# auxiliary contacts for a Siemens starter



## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

erics37 said:


> So I got a call from one of the dudes with a local Public Works department. They had a starter burn up at one of their pump stations. So instead of coming to us to repair/replace it, they took matters into their own hands and ordered the starter on their own.
> 
> Long story short, the supplier sent them a CONTACTOR. They looked at their new contactor, then looked at the original starter (with its overload relay and a couple auxiliary contact blocks) and decided that their new gizmo would not be suitable for installation.
> 
> ...


 

I've used the ones several times that mount on the front, and i actually like them better for troubleshooting. They slide right into those slots. You can get three individuals for the front, or all one piece like yours, With the individuals they can be stacked again depending on how deep the enclosure is. There's knobs on the end of your moving contact in your starter, they hold onto the aux block and pull it in.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

mcclary's electrical said:


> I've used the ones several times that mount on the front, and i actually like them better for troubleshooting. They slide right into those slots. You can get three individuals for the front, or all one piece like yours, With the individuals they can be stacked again depending on how deep the enclosure is. There's knobs on the end of your moving contact in your starter, they hold onto the aux block and pull it in.


I figured those slots had something to do with it, but I didn't see any sort of knobs for anything to latch on to. Of course, after I read your reply, I looked at the contactor again and now I see the knobs  I swear they weren't there a minute ago.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

erics37 said:


> I figured those slots had something to do with it, but I didn't see any sort of knobs for anything to latch on to. Of course, after I read your reply, I looked at the contactor again and now I see the knobs  I swear they weren't there a minute ago.


 
maybe you have smoke in your eyes?:whistling2::whistling2::laughing:


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

mcclary's electrical said:


> maybe you have smoke in your eyes?:whistling2::whistling2::laughing:


:laughing::laughing: "No no, it's um... oregano. It's a bag of oregano."


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

What Mcclary said.:thumbsup:


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

Side note, no "stacking again" is allowed any more. That was possible on really old versions (10 years is "really old" now) but not any longer.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

JRaef said:


> Side note, no "stacking again" is allowed any more. That was possible on really old versions (10 years is "really old" now) but not any longer.


 

I noticed the one in his picture is not even possible, but I've used a tonf of them 2 or 3 tall:whistling2:


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

mcclary's electrical said:


> I noticed the one in his picture is not even possible, but I've used a tonf of them 2 or 3 tall:whistling2:


I saw a Freedom series starter somewhere with 3 contacts stacked on it. I don't know how many it takes before the coil won't close but that's an interesting experiment to try.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

erics37 said:


> So I got a call from one of the dudes with a local Public Works department.....So instead of coming to us to repair/replace it, they took matters into their own hands and ordered the starter on their own.


Yeah that _never ever_ ends well.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

erics37 said:


> I saw a Freedom series starter somewhere with 3 contacts stacked on it. I don't know how many it takes before the coil won't close but that's an interesting experiment to try.


Age old chestnut:
*"Just because you can doesn't mean you should!"*

C-H Freedom Series manual states that the maximum number of CONTACTS, either on the top OR the side, is 4. That's _contacts_, not contact _blocks_.


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## lefleuron (May 22, 2010)

Do not feel bad about this at all, I go through it every week.

The purchase order people who buy all our parts buy whatever is cheapest that week. Unless you specifically order Square D number XXXXXXX who knows what you will get- or how it goes together.

One thing I have noticed- the cheaper it was to purchase, the harder it is to assemble.

Even square D with the "telemecanique" low dollar off shoot is some cheap Chtt, and more likely to break while mounting then burn out.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

lefleuron said:


> Do not feel bad about this at all, I go through it every week.
> 
> The purchase order people who buy all our parts buy whatever is cheapest that week. Unless you specifically order Square D number XXXXXXX who knows what you will get- or how it goes together.
> 
> ...


My dumbass supplier has the most difficult time figuring out that there is a difference between kindorf straps meant for EMT and kindorf straps meant for rigid. When they stock them on the shelves they just look at the number on the strap and throw them all in the same bin. So if I order a bunch of 3/4" EMT straps, and emphasize to them that *I want EMT straps. Not rigid, but EMT straps,* I still got a random mix-up of both kinds. It's a pain in the ass. I always have to sit there at the counter and tear apart my order checking everything.


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## Frank Mc (Nov 7, 2010)

lefleuron said:


> Do not feel bad about this at all, I go through it every week.
> 
> The purchase order people who buy all our parts buy whatever is cheapest that week. Unless you specifically order Square D number XXXXXXX who knows what you will get- or how it goes together.
> 
> ...


Dont know which telemecanique gear your using...But i have been using telemecanique gear for 20 years or more here in Oz and it sure aint cheap Chtt.....
Frank


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

lefleuron said:


> Do not feel bad about this at all, I go through it every week.
> 
> The purchase order people who buy all our parts buy whatever is cheapest that week. Unless you specifically order Square D number XXXXXXX who knows what you will get- or how it goes together.
> 
> ...


Telemechanique is one of the most expensive IEC control equipment on the market. They even still use some metal in their products. I prefer Siemens or Weg for all IEC devices.



erics37 said:


> My dumbass supplier has the most difficult time figuring out that there is a difference between kindorf straps meant for EMT and kindorf straps meant for rigid. When they stock them on the shelves they just look at the number on the strap and throw them all in the same bin. So if I order a bunch of 3/4" EMT straps, and emphasize to them that *I want EMT straps. Not rigid, but EMT straps,* I still got a random mix-up of both kinds. It's a pain in the ass. I always have to sit there at the counter and tear apart my order checking everything.


I would not know the difference either. Unless the EMT ones will not fit around the ridged pipe. 



Frank Mc said:


> Dont know which telemecanique gear your using...But i have been using telemecanique gear for 20 years or more here in Oz and it sure aint cheap Chtt.....
> Frank


Thats a fact.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

I must have missed the memo about Telemecanique becoming cheap chit. I see very few failures with their stuff.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

John Valdes said:


> I would not know the difference either. Unless the EMT ones will not fit around the ridged pipe.


The ones we usually get are stamped "EMT" or "Rigid" along with whatever trade size they're meant for.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

erics37 said:


> The ones we usually get are stamped "EMT" or "Rigid" along with whatever trade size they're meant for.


 
If you're ever in a pinch, and only need one or two, you can bend the rigid straps accross where they meet the kindorf at an angle of about 15 degrees. You now have a rigid strap that will tighten to fit emt.


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

mcclary's electrical said:


> If you're ever in a pinch, and only need one or two, you can bend the rigid straps accross where they meet the kindorf at an angle of about 15 degrees. You now have a rigid strap that will tighten to fit emt.


 I've done that a few times. 
What's great is when you have an order dropped an hour away from the nearest chicken house and you have a thousand straps of the wrong kind.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

erics37 said:


> The ones we usually get are stamped "EMT" or "Rigid" along with whatever trade size they're meant for.


Superstrut's gold anno steel ones are EMT/IMC/GRC. Once you get into stainless ones (and some manufactures steel ones) they start to be either EMT or IMC/GRC. It pisses me off too.


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