Contactor/Relay for 50A 220V control?

Hey all, I'm nearing the finishing stages of my electric control panel build and I'm wanting to install a relay or contactor to act as a main shutoff on the control panel. I'm just not sure what I ought to use.

Basically I want the cheaper of the two that will serve well in it's role.

Can anyone tell me which one I should use, and where to get one? And how much I should expect to pay? I'm going to start cutting out the panel as soon as I get the SSRs for the PWM circuit arrive on the slow boat from Hong Kong.

The main source is 50A 220V, with each kettle getting a 30A feed.

You can use this one with a 120V pick coil Contactor, 2 pole 40 A, 120V Coil.
If you read the description it states - Resistive SMPS Rating 50A, 120-600VAC and would be well suited for a brew plan.

Alternately: Contactor, 2 pole 40 A, 240V coil would fit your needs for a 240V coil if that is part of your plan.
It is also rated Resistive SMPS Rating 50A, 240-600VAC.

Either one has a price of $18.65

Hope this helps.

P-J

Both are good prices (compared to the cost of some of the other items!), but which one would you recommend? I'm guessing that I could operate using either one, with the 120V version activating using one leg of the incoming 220? Sounds like 1 less wire.

Homercidal said:

Both are good prices (compared to the cost of some of the other items!), but which one would you recommend? I'm guessing that I could operate using either one, with the 120V version activating using one leg of the incoming 220? Sounds like 1 less wire.

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Exactly. The 120V version can be controlled with a 120V circuit & low power switches.

I believe it is a good plan.

Good info to know. Thanks.

You can also get a 3-pole contactor and use the third set of contacts as a latch, if you want to use a momentary on switch together with an E-stop.

Okay, fine...I'll drill ONE MORE HOLE in my control panel for a main on/off switch. What's an extra 50 bucks in stuff at this point? At least it will end the nagging voice in my head that kept saying, "maybe you should have added a master switch to the control panel..."

Naturally, it's completely redundant when I can just flip the breaker on the spa panel.

alien said:

Naturally, it's completely redundant when I can just flip the breaker on the spa panel.

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Ditto

alien said:

Naturally, it's completely redundant when I can just flip the breaker on the spa panel.

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True. But I'm for buttons and switches like some other brewers are for tri-clover fittings. Do we really need them? No.

LandoLincoln said:

True. But I'm for buttons and switches like some other brewers are for tri-clover fittings. Do we really need them? No.

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Exactly. Plus, I plan to make my brew rig capable of rolling out onto the soon-to-be-poured concrete area in front of my garage, making the distance to the breaker panel significantly farther than the control panel.

And who doesn't just love the feel of smacking an E-STOP with the palm of their hands when done with their job??!! :cross:

Also, I'm loving the illuminated buttons Auberins has. Need to factor in some of those too...