Neutrik powercon 32a for main power on a 50amp service?

[decoleur]

I am looking at setting up a two element panel with two pumps.
I want to be able to heat strike water independently from my HLT for 5 or 10g batches.

The neutrik powercon has an adapter that is rated at 32a RMS. http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/powercon/powercon-32-a/

If I have two 5500w running all out I think I am under 45 Amps but I am not sure about the draw for the pump(s).
I know that hosehead from breewtronix.com uses this connection and can be configured to do run two elements on what I think is a 50amp service but is this configuration pushing it?

Thoughts?
Thanks for your time.
-timur

 

[augiedoggy]

I am looking at setting up a two element panel with two pumps.
I want to be able to heat strike water independently from my HLT for 5 or 10g batches.

The neutrik powercon has an adapter that is rated at 32a RMS. http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/powercon/powercon-32-a/

If I have two 5500w running all out I think I am under 45 Amps but I am not sure about the draw for the pump(s).
I know that hosehead from breewtronix.com uses this connection and can be configured to do run two elements on what I think is a 50amp service but is this configuration pushing it?

Thoughts?
Thanks for your time.
-timur

What are you asking? if its ok to use a connector rated at 32amps for 50 amps? That answer would obviously be be no... are you wanting to unplug the main power cord from the panel for some reason here or are you asking about the connectors for each element ? If so yes those are more than enough.(5500w elements draw 22-23 amps in most cases)
if you really do plan on brewing back to back batches and need to run both elements at once plus a pump you would be looking at about 45-47 amps for that load if everything was at 100% power... I run 4500w elements and one of the benefits is they draw about 4amps less so I am able to run my pumps and rims at the same time as one of my 4500w elements on one 30A circuit. I dont spend 8-10 hours brewing multiple batches at a time so 50A isnt practical or needed for me in my setup. I use a simle 3 way switch controlling one of my two contactor relays (one for each element). This way I have no risk of accidentally turning both elements on at the same time.

I do use very similar speakon connectors for my 4500w elements with no issues except I went with the cheaper all plastic ones from mouser and they dont lock at all...

 

[decoleur]

Thanks for your response augiedoggy. My real question was what does the RMS mean. My breaker is 50 amps but not 50 RMS. What you said makes sense.

 

[augiedoggy]

Thanks for your response augiedoggy. My real question was what does the RMS mean. My breaker is 50 amps but not 50 RMS. What you said makes sense.

I cant remember the actual definition but rms is the real steady measured signal or voltage ... basically its the actual normal steady voltage going through the wire and not a voltage (or ampherage ) measured at peak for a split second or very short time.

RMS is used a lot in the audio world for speakers and amps... basically a cheap amplifier is advertised at peak wattage and good ones are normally advertized at real sustainable levels...(a 50 watt speaker can usually only handle around 25-35watts rms or it would blow. (A cheap 1000w car amp is usually only 4-500w rms at most)

That plug is rated at 32amps "RMS" because it was designed for audio connections... for practical reasons pertaining here its best to say rated at 32amps max sustained load for electrical use...

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

RMS was intended to provide a measure of 'average' current in an AC signal. The actual average would be zero, when considered as a perfect sinusoid, which isn't a useful number. So they square the instantaneous signal, do the average over a period (integrate), and then take the square root of the final answer. This represents the most likely current going through the conductor over any given time, regardless of the direction of said current.

In the case of a sine wave, its easy, and actually done for you. You think of a standard outlet as 120v, but if you measure it the sine wave has a peak amplitude of 170 or so. 120 is the RMS of that sine wave. 170/sqrt(2) = 120. The root(2) only works for sine waves.

I would be very hesitant to trust a connection designed for audio equipment at anything approaching (or exceeding!) its rating. I have a PhD in electromechanical engineering and normally play it pretty fast and loose with ratings (at least in home projects), but this one seems like a pretty bad idea. If the connector starts to fail, it could potentially start a fire depending on whats around it.

I use the tried and true 4 conductor twist-lock. They aren't as pricey as they used to be and I feel like a bad-ass plugging the giant plug in. Can't put a price on that.

 

[dyqik]

Thanks for your response augiedoggy. My real question was what does the RMS mean. My breaker is 50 amps but not 50 RMS. What you said makes sense.

The 50A current rating on your circuit is the RMS current, and 230V is the RMS voltage. AC power voltages and currents are always given as the RMS values. The power draw is averaged over the electrical cycle, so the average power draw is V_RMS x I_RMS. Your breaker is rated at 50 Amps RMS. You need to use connectors rated at 50 Amp RMS or higher.

See e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternating_current#Example

 

[augiedoggy]

FYI along with all the others who report using these connector whom which I have never seen report an issue I will mention again that I have been using the cheaper ones also rated for about 30a with my elements with no problems or sign of damage or wear for well over a year now...

there are a lot of other safe options for the 23a max load of a 5500w element... I used these $8 25a military/aviation style connectors on my latest build... http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-5mm-Dia-3...280?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4adbc34490
they are aluminum and screw on so not chance of coming unplugged... Nema connectors are pretty bulky by comparision for this type of application.

 

[decoleur]

Augie, BadWolf ,and dyqik thanks for the information/input. This has been really helpful. I find that the more context for the bad decisions I am trying to make the longer I keep my eyebrows.
Augiedoggy those connectors look bad a$$. How many builds have you completed now?

 

[augiedoggy]

Just my own and the second one I've jus about completed now which it only a two spent/2 pump control panel.