They are to disconnect the power to SSR controlled elements. However, I am only using one SSR per element to control one leg of the power and that's why I want a switch to cut power to both power legs.

I may consider adding a second SSR for each element and then I can cut the low voltage side. I have heard that if SSR's fail, they fail in the closed position, so that is another reason why i was planning to switch the high voltage side. Don't know if that is true or not, just what I heard (I believe on HBT)

And absolutely they will be grounded.

I would add the second SSR. For killing power, an E-stop button is a very good idea, in case of emergency...

If this is an 'emergency' kill type think then why not go with a circuit breaker mounted in an easily accessed location? Or, better, ground fault protector?

I have seen ssr's 'pop open'.

OK. I did buy an E-Stop push button and a contactor rated to handle all of the power coming into to the control panel and is part of my build.

The main feed in my house panle is from a 50 Amp GFIC breaker, so that is protected.

My original question was limited strictly to cutting power to the individual elements, not as an E-stop. That is a separate deal as described above..

A little off my topic, but I am planning on having 2 boxes. One for High voltage and one for low voltage. There will be some mixing since my PID's need 120 V and I thought I would put the 12 V and 24V transformers in the low voltage box with the PID's, temp probe connectors, selector switches, flow and float switch connectors. The SSR's, contactor, relays, power to the elements and pumps in the high voltage box.

My reasoning for doing this is the limitations of the sizes of the boxes I have and trying to minimize EMF (or whatever that is)

Any thoughts ?

Sounds good to me. You can get PIDS that run on low voltage too, unless you have already purchased 120 VAC ones...

I put a contactor before the power to the SSR's and elements, and switch the contactor using a standard house light switch. I tried the 240v DPST and it fried, which caused a chain reaction killing my SSR and frying my element. Contactor is a much safer solution.
I ran a seperate 120v line for pumps and pid's so I could run my rig for cleaning routines and leave the 240v only for when I'm brewing.

Thanks for the suggestions.

BK - Yea, unfortunately, i already bought the 120 V PID's

You might check Mouser.com as they have a fairly good selection of high current toggle switches. The link takes you to a few of them. They are rated at 30A/125V in several configurations. Doulbe poll would be your choice. The voltage rating will not be an issue as each poll will only see 120V anyway. BTW - they are not cheap.

They also carry switches rated for 25A that would be well suited for your task that are somewhat cheaper. 25A switches - Mouser.com

Hope this helps.

flananuts said:

Contactor is a much safer solution.

Click to expand...

There's a second reason contactors are a safer solution: when an SSR fails, it tends to fail in the ON state. Meaning if the SSR goes bad, you can have a situation where your low-amp switch controlling the SSR is off, but the element is still hot and you won't know it.

Contactors (mechanical relays) tend to fail in the OFF state.

My system uses one of these LED-illuminated switches to drive this 40A, 240v contactor.

Also as you note, the contactor will break both legs of the 240v instead of the 1 broken by the SSR. I believe the low-amp switch + contactor is less expensive than a 20/30 amp switch, too.

-Joe

nostalgia,

Very nice build you have going on.

So do you do use both the SSR and Contactor, 1 each for each element ? How are they connected and controlled ?

Is the Contactor controlled by a switch and E-Stop or just a switch ?

Thanks

Bill

Hi Bill,

Thanks! Yes, there is 1 contactor for each element. There is 110v going to the switch, which then goes to the coil of the contactor. There is a wiring diagram in the linked thread.

Let me know if it's not clear or if you'd like any other photos.

-Joe

Thanks Joe.

Did you end up doing the wiring per post #37 in your build thread ?

Bill

Yes, the only difference being I took power for the PID off the 10A circuit instead of the 30A circuit as shown in the picture.

-Joe

I think if I had enough space in my control panel I would have put one contactor per SSR/heating element. Unfortunately I didn't so I split it from the contactor to the SSR's. I'm only ever running one element at a time and the PID's are switched which allows you to kill the SSR as well.

Either way, ground it all back to your panel and run a GFI if you can.