Steampunk Control Panel Mount

[Stoutson]

What I did was look on Google images
https://www.google.com/search?q=ele...Z8KHU0BDD0Q_AUICigB&biw=1707&bih=844&dpr=1.13

This too

https://www.google.com/search?q=ele...J8KHYMkCLAQ_AUICigB&biw=1707&bih=844&dpr=1.13

 

[Stoutson]

This too

https://www.google.com/search?q=ele...J8KHYMkCLAQ_AUICigB&biw=1707&bih=844&dpr=1.13

On the contactor question, they are big, bulky sometimes noisy, the points get pitted and you dont need them with the ssr's
I am a A/C contractor and contactors are not that great compared to ssr's. I also ventilated top cover and used smaller heat sinks under ssr

 

[augiedoggy]

On the contactor question, they are big, bulky sometimes noisy, the points get pitted and you dont need them with the ssr's
I am a A/C contractor and contactors are not that great compared to ssr's. I also ventilated top cover and used smaller heat sinks under ssrView attachment 575435

They actually do two different things (in this situation) Ideally you should have contactors and ssrs or at least dual pole ssrs. Think about it, your relying on a single pole switch you paid $1.79 for to kill all power to both pole that feed your elements when in reality they only kill current to one pole and allow a large amount of voltage leakage. The points usually get pitted when they are used in a situation where they are switched more often and get hot. Ideally thats not how they would be used here. the ssr would do the temp control and fast switching and the contactor just makes sure the power is completely removed from the cord going to the element when off.

Its just something a person has to be mindful of if you omit them, if they are on a 30a circuit and an ssr sticks it should pop the breaker eventually if they are both on. That said many pro system diagrams im seeing only use ssrs and not mechanical relays..

 

[Stoutson]

They actually do two different things (in this situation) Ideally you should have contactors and ssrs or at least dual pole ssrs. Think about it, your relying on a single pole switch you paid $1.79 for to kill all power to both pole that feed your elements when in reality they only kill current to one pole and allow a large amount of voltage leakage. The points usually get pitted when they are used in a situation where they are switched more often and get hot. Ideally thats not how they would be used here. the ssr would do the temp control and fast switching and the contactor just makes sure the power is completely removed from the cord going to the element when off.

Its just something a person has to be mindful of if you omit them, if they are on a 30a circuit and an ssr sticks it should pop the breaker eventually if they are both on. That said many pro system diagrams im seeing only use ssrs and not mechanical relays..

Mine works great just the way it is.

 

[Stoutson]

They actually do two different things (in this situation) Ideally you should have contactors and ssrs or at least dual pole ssrs. Think about it, your relying on a single pole switch you paid $1.79 for to kill all power to both pole that feed your elements when in reality they only kill current to one pole and allow a large amount of voltage leakage. The points usually get pitted when they are used in a situation where they are switched more often and get hot. Ideally thats not how they would be used here. the ssr would do the temp control and fast switching and the contactor just makes sure the power is completely removed from the cord going to the element when off.

Its just something a person has to be mindful of if you omit them, if they are on a 30a circuit and an ssr sticks it should pop the breaker eventually if they are both on. That said many pro system diagrams im seeing only use ssrs and not mechanical relays..

I was only joking on that price that I paid for the ssr

 

[augiedoggy]

I was only joking on that price that I paid for the ssr

oh well they are available for less, a lot less, The point is they were an inexpensive component your relying on. I know you ordered replacements.
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...60460906970.html?spm=a2700.7724838.0.0.pfSuIa

I know it works fine, I noted a lot of people dont use them I was just pointing out why a lot of people do use them along with ssrs.

You had implied by saying they are better than contactors that they would only be used in place of the ssrs and for this type of work an ssr is better. Yes the SSr is better for fast switching and not burning the contacts.
But SSRs do fail and when they fail they almost always fail in the on position. Also if you have the elements with the plugs on the end you have to be very careful to note because you do not have contactors, that there is still 120v going to the elements and those plugs at all times because you only have one side of the circuit switched. again something to be mindful if you go to unplug one of them with wet hands thinking its really "OFF".

Sorry if it came across like I was saying your doing it wrong, Thats not really what im trying to say, I know there are many ways to skin a cat. I think without a fan those ssrs might fail on those heatsinks over time. only because I have seen others with this setup have problems here.

I was just trying to explain why the contactors are a good idea and often used along with ssrs for others like Universalfrost who seen this and were confused.
Honestly your panel is something to be proud of... If you saw the wiring and things I did on my first panel you would laugh.. then probably cringe. It worked fine though for years despite the warning people gave me here about things I did (and fake foteks). The speakon connectors did eventually fail when I upgraded my 4500w element in my bk to 5500w though..