the new breaker made a difference but the compressor ultimately didn't start and blew the same 3A 250V fuse. The difference is there was a lot more energy in it trying to start up.

I talked with a restoration compatriot earlier today and he gave me the name of his electrician. I talked with him, sent him a lot of pics of components in the system, he will be able to come down next week.

Going through the manual I found this gem. When the compressor was installed, it took half a day and the technician had a laptop connected to it to configure it. I only have 204V 3 phase though.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1729721453.jpg

I don't recall you mentioning a 3A fuse previously, where's that located?

It's this fuse here. Sometime after I got the compressor it stopped working. Still under warranty, it took the Atlas Copco technician several hours, with a laptop attached to the compressor, to figure out it needed this fuse which I went out and got at Home Depot.

I don't remember why it blew and what they did to make sure it didn't again. But it has been now.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1729769076.jpg

For reference

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1729769521.jpg

Atlas Copco G5, right? I'm still not clear as to whether you have the 240V 1 phase, or 208/240/480 3 phase unit. In looking at the manual, they mention the electrical diagram being inside the cover or on a USB drive furnished with the unit, do you have that? If I could take a look at the diagram, I could tell you what the fuse is for.

Yes, it's a G5FF. I'm only meauring 204V across live terminals and 117V live to ground.

No diagram inside any cover but here are 4 wiring diagrams from the USB drive. I haven't looked closely at each but F2 and F3 caught my eye on the 4th diagram, just off center to lower right a little.

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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1729771862.jpg

Post up a picture of the tag that looks like this.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1729773344.JPG

Here you go.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1729773818.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1729773818.jpg

I believe diagram 2205034700 applies to your compressor.

Fuse F2 is protecting the 24VAC control circuits. Possible reasons for high current blowing fuse:

A relay coil (K7/K21) is shorted internally
A solenoid (Y1) is shorted internally
A wire is chafed and shorted to ground, looks like all 12/24VAC control wiring may be purple
Not sure if you have the optional tank drain, or what that consists of, but it could be a problem

I would look for chafed wiring first, especially the tank drain if you have that, as being underneath the tank (I assume) would be the most susceptible to damage while moving. Then install a new fuse, push in the emergency stop button (S3) and power it up. If the fuse doesn't blow, you know that the problem is in the circuit to the right of S3 on the diagram. If it blows, it's something to the left of S3 on the diagram.

Report back.

Thank you! I have a tank drain but it's a separate unit. I will go through this at lunch time today and report back.

If the tank drain is a stand alone unit and not connected as shown on the diagram, it's not the problem.

Anyone want to guess what the real problem was? Most likely anyway.

I just got it to start up.

Tank was pressurized and the system was overloading trying to push against the head pressure?

If that was the problem, then he has a failed relief valve. The compressor never starts under load when functioning properly.

I would guess the problem, but I don't think I saw the symptom list.

And it could have been two problems, either one or the other or both combined.

One of my customers called me yesterday checking on his parts (side note, I never get to have cool cars in the shop, just parts from them, he was checking if the hood prop rod for a real Shelby Cobra had made it safely in the move...) another thread on the rod itself someday, anyway, he was an aerospace electrical engineer and we got to talking and he didn't like deleting the neutral, which was the existing wiring in the switch box that I connected to. He also didn't like the gauge wiring going to that box, too small.

So I hooked up my wiring (so glad I pulled that out) just as it had been in my box. Red and black to the 3 pole breaker, white to neutral, green to ground in the cabinet. Plugged the white into the L receptacle in the outlet, plugged in the 208V to 230V transformer that I left hardwired to the compressor, new fuse, hit start and voilà, compressor started right up and ran perfectly, filled up, turned off, let air out, kicked back on, did that for a few cycles with hard on and off starts for good measure.

Now I just have to figure out where to put the compressor but I can finally work again.

So it could have either been the 30A sized wiring going to the switchbox was too small or how it was wired in the breaker box and the switch box, or a combination of the two.

Thank you everyone for all the time and attention and expertise into this problem, I greatly appreciate the help.

Had an electrician (2 together actually) come in a few days ago. One guy was sort of the salesman electrician and the other the guy who knew what he was doing. We mapped out what would go where and wiring.

Compressor
hot water heater
kitchen oven for fans & housings
washer and dryer

all on the same wall right next to the breaker box. I'm supplying the wire for the dryer/oven, have a good length of 4 gauge for them. They will share the same outlet since I will never be baking Cerakote and drying polishing fleece blankets at the same time.

I asked for a quote. First just got texted $2600. That was annoying. Asked for a breakout. Got this email. I guess breakout is subjective.

Scope of Work

Penetrate panel and wall next to panel to allow installation of 1” EMT and Flex (PANEL IS LIVE)
Install supports (thin strut) along concrete wall (hammer drill and concrete anchors)
Install 1” EMT conduit along concrete wall to junction box
Mount and install buck/boost transformer (provided by customer) for air compressor system
Wire buck/boost transformer and compressor system
Continue out of Jbox with 1/2” EMT
Mount second box and install single receptacle for washer and service switch for hot water heater.

Wire hot water heater
Install THHN in flex (provided by customer) for Dryer
Install dryer outlet and mulberry cover
Cut all new circuitry into panel
Test all installed devices and equipment

2 guys 1 day

Material- $1,000

Labor- $1600 (Travel expenses included)

Total- $2600

Is it me or does this sound expensive? and it's a one guy job. Two guys will only be getting in each other's way or doing nothing while the other works. They are putting in breakers and wiring for compressor (8 gauge) and washing machine and water heater and some outlets. The buck boost transformer is already done.

I post this up because I'm a very easy mark when it comes to professionals. But to me this 3 hours of actual work and some wire, outlets and breakers.

Or maybe I'm out of line. What do you think?

How much money are you losing everyday not being able to work on customers items? You are a small businessman and you know what it takes to cover your expenses every day. Electricians are the same. Not getting rich off this job. Get it done and move forward.

I am working, everything works, I just need to organize the shop.

I think its more than 3 hrs. They're budgeting a full 8 hr day at $100/hr per guy. The hourly isn't unreasonable, whether 2 guys or one is subjective. It's probably more than one guy could do in a single day, and a little light for 2 so ...
Materials cost appears high for what they're doing if its all within say 8-10 ft.

Shawn if you're opening up walls and hot water heater, SMARTEST thing I ever did during a master bath remodel was plumb in a Hot Water Outside Hose Bib. SO NICE to wash your car with hot water.

https://www.amazon.com/Woodford-V22CP-4-MH/dp/B008B6H3NC/ref=asc_df_B008B6H3NC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw= g&hvrand=12408293838033151649&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqm t=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033391&hv targid=pla-2281435178378&psc=1&mcid=40fc9902e11a3988b881bda76 efa661f&hvocijid=12408293838033151649-B008B6H3NC-&hvexpln=73

Thanks Greg. Here's what sticks in my craw.

It may be longer than 3 hours but I don't see much more having done the same work at my old shop. I'd have had this done by now if the panel had been 208V single phase as I thought. The 3 phase wrench thrown in may be coming out so I can just do it. Apparently you just use 2 pole breakers according to them. We'll see.

they are basically running my existing metal sheathed 4 gauge from the box along the wall terminating in a dryer outlet.

Running 1" conduit along the wall for the water heater and washing machine. I have 200ft of 10 gauge for them to use

They will have to run about 6ft of 8 gauge for the air compressor.

So I'd be happy with $400 of materials $1000 is blatantly padding.

If they had come back with $1600 with parts & labor and travel time broken out, it would be a no-brainer. The vagueness, 2 guys (which really does seem strange to me... it's almost as though the salesman electrician wants to get paid while the real electrician works) and very high parts pricing just sets me off.

And I told them this is just phase 1, we talked about other projects I need done. But this just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

That is a really good idea, thanks. They only have to drill through a small divider "nook" wall right next to the box so no drilling on outside walls. But I can see plumbing a spigot off the water heater C&H to attach a hose to. I can do my own plumbing easily enough, had a lot of copper off my compressor to a secondary tank and then off that to meet up with the Rapid Air system. Thanks for the idea!

It's really nice being on the first floor.

They're taking a 10 foot length of unistrut, cutting it up, hammer drilling holes, setting anchors, mounting the unistrut pieces, then installing conduit clamps. With the planning, measuring and work, that's a few hours by itself. Just for the wall supports.

How many breakers? Looks like a squareD 3 pole is pushing $100 each. Metal conduit isn't cheap, nor fun to work with.

Did the second guy quote yet?

Second guy? Only a team of 2 guys came down. I'd get a second quote but just going to do it myself.

2 breakers and only need 2 pole. The 60A 3 pole squareD I got was $66. I'm assuming they would get them for $30 to $40 and upcharge but not to $100 each. Or maybe they would.

In what way is metal conduit not fun to work with?

I bent 1.5" and 1" to make a shelter years ago. It's not hard to bend. Getting the welded 12x12' frames down from the second floor, over a fence and in position. That was not fun.

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If you enjoy it... and have the bender.....do the grunt work yourself, then find an electrician to make the connections.

^^^ good advice.

A 2 pole 60A square D breaker is $25 BTW. $25.