Compressor monitor?

[Phil S]

I keep forgetting to turn off my compressor. Mine happens to be 120 ft away from the shop so I tend to forget as I do not hear it - well not until it turns on at 2am. Anybody know of a monitor device I could add that would turn on a light by the door of my shop or better yet it could call my cell at 8 pm and tell me to go turn it off?

 

[manfre]

Mechanical timer to ensure it's off between 8pm and 8am.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Phil, put a light bulb in parallel with one of the switch legs if it's 240 or straddle the switch if it's 120. Switch enabled=light ON

 

[farmerbw]

Phil, hasn't someone posted in the past a means to tie the compressor circuit to a light switch so that when your shop lights are on the compressor circuit is hot and when they're off it's not? Or are they not on the same panel so that's not possible? I don't remember the specifics so maybe I'm remembering wrong. :eusa_thin

HTH,
Brian.

 

[Bas]

I asked the same question in this thread, and got some great ideas. I haven't actually done anything yet though. It's on my to-do list. Soon. Hopefully. Maybe.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I think Manfre's idea would be the simplest. Plug it into some type of timer and forget about it.

 

[Willemjm]

Mine is always on. Make sure you have no air leaks anywhere, if it maintains pressure it won't turn on.

 

[Phil S]

Mechanical timer to ensure it's off between 8pm and 8am.

A timer would work except then it would automatically turn back on at 8 am even if I do not need it on, plus a 240 volt 3 hp timer is rather pricey

Phil, put a light bulb in parallel with one of the switch legs if it's 240 or straddle the switch if it's 120. Switch enabled=light ON

That would work except I really do not want to run 120 feet of 14 gauge copper back to the shop

Mine is always on. Make sure you have no air leaks anywhere, if it maintains pressure it won't turn on.

In would also work great until a hose breaks or a seal fails and suddenly your compressor is running 24/7. Been there - happened when I was gone for a long weekend and I came home to a dead compressor.

I think I am going to work off of Joe's idea except I will put a 240v to 12v transformer across the input to the pressure switch and then connect it to a low voltage sign in the shop. I will pull a multi-conductor 18 gauge cable which will allow me to upgrade to remote on/off in the future

Thanks

 

[manfre]

What is a mull-conductor?

 

[Phil S]

What is a mull-conductor?

should have been multi

 

[Jeremy Scuteri]

In would also work great until a hose breaks or a seal fails and suddenly your compressor is running 24/7. Been there - happened when I was gone for a long weekend and I came home to a dead compressor.

What are the odds of that happening twice?

 

[manfre]

What are the odds of that happening twice?

Chances are zero (If you don't fix it after the first time)

 

[Gotcha6]

I'm not too keen on the timer idea either. Most of the timers on the market today are for water heaters & aren't capable of handling inductive loads. A contactor wired with the lights seems the most viable. That way the light switch wouldn't have to carry the load of the compressor.

 

[Joe Scharle]

I was just thinking of a run to the shop door! i.e. a 100w bulb mounted eye level on the casing.

 

[McRabbet]

I'd buy an inexpensive wireless remote 120 VAC outlet (like one used for Christmas tree lights or one like this) and use it with a 30 amp contactor with a 120 VAC coil (here is a good one similar to the one I'm using with my 5 HP cyclone) and you can easily turn the compressor on or off from your shop with a click of the wireless transmitter button. (If you are concerned with running a 120 V line out to the compressor, you can get a 24 V coil version of the contactor and add a 24 V doorbell transformer downstream from your remote outlet and use 2-conductor bell wire out to the contactor). The electric light bulb is another idea suggested by others, but you could also run a leg off your shop lighting circuit to the contactor coil and turn it off whenever you turn your shop lights off (convert to 24 volt if that is preferred).

 

[Phil S]

I'm not too keen on the timer idea either. Most of the timers on the market today are for water heaters & aren't capable of handling inductive loads. A contactor wired with the lights seems the most viable. That way the light switch wouldn't have to carry the load of the compressor.

A contactor at the compressor will allow for remote on/off and that is what I will eventually go with - coupling to my lights would be troublesome as they are on four separate circuits and from a different panel. For now I just need a reminder to go out to the garage and turn it off.

 

[Rob]

I would just like to have a red light at the door I leave, to remind me to turn off the compressor. 220v, so not even sure how to wire it.

 

[Phil S]

I was just thinking of a run to the shop door! i.e. a 100w bulb mounted eye level on the casing.

That would be good but my shop door is 100+ feet from my compressor. My compressor is located next to my main electrical panels in the garage at one end of the house and my shop is at the other end. I was going to move the compressor but I really like the fact that I never hear it running plus the 120 feet of one inch piping really adds to the storage capacity and cools the air to reduce the condensation. That is why I am looking for a low voltage solution.

Thanks

 

[buildintechie]

You could wire in a 12v transformer (something like a doorbell transformer) across one hot and the neutral (thus getting 120) then run some direct-bury 2 conductor telephone wire to a 12v light bulb you can pick up at radio shack.

I tied in a line at my panel to a 120v red light that I mounted just below my circuit panel....my compressor doesn't have a switch so I just flip the breaker. When its on...red light is on.

 

[junquecol]

My compressor stays on all the time, except for servicing. Yours cuts on because of a leak somewhere. It could be in your piping run, or the check valve at the compressor. Find the problem,. and fix it.Instead of killing the compressor, why not kill the air. Add a solenoid at the outlet of the compressor that is wired to light circuit in shop. This way when you want some "quick air" you don't have to wait for compressor to build up. I think Alan did this some time ago.