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.

On 13 Dec 2006 05:22:08 -0800, "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.

It gives you a great deal more control over the motor. The magnetic
coils will disconnect the circuit when power is removed. Power might
need to be removed because of overload or any other number of safety
devices. Nothing complicated about the benefit of magnetic starters.



My compressor needs something to remove the load while the motor
starts. Back pressure.

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.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

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.

The most common reason that a motor starter is used is because the
motor control sensors, in this case, the pressure switch, cannot handle
the motor current. In most cases it's actually cheaper to use motor
starters than it is to provide sensors that can handle the motor
current. As stated by others, there is a safety factor also.

The most common reason that a motor starter is used is because the
motor control sensors, in this case, the pressure switch, cannot handle
the motor current. In most cases it's actually cheaper to use motor
starters than it is to provide sensors that can handle the motor
current. As stated by others, there is a safety factor also.

Ok, that makes sense.

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.

wrote in message
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.


Both my computers will stay off if power goes out. It avoids power surges
that way too.

"Edwin Pawlowski" writes:

wrote in message
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.

Both my computers will stay off if power goes out. It avoids power surges
that way too.

That's usually an option in the BIOS settings.

Decent UPS units have a software program that shuts your computer down
after a period without power. I have an energizer that I bought for $80
that works very well, so well you are tempted to work during outages,
but it beeps until you shut down, or if you aren't available it shuts
it down for you.

On 14 Dec 2006 06:47:22 -0800, "Eric in North TX"
wrote:


Decent UPS units have a software program that shuts your computer down
after a period without power. I have an energizer that I bought for $80
that works very well, so well you are tempted to work during outages,
but it beeps until you shut down, or if you aren't available it shuts
it down for you.

I've got a 12 volt car battery connected to mine and my wifes ups.
We just keep on computing when the power goes off.

wrote:
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.


I have a UPS on my computer. If the power goes off for more than 5 minutes, the
associated software shuts the computer down for me. If the power outage is less
than 5 minutes, I just keep on computing as if nothing happened. The vast
majority of power outages are momentary so the real effect is that I have a very
smooth power supply without surges. The UPS provides the computer with power at
all times so there's no switchover blip. The wall provides the UPS with power
to replace what goes into the computer. If the supply out of the wall fails,
the UPS just keeps on trucking off its battery until the timing software
activates.

I actually have small UPS's around the house. I've got one on my telephone
answering machine. I've got another that feeds my TIVO and a digital clock in
my living room. It doesn't feed the TV. I've found if the power cuts off, it
takes a while to reboot the TIVO (it was the same with the satellite receiver I
had before)... a PITA to be avoided.

I bought the biggest UPS I could afford for the computer. I bought the smallest
I could find for the other stuff.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com