16A Control Panel Switches?

[Tamir]

Hello everyone

I have brewed around 5-6 batches with my friend-built electric biab system

Unfortunately, at the end of my last brewday my control panel stopped working, and I found that my POWER switch stopped working, my friend who built this system suggested that the switch crashed because I run a 3000W heating element at full power with my 10A switches.

These are the switches I bought for all three selectors:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/22mm-Rotary...428273?hash=item19db2e51b1:g:zzQAAMXQATlRaFUK

I wonder if it because they are cheap Chinese ones or the actual Amper they run. I wonder this because I've seen these switch type on multiple control boards here.

Of course now I want to order the correct switches for my control panel, and there are already 22mm holes drilled for this type.

Are there any with higher ampers? could not find them myself.

An other idea he suggested, is to use some kind of main relay, and unfortunately I do not know my electricity that well to understand what to order.

You can see at my photos that I already have an SCR voltage regulator which I control with a POT.

I can wire and handle basic electrical tasks.

What ever is needed to be ordered, I need to order it from a store that ships worldwide.


Thank you very much in advance!

 

[BrunDog]

If your element is 3000W, depending on your actual line voltage you may be running as much as 15A (that's amps, not ampers unless not an English word). While that is not a trivial overage, they likely failed so quickly because they are cheap Chinese crap.

If you want to do this right, replace the switch (or its contacts only, assuming you can source these), and have it power a relay/contactor, as your friend suggested. The switch would compete a circuit to a relay rather than to the element (or SSR first). The relay would then compete the circuit to the element (or SSR first). There are many schematics in the forum. Look around and you'll find one easily enough.

Curious... did the switch fail closed or open (i.e. Always on or always off, no matter the switch position)?

 

[Tamir]

Yep, sorry, "Amper" or spelled correctly "Ampere" is the full term for amps. My bad

Thank you very much, please correct me - the direct power enters the board will be connected to a new switch, this switch will be connected to an SSR with a heatsink (or the opposite?), and everything else's wiring stays the same (and now coming after the module).

Is that right?

Does the element need another module as well or the current SVR is there for that reason?

Thanks again, I know that I prove that I do not understand my panel or electricity very well, but at this stage I don't have other options.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/25A-AC-Soli...904995?hash=item3f569a7de3:g:E50AAOSwuTxWAGOd

Edit: Oh, and the switch failed closed, so no power to the board at all, till I jumpered it.

 

[tofuguy]

You ran a switch that could not handle the current load and it welded shut. 3000W/240V > 10A. It's not because it's Chinese, it's because of a poorly engineered panel. This is the reason you see others have relays to switch the high current circuit, or use a motor switch. I would recommend something like this... (Note this will need to be upgraded if you expand beyond 3kW. 30A switch is ideal. Also avoid switching underload.)

http://m.ebay.com/itm/660V-20A-Pane...Switch-LW28-20-CO4-2-/231464985375?nav=SEARCH

 

[BrunDog]

Yep, sorry, "Amper" or spelled correctly "Ampere" is the full term for amps. My bad

Thank you very much, please correct me - the direct power enters the board will be connected to a new switch, this switch will be connected to an SSR with a heatsink (or the opposite?), and everything else's wiring stays the same (and now coming after the module).

Is that right?

Does the element need another module as well or the current SVR is there for that reason?

Thanks again, I know that I prove that I do not understand my panel or electricity very well, but at this stage I don't have other options.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/25A-AC-Soli...904995?hash=item3f569a7de3:g:E50AAOSwuTxWAGOd

Edit: Oh, and the switch failed closed, so no power to the board at all, till I jumpered it.

No problem on the misspelling. I mispel stuf I knough haw too spel al tha tyme.

I would prefer not to use words to tell you what to connect - I think it leaves too much room for interpretation, which is dangerous when it comes to high voltage electricity. Find a schematic and follow it.

FYI, if no power made it through the switch, it failed "open", as in open circuit, as in no current could flow through the potential loop because one portion of the circuit was open.

 

[Sparkncode]

Aside from the overcurrent issue
Those Chinese switches work but I would be hesitant to use them at their full rated current.
I looked at a few and the contact mating surface area that actually makes contact isn't that great (bad angles).
In my control panel I only used them to control contactors etc and they are fine for this.

Another thing I found wrong with some of these was when I stacked contact blocks the rear contact blocks particularly NC wouldn't actuate reliably.
I had to file the front of the rear contact set to get things working correctly, no problems since.
There is obviously a bit of inconsistancies in how these are produced. I would never use them for anything commercially but driving contactors on a home project and if you are prepared to mess with them they can work ok.

 

[augiedoggy]

You are missing the contactor or relay that most people use in their panels to avoid this you should not be directly switching the load with a 10 amp switch. Those switches work fine if used correctly. I've been using the same ones for years in my panel when running it a load below 10 amps