electrics

[bof]

Hi
Can anyone tell me why my supply to my pool motor is wired via a contactor. Yhe supply is fed from a fuse board in the house to a fuse board in the pool room via a rcd the to a contactor then to my pump motor.

Thank.

 

[JohnT]

Most likely for some kind of automation or possibly an anti-entrapment device.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Does the pump have a start/stop button or timer on it? If not, then I suspect JT is right.

 

[bof]

The pump is hard wired to a 13 amp plug which is plugged into a timer which is plugged into a socket. The socket is wired from the contactor What is an anti-entrapment device?

 

[JohnT]

The pump is hard wired to a 13 amp plug which is plugged into a timer which is plugged into a socket. The socket is wired from the contactor What is an anti-entrapment device?

An anti-entrapment device shuts the pump down if it detects a blockage of water flow on the inlet side of the pump. It prevents people from being held to a drain or other intake by suction.

 

[bof]

WOW Thanks for that I did not know the suction was that powerful. I will check it out when I start using the pool next season. But other than that I can safely run the motor without the contactor.

 

[gtemkin]

WOW Thanks for that I did not know the suction was that powerful. I will check it out when I start using the pool next season. But other than that I can safely run the motor without the contactor.

Not sure what you mean by "check it out", but please recognize that the main drain can be very dangerous. The need for anti-entrapment, is because people have sat on drains and instantly had their internal organs sucked out of their bodies. Not a pleasant way to die.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Can you post a picture of the contactor?

 

[danpik]

Are you sure it is not a circuit breaker acting as a disconnect device? A contactor usually needs a power source to energize it from, say, a push button start stop, or some other input signal.

 

[bof]

Yes it is a contactor and it is energised from the mains supply. Thinking about the cct and the standard of electricians the cct has probably been copied from an early site and wired up the same but did not know why. Monkey see monkey do. Their is no anti-entrapment device, and my idea of trying it out is to put my hand on the drain to see for myself the suction but not until next year when the water is a tad warmer. Sorry no photo i.e. no camera and a bog standard mobile phone. To put it into context the standard of buildings on this island is criminal, but it is deemed your fault for buying it.