Oneida power problem

[Rob Littleton]

Anyone have any idea why, when I use the remote switch for my 220 volt Oneida, the trip trips. A couple of times, the panel just buzzes for a couple of seconds but stops. Other times it pops the trip. I havent tried it without the switch coz I need the switch to use.

The breaker is 20 amp and the wire to the breaker is man enuff.

cheers.

F.L.A is 17-16 and S.F.A is 17.2........Im sure those intiials mean something to someone.

I plugged the unit directly into the power and the trip didnt trip. Although, I couldnt hear the panel buzzing.

Thanks for your help.

[Mike Cutler]

Rob. What is actually tripping, the 20 amp breaker at the panel, the controller box for the remote, or the motor itself?
If you are tripping the panel breaker, or some time of "mechanical trip" on the motor you may need to replace the starting cap as a starting point. Then we would need to look at windings, and bad electrical connections.
Has this always happened, or did it just start recently? and which Oneida unit do you have?

[Rob Littleton]

Rob. What is actually tripping, the 20 amp breaker at the panel, the controller box for the remote, or the motor itself?
If you are tripping the panel breaker, or some time of "mechanical trip" on the motor you may need to replace the starting cap as a starting point. Then we would need to look at windings, and bad electrical connections.
Has this always happened, or did it just start recently? and which Oneida unit do you have?

Sorry Mike.

The trip in the panel trips. Its a 20 amp breaker.

This unit was shipped brand new to me last march and while my shop was being built, it sat in the garage. Its the 3HP unit and since it's brand new, I would suspect no problems with the motor.

Also, as I edited the post, it works OK without the X10 controller.

Thanks for your help bud

[Mike Cutler]

It sounds as if the problem is in the X 10 controller. If I had to guess I would suspect that there is some form of an interposing relay that is not picking up cleanly. Or the power contacts are oxidized, creating an increased resistance/ impedance in the power loop. If the "buzzing" sound is coming from the X-10 controller, that sounds like a mechanical relay issue, possibly the power latch, and not a solid state switching relay.
I wish I could be more helpful. Hopefully it's an issue that someone with an X 10 has seen. Good Luck

[Jim Becker]

Rob, you're really pushing things with the X10 controller on that system. I bagged them for the 2hp after burning two of them out in only a year. Better to use a contactor to switch the system on and off and control the contactor with the remote system. (I eliminated the remotes in my shop altogether in favor of a single, centrally located toggle switch that triggers the contactor in the DC closet.)

And at 17 amps, you're also really close to the limit for a 20a circuit. The system may be happier with a 30 amp circuit.

[Rob Littleton]

Yeah, I was kinda thinking I might have to do something different. I was thinking about the long ranger but aint sure that will work either.

The X10 controller I am using is the one that Oneida sells with the unit. Guess Im gonna have to place a call or send an email Monday.

Anyone had any experience with the Long Ranger gates system on the 3HP?

Cheers again

[Jim Becker]

Rob, for these larger systems, using a contactor to "do the work", takes the load of the X10 or Long Ranger or cheap Walmart Xmas remote. It's made a huge difference in my system 'cause I no longer have to worry about it not working at the most inopportune time or blowing up an expensive component.

[Stephen Dixon]

The 20 amp breaker is too small for a 3HP motor. The code allows up to a 45 amp breaker for a 3 Hp motor, but I would use a 30 amp circuit for this application. The DC runs too close to full load amps all the time to take a chance trying to run it on a circuit too small for it. The NEC is very specific about this, if the breaker trips on start-up then the breaker is too small, and that is a code violation.

[greg kurtock]

The breaker tripping on start-up can be a few things, not simply too small. It could be poor conductivity in one of the connections, a bad starter, a bad breaker, inadaquate wire sizing, and a few more. Our A/C compressor would buzz like mad, usually trip the breaker. Nobody could diagnose the problem, everything was replaced between the breaker and the contactor. Later that winter, when it was super cold outside, half the lights in the house went out. The guys from the electric utility came out and found a bad splice at the pole on one leg (he showed it to me...it was amazing any current made it through). Low and behold, the A/C compressor has worked fine ever since.

In this case, a 20 amp breaker is cutting it pretty close, if the motor is rated at 17A, since 16A is 80%. To me, it seems pretty clear the x-10 is putting some resistance into the circuit, just enough to push it over the limit.

Greg