Burned Out Switch?

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  • DMTNT
    Commander
    • Jun 2018
    • 297

    Burned Out Switch?

    Howdy All,

    This is primarily directed toward Mr. M, but I wanted to ask in front of the class. Today I decided to blow the dust off of Sneaky Jim and stretch her legs a little after being dormant for the winter, and discovered that the LPB was not activating on command. Everything else appeared to respond as expected. When I pulled the switch off the bulkhead, this is what I was met with:

    Click image for larger version

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ID:	137875

    My last run out with JC involved going for a brief swim, and there was some water ingested into the WTC. Did this guy short out? Kinda looks like it to me.


    Thanks in advance.
    Dead men tell no tales...
  • He Who Shall Not Be Named
    Moderator
    • Aug 2008
    • 12253

    #2
    Originally posted by DMTNT
    Howdy All,

    This is primarily directed toward Mr. M, but I wanted to ask in front of the class. Today I decided to blow the dust off of Sneaky Jim and stretch her legs a little after being dormant for the winter, and discovered that the LPB was not activating on command. Everything else appeared to respond as expected. When I pulled the switch off the bulkhead, this is what I was met with:

    Click image for larger version

Name:	GetAttachmentThumbnail.jpg
Views:	364
Size:	60.6 KB
ID:	137875

    My last run out with JC involved going for a brief swim, and there was some water ingested into the WTC. Did this guy short out? Kinda looks like it to me.


    Thanks in advance.
    Likely something shorted across the limit-switch pins and fried its contact elements. Maybe when the servo pushed the switch to the 'blow' position it pushed the switch pins into the aluminum tray? Get me your address and I'll send a complete limit-switch assembly to you.

    David
    Who is John Galt?

    Comment

    • DMTNT
      Commander
      • Jun 2018
      • 297

      #3
      Originally posted by He Who Shall Not Be Named

      Likely something shorted across the limit-switch pins and fried its contact elements. Maybe when the servo pushed the switch to the 'blow' position it pushed the switch pins into the aluminum tray? Get me your address and I'll send a complete limit-switch assembly to you.

      David
      I will have to take a look at that when I reassemble everything and see if there was any potential metal to metal contact in that area. I will report back to the group.

      Either way David, you are the man. Thank you!
      Dead men tell no tales...

      Comment

      • He Who Shall Not Be Named
        Moderator
        • Aug 2008
        • 12253

        #4
        Originally posted by DMTNT

        I will have to take a look at that when I reassemble everything and see if there was any potential metal to metal contact in that area. I will report back to the group.

        Either way David, you are the man. Thank you!
        In the interim I'll get a replacement limit-switch and its mount to you.

        David
        Who is John Galt?

        Comment

        • DMTNT
          Commander
          • Jun 2018
          • 297

          #5
          Thank you for the switch, David. I wired up the new one and unfortunately the LPB still won’t run when the switch closes. I need to test the motor contacts with a multimeter and see if that’s where the problem lies, as I’m suspecting it now does.

          David, what are the specs on that motor?

          Thanks in advance.
          Dead men tell no tales...

          Comment

          • He Who Shall Not Be Named
            Moderator
            • Aug 2008
            • 12253

            #6
            Originally posted by DMTNT
            Thank you for the switch, David. I wired up the new one and unfortunately the LPB still won’t run when the switch closes. I need to test the motor contacts with a multimeter and see if that’s where the problem lies, as I’m suspecting it now does.

            David, what are the specs on that motor?

            Thanks in advance.
            ****.

            6-volts, pulls about 250mA when pushing air, a bit more when choking on water. Put a 7.4-volt battery to the terminals. If it runs fine. If not rotate the motor by hand. If it jumps and starts-stops -- you might have a burned pad or two on the commutator. Bad JuJu. Let me know what you find and if need be I'll send you another.

            David

            Who is John Galt?

            Comment

            • DMTNT
              Commander
              • Jun 2018
              • 297

              #7
              Originally posted by He Who Shall Not Be Named

              ****.

              6-volts, pulls about 250mA when pushing air, a bit more when choking on water. Put a 7.4-volt battery to the terminals. If it runs fine. If not rotate the motor by hand. If it jumps and starts-stops -- you might have a burned pad or two on the commutator. Bad JuJu. Let me know what you find and if need be I'll send you another.

              David
              Roger that. At the moment, when you close the switch there’s zero response from the motor. All connections still seem ok - nothing broke loose. The ballast servo and all the other channels are working as they should. Standby for more info.
              Dead men tell no tales...

              Comment

              • DMTNT
                Commander
                • Jun 2018
                • 297

                #8
                Status Update: Looks like it's working again.

                Did a continuity check of the switch, which passed. Then checked that the motor was getting current, which it was. Then disassembled the pump assembly and tried the motor unloaded - and it ran. When it all went back together, it worked. Next step will be a final reassembly and test in the bathtub, but I'm encouraged. I think I might need to make the plastic "pusher plate" on the switch just a bit taller so that the servo hits it reliably, but other than that I think we might be back in business.

                Thanks again David for the help.

                -Brady
                Dead men tell no tales...

                Comment

                • He Who Shall Not Be Named
                  Moderator
                  • Aug 2008
                  • 12253

                  #9
                  My pleasure, sir.

                  David
                  Who is John Galt?

                  Comment

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