On 2011-10-12, PrecisionmachinisT wrote:

"Ignoramus2083" wrote in message
...
I bought a size 2 motor starter on ebay. It is Allen Bradley and looks
like 500 series. (the label does not say what series).

I want to use it for my 10 HP compressor, which is the kind of service
where it would restart the motor many times per day.

Anyhow, I opened up the cover to look at contacts and it appears that
they have some wear. I cannot really tell if it is too much or not,
because I am not qualified to tell.

So, I have a couple of questions.

1) How can I know if the contacts are too worn?

2) If I buy an "aftermarket contact kit", are they really as good as
the originals? Do the original contacts have silver plates?

Thanks


You will see voltage drop and excessive temperature rise during use.



At 29 amps of FLA, a voltage drop of even 1 volt will melt the
contacts in short order. I do not think that voltage drop will be a
good indicator.

i