On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:13:50 -0500, "Mortimer Schnerd, RN"
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote:

Eric in North TX wrote:
Could someone please explain to me the purpose of a magnetic starter on
an air compressor. I may be a little thick, but I can't see what
possible advantage there is. Seems to me that all you are doing is
putting a relay between the pressure switch relay and the motor. The
motor vendors seem to push those, but they are making profit, so I
don't trust them entirely.


Magnetic starters exist so that if the power goes off for whatever reason, the
on switch has to be manually reengaged before the machine turns on again.
Imagine a situation where you have a leak, the power goes off and doesn't come
back on. It's the last day before your vacation. Do you want to sit there
waiting for the power to come back on? Will you remember to turn off the
switch? Or will you leave for three weeks in the Bahamas only to come back to a
machine that's overheated or run itself out of oil?

I know it's a stretch but it's to keep the machine from just coming on after the
power had failed. Maybe you might be working on the compressor after it pops
off trying to get it going again and get your hand caught in the belt when it
suddenly energizes again?

Anyway, you get the idea. I'd like to have a magnetic starter on all my tools
but have to admit the need on the compressor seems to be less than a tablesaw.

I'd like one on my computer. The power goes out and I come back to
find the computer has just the windows desktop, and nothing I had on
the screen. The only way I know the power went out is to look at my
digital clock to see it flashing 12:00. If that clock had a battery
(like it should), I would not know what happened and blame my
computer.