Heidelberg Windmill : Electrical Help

My wife and I recently purchased a 1955 Heidelberg Windmill. Before the machine was brought to our studio, we had it checked out, saw it running, super clean working great. Our studio is in our home and we run 220. The guy who sold us the machine sent me an email that said “You just have to install a 220 30amp double pole breaker, then run a junction box with a shut of from there”
We installed a 30 amp box with shut off switch that took two 30 amp fuses. He turned the machine on, seem to run fine, then before we knew it, smoke was pouring out of the General Electric Control Box. I talked to an electrician, he said this was bad.

The Heidelberg was converted to a single phase motor. The following are the specs from the motor then the control box.

General Electric Capacitor Motor:
Model: 5KC5184AG01
HP: 1 1/2
SR No: VL
FL RPM: 1725
Volts: 115 / 230
Single Phase: 1
Service Factor: 1.2
Cycles: 60
FL AMP: 18.2/9.10
FR: 184
Type: KCS
Nema Glass: 184
Code: J
C Rise: 40

General Electric Control
CR7006B100B
Size: 0 (or maybe D)
Volt: 1PH
1101 HP
220 / 600
1 1/2 HP
4 Control Volt and Cycles, see Coil Max Motor Rating

Specs on the Box we installed from the circuit breaker that ran to the motor.

Square D
30A Light Duty Enclosed Switch
Class 3130
Type 1
Series E02

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We really need to get up and running, we have a job that will pay us back for what we paid for the machine, right now we are in a tight bind. All help and advice is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Also, can anyone suggest an electrician in the Miami / Ft. Lauderdale Florida area that might be good to troubleshoot for a windmill?

Warmest,

DB

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Log in to reply   6 replies so far

While a 220 volt circuit would need a double pole circuit breaker in a conventional box—I’m not certain why you would need a double pole safety switch (which appears to be what’s illustrated). Something strikes me that this is a wiring issue and that the motor starter was wired directly across from hot to neutral—rather than breaking the hot side of the circuit (as a switch). I would expect some electrical gurus to be along, or ask you electrician why this didn’t work (especially if he did the work in the first place).

If you are lucky, you may have just destroyed the “heaters” in the motor starter and should be able to find replacements. If not then you are probably going to need to get another motor starter. If you are very unlucky (but I don’t think so) you may need a new motor.

I am not an electrician, nor would I play a convincing one on television, but somebody knows out there.

Thanks for the advice.

I learned a bit more about the information plate on the electric motor. FL AMP means Full Load Amperage. The FL AMP on my motor is 18. I also learned that 1 1/2 Horsepower is indicated on my motor should need roughly 12 Amps to run. Could the problem have been I was advised to run 30 Amps into my machine and should have only been running no more than 18?

Thoughts?

IIII

I believe the panel is indicating that it draws 18 amps at 110v and 9 amps at 230v.

Ours is wired to a 220v, 20A breaker, no switch in the middle but for the motor starter. The electrical inspector here was fine with that.

One my machines has the same combination of motor and starter as yours. Is it the CR-7006? This wiring diagram is on the inside of the cover of mine:

http://i.imgur.com/mrbqo.jpg

Might make sense to get a new one with some better documentation.

Hey Dr. Orange,

Thanks for the response. Yes, ours is the CR-7006. Do you think that the 30A Box is just too much power? A friend of mine was telling me that this motor should draw from the 30A what it needs to run.

Are you saying I should replace the CR-7006? If so, what should I replace it with? Where can I find it? and roughly do you know what I am looking at in cost?

When looking at the machine from the front our machine actually has an on / off control switch on the left side and the control box with the remainder of the wiring on the right. 30A into the control box, out control box to the motor.

I am sure you know most of this, just wanted to be thorough.

Great meeting you, thanks for the help.

IIII

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Important note: I AM MOSTLY A MORON. I AM NOT AN ELECTRICIAN. NO GENIUS/SKILL/LIMITED INTELLIGENCE IS IMPLIED. USE THIS INFORMATION AT YOUR OWN EXTREME RISK.

I wired mine using the diagram inside the box. If you root around in the box (JUICE OFF!), you’ll see that all of the connection points are labeled. You could try that first before getting a new one. But it did go up in smoke. I probably wouldn’t want to use it anymore.

I think you’re misunderstanding what the amp rating on a circuit means. When you refer to a 30 amp circuit, you’re talking about the maximum load that the wiring is rated for. 30A is a minimum #10 wire. The breaker/fuse is a protection device so you don’t overload the wires.

You can hook a 9 amp load to a 30 amp circuit and it’ll work just fine. But it’s not safe. If you look inside your box, and inside the motor, you will see that it is all #12 wire. That’s only rated for 20amps, so you have a fire risk.

That’s not why your thing went up in smoke, but in an overload situation, the breaker might not pop before the wires are cookin’. Probably rare and unlikely, but its better to follow the rules on this kinda thing.

My other windmill has a newer Square D box. It starts with a nice satisfying WHACK, unlike the old GE one that kind of whimpers to a start.

This looks like it would be properly rated for your machine. Should work with the switch you have.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/SQUARE-D-Magnetic-Motor-Starter-1H482?P...

You can probably find it cheaper.

Okay. Thanks for the further advice and suggestions. I will take your advice with caution. I am sending a link to this thread to my electrician. Real handy guy, I am sure this will help out.

If you or any one else have any other advice, I would appreciate the info.

Stay in touch.

Best,

IIII