I Quit

More power ! Hurrr hurr hurrr . That bigger motor is going to run cooler and probably use less power than the 5 . I've got a 7.5 Hp OHV motor here to replace the 5 Hp side valve on my tiller when it finishes dying . I thought it had seized but it started right up the next day .

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:v66tt7$2so7t$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me...

I'm sure you are all tired of the saga of the built to "a" spec Ingersol Rand compressor from Craptor Supply. The one that killed its own motor in a year. The one others have reported catching on fire. The one I've concluded only worked as long as it did because the thermal protector had to be defective or disabled in the original motor. (Which is probably why some caught on fire.) The one that tripped the thermal constantly on one replacement motor, and the breaker and/or thermal on the other. The one I've been keeping running with an under sized motor pulley. Never mind the debacle with the after market warranty company, or the repair shop who reported the repair complete without ever visiting my shop. Even with a much smaller pulley it still trips the thermal protector from time to time. Mostly because I think it has to run longer when it cycles on with the smaller pulley, and when I have several machines running, all of which use air for various things, it has to cycle on more often.

Mostly I can get by for now. In the last few months I've only had the thermal trip on me 4-5 times and I run the shop every day. Still sometimes I run complex operations which can be several hundred lines of code on a single tool. This gives me the opportunity to run an errand or go in the house for lunch. It would cost me more than the cost of a compressor if an ISO20 quick change spindle air seal fails and sucks coolant up inside the head as it cools down. Okay the odds of that are slim, but it keeps me up at night anyway.

I had decided to bring my dad's compressor to my shop and keep the IR as just a backup. They are functionally similar except the IR has a 5HP motor and the one at my dad's shop has a 7.5. Well, that is still the plan, but those compressors are heavy and I don't have anything out at my dad's shop (60 miles away) to practically lift his compressor to load it into my truck or even onto my low trailer. Oh, I am sure there is a chain fall out there, and there is an old a-frame laying out back, but his shop is a quonset hut. No beams. The a-frame will eventually get moved to my shop, but its freaking heavy. I don't even think I can stand it up without the help of a lift. I know I used it in my youth to pull more than a couple V-8 engines. Scooting it on concrete when its on its pads takes a little effort unloaded, and with a big block 360 hanging from it a bit more effort. Standing it up in the dirt and dragging it around... Anyway. It will get done eventually, but not today or tomorrow. When I do I'll probably trailer my tractor out there to do the job with its loader bucket.

I just ordered a 7.5 HP compressor duty motor for the IR. IR actually sells a very similar compressor with a 7.5 HP motor on it at about 3.5 times the price of this one. Then, since I already know all the parts, I ordered a new hub for the original pulley to fit the 1-1/8 shaft on the new motor.

I quit screwing around with those 5HP motors. Now I have not one, but two unused single phase 230V "5HP" spare motors. Maybe I'll make a couple big belt grinders for erasing the bumpy spots on mountains. If I make a belt grinder or three, which is part of my planned projects, I plan to use 3 phase motors for speed control, so not really with those

------------------------------------- Aircompressorsdirect gives 611 Lbs for a 7.5HP IR.

Just swap the motors??

Or remove the motor and compressor head from the tank, which also makes transport safer and easier.

I have plenty of portable ways to move heavy stuff but none are quick and simple. They were cheap before prices more than doubled. A truck bed crane works well if you can mount its base, the Ranger has conveniently located bed bolts with their heads up. I bought the low one without a winch, regretted it, and and modified it like this:

Another way which I used to load and transport a garden tractor is to pull it up ramps with a chain hoist hooked to the front crossbar of a ladder rack. I tested my DIY diagonally braced ladder rack to a pull from the rear of 750 Lbs per side.

An A frame of 2" pipe, conduit or fence posts with its lower pivots mounted to the trailer sides should do it. I bolted a pair of rope cleats to a leg and use two block/tackles to swing the A, since I can slip one rope while pulling on the other, and control the sudden weight shift at top center better than with two separate electric or manual winches.

I considered doing that when Snag and I were discussing logging, but the logs to be dragged out of the undergrowth and boulders were always in the woods to the side of the trailer, not behind it where the tractor would anchor the winch.

Yesterday I proof tested my upgraded overhead gantry to 3500 Lbs and lifted and moved a log weighing 4500 Lbs, which I'll have to narrow and lighten by slabbing with a chainsaw before lifting it onto the sawmill. Today I'm repairing the damage to the tripod baseplates from that lift.

At Segway I ordered this Vestil lift from Northern Tool so I wouldn't suffer the heavy lifting accident that created the job opening I filled.

I considered that, but I want both compressors 100% or what's the point of having a backup.

I can haul heavy stuff. Its just time consuming, plus the 2 hours (+/-) of road time. Also, its going to take time to move one compressor in and the other out. I am considering an "outdoor" compressor closet, and plumb in both compressors together. Just have valves to shut one off from the distribution lines and only turn on one or the other.

That might actually be faster than a swap, and down time would be much less too.

Might see about some sort of transfer switch so I can't accidentally turn them both on at once.

It would be nice to get the compressor noise out of the back shop.

I considered that, but I want both compressors 100% or what's the point of having a backup.

I can haul heavy stuff. Its just time consuming, plus the 2 hours (+/-) of road time. Also, its going to take time to move one compressor in and the other out. I am considering an "outdoor" compressor closet, and plumb in both compressors together. Just have valves to shut one off from the distribution lines and only turn on one or the other.

That might actually be faster than a swap, and down time would be much less too.

Might see about some sort of transfer switch so I can't accidentally turn them both on at once.

It would be nice to get the compressor noise out of the back shop.

Bob La Londe

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Check valves in the lines and a double throw power switch (3 ph fwd/rev) would give you those features automatically, and you could omit the valves.

Can someone explain gladhands to me? I'm wondering if they would be better than the garden hose couplers I use to flexibly connect and reconfigure my

Though not a perfect fit or pressure seal, a 3/4" PVC pipe plug will keep dirt and bugs out of a disconnected female hose end.

If I could get all the tiny little losses eliminated I'd be tempted to use both tanks for air storage, and just periodically switch which compressor fills them. Then even if a compressor failed it would carry the air seals for hours.

I also considered some sort of auto backup. The easy way would be to set the backup compressor to switch on at a lower pressure, but there are a number of small issues that could cause both compressors to run at the same time. That's power I do not always have. I never intended to have a working machine shop. This was just supposed to be a warehouse for my contracting business. I only have a 100 amp sub panel feeding everything. I know. I know. Upgrade the sub panel. The house only has a 200 amp main, and my wife wants to run electric demand heaters. I'll have to upgrade the house main first.

Can you set up a relay lockout that whichever compressor is running will cut power to the other ? An "or" gate type setup .

If I could get all the tiny little losses eliminated I'd be tempted to use both tanks for air storage, and just periodically switch which compressor fills them. Then even if a compressor failed it would carry the air seals for hours.

I also considered some sort of auto backup. The easy way would be to set the backup compressor to switch on at a lower pressure, but there are a number of small issues that could cause both compressors to run at the same time. That's power I do not always have. I never intended to have a working machine shop. This was just supposed to be a warehouse for my contracting business. I only have a 100 amp sub panel feeding everything. I know. I know. Upgrade the sub panel. The house only has a 200 amp main, and my wife wants to run electric demand heaters. I'll have to upgrade the house main first. Bob La Londe

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I have one of these on my refrigerator as part of a plan to add load sensing to a true sine UPS with high idle current draw. It powers itself from the current sense coil, whose output lights the red LED and turns on the output MOSFET.

Can you set up a relay lockout that whichever compressor is running will cut power to the other ? An "or" gate type setup .

My understanding of logic circuits is rudimentary at best . Kinda reminds me of algebra . It made my head hurt too .

My understanding of logic circuits is rudimentary at best . Kinda reminds me of algebra . It made my head hurt too . Snag

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That's fine, I posted because Net searching is like magic, you have to use the correct words.

RESURGITE! (Arise!)

Here are some of the terms and concepts of relay control logic. Hopefully I didn't confuse anything, I'm nearly as old enough to be President so writing this was a memory test.

Latching Relays have an internal magnet that retains the energized position until a pulse of opposite DC polarity overrides the magnet and returns the relay to de-energized. Thus they remember their On or Off state through a power loss and could select which of two compressors to use. Non-latching relays in pairs can also remember their state as long as they remain powered.

Relay "Form"

Controls commonly operate from a 24VAC "control transformer", check the coil voltage as well as contact rating when buying surplus.

Ladder logic.

All wires are labeled at both ends with Brady number markers, otherwise hopeless confusion is inevitable. Numbering instead of color coding saves on wire cost. The standard for General Motors equipment was 16 AWG or larger, too strong for ham-handed or disgruntled union workers to "accidentally" break. The incoming power line is L1, L2, L3 with numerical prefixes added when they pass through a breaker, fuse etc, so 1L1, 2L1, 3L1.

The wire is stranded MTW, Machine Tool Wire, with pull-tested crimp lugs on the ends. Ring terminals are safer, forks more convenient. Stranded wire resists vibration better than solid. To run wires onto a hinged control box door, the bundle runs vertically along the hinge side to minimize flexing.

Relays can be lined up in a tight row on DIN rail with space between rows for the wire harness. The red button operates the relay manually for testing. A separate back panel spaced out from the back of the enclosure simplifies drilling and bolting. Greenlee sells a 1-7/32" punch for standard sized panel controls and indicators, should you stumble onto a surplus batch of them.

Current Transformer

If I could get all the tiny little losses eliminated I'd be tempted to use both tanks for air storage, and just periodically switch which compressor fills them. Then even if a compressor failed it would carry the air seals for hours.

I also considered some sort of auto backup. The easy way would be to set the backup compressor to switch on at a lower pressure, but there are a number of small issues that could cause both compressors to run at the same time. That's power I do not always have. ... Bob La Londe

---------------------------- The circuit in a Quick Recovery electric water heater does almost what you want. The upper thermostat is double throw, when cold it selects the upper element until the top part of the tank reaches the set temperature, then switches power to the lower element and its on/off thermostat to heat the whole tank. For two air compressors you would need a double throw pressure switch for the lower setting.

Well... I thought my new motor had already been shipped, but they JUST printed the shipping label. It won't actually ship until this week.

I only thought to look because I needed to order some stuff from McMaster-Carr, and found I had not completed the order with the new pulley hub for the new motor... which will now ship sometime this week.

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Single phase. I've been looking for a reasonably priced 3 phase double throw contactor rated for over 40A. Maybe two solid state relays (SSR) operated by a small double throw relay would be better for your XOR air compressor configuration. A DPDT center off switch could select which compressor runs when the pressure is low, or shut both off. The water heater circuit won't automatically revert to the high pressure compressor if the low pressure one fails, otherwise it should provide backup and enable only one at a time as you asked.

The simplest version has the control relay coil in parallel with the LP compressor motor and its NC contacts operating a single throw contactor or SSR to the HP compressor. This retains the single throw pressure switches and uses the relay for the logical inversion. Swapping main and backup compressors requires rewiring them, unless you have a DPDT switch rated for the motor current. I don't know your exact needs, priorities or intentions so I've given multiple possibilities.

I used this to power the time delay relay and SSR on my 120V/240V spot welder timer.

I got the new 7.5HP motor installed on the IR compressor today. The pulley hub for the larger motor shaft and the motor both arrived yesterday. Wow! Yeah I think it should have always had a 7.5HP motor on it. After installation I vented the tank until the motor kicked on, and it filled fast. Faster than the original motor with the same pulley. The compressor must have been dragging down the 5HP motors a little bit all along. I'm still bring the compressor from my dad's shop and setting the two of them up together so I can quickly swap compressors, but this is so much better I no longer feel the urge to hurry.

I got the new 7.5HP motor installed on the IR compressor today. The pulley hub for the larger motor shaft and the motor both arrived yesterday. Wow! Yeah I think it should have always had a 7.5HP motor on it. After installation I vented the tank until the motor kicked on, and it filled fast. Faster than the original motor with the same pulley. The compressor must have been dragging down the 5HP motors a little bit all along. I'm still bring the compressor from my dad's shop and setting the two of them up together so I can quickly swap compressors, but this is so much better I no longer feel the urge to hurry. Bob La Londe

---------------------------------- Congrats, another problem successfully solved.

My 80 gallon compressor is in a corner of my crowded shop and needs to be muscled out to work on it. A wider wooden base that lets it slide rather than tip helps a lot. I don't have a pallet jack or room to use one, but if I did a small pallet might be a good base for it.

The sad part is if they had used a 7.5HP motor to begin with and priced it accordingly it would have been an actual good deal, instead of a fake good deal.

The sad part is if they had used a 7.5HP motor to begin with and priced it accordingly it would have been an actual good deal, instead of a fake good deal. Bob La Londe

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Be happy you weren't cursed to spend your career in Marketing.

I actually took a class in marketing in college. I concluded marketing was just a bunch of made up buzzwords and cockamamie "theories" to sell advertising. Yeah, I also took a class on advertising. It had some real buzz words and theories to sell advertising. Very little was about the effectiveness of advertising.

When business is good you need to advertise. When business is bad you need to advertise. When you discover advertising and marketing firms just want your money and if they bleed you to bankruptcy they just laugh you need to advertise.

When you discover that the advertising firms wrote the text books you should take out a huge debilitating loan to attend more classes.

You should tell customers who need low turn rate or low margin items to f*ck off and buy it somewhere else. Oh, wait. That was basic survey of business where they introduced that concept. Its no wonder brick and mortar stores selling substantial products have been dropping like flies for the last 30-40 years. In the same classes they will tell you small businesses can compete by providing better service... Wait? What?

I need some Dot 3 brake fluid. Year, make and model please.

You should buy local. Okay I need this today. We can get that for you.

Sorry about the rant, but "We can get it for you," is the death knell of retail. Okay... I'm done now.