Using Manual Motor Starter with overload protection for printed circuit boards

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EEC

Senior Member
Location
Maryland
Is a code requirement in place where a manual motor starter is required with overload protection (208VAC 1phase Line) where the components plugged into the board consist of DC solenoid valves?
Unit is a Daikin BPMKS unit to control refrigerant.
 

EEC

Senior Member
Location
Maryland
I concur

I concur

A motor starter is used for motors.

A contractor is wiring these units with a HOA sw. and Manual Motor Starter with pilot light and overloads. The automatic side of HOA is jumpered-out, so the HOA sw just turns unit on-off like a disconnect, same as manual motor starter. This is a union contractor in Baltimore.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
A contractor is wiring these units with a HOA sw. and Manual Motor Starter with pilot light and overloads. The automatic side of HOA is jumpered-out, so the HOA sw just turns unit on-off like a disconnect, same as manual motor starter. This is a union contractor in Baltimore.
Sounds like a waste of materials to me.

Jumpering the automatic side of HOA turns it into Hand Off Hand. May as well just had On-Off to start with. Is also useless if there is manual motor starter in same vicinity, if they are remote from one another there may be some good reasons to have multiple switches. If the load is a solenoid valve the overload assembly is probably useless and a waste of $$ spent on it.
 

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
The manual starter can be though of as “supplemental protection” for the solenoid coil. Not required by code and it would not suffice as the Branch Over Current Protective Device since it’s not a motor, so there would still need to be a fuse or CB somewhere to protect the conductors. But if they want to try to protect the solenoid coil at a level lower than the BOCPD for the wires, that’s their prerogative. Personally, I would have used one of those cheap little DIN rail mounted IEC circuit breakers that are listed as UL1077 supplemental protection, that’s the sort of thing those are good for.

The jumpered out HOA switch is kind of pointless, but maybe that’s all he had available that day. Can’t say I haven’t done it in a pinch.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
The jumpered out HOA switch is kind of pointless, but maybe that’s all he had available that day. Can’t say I haven’t done it in a pinch.
Done things like that in a pinch as well or in situations where HOA switch is already there but simple ON/OFF is all that is needed.
 
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