- Joined
- Sep 11, 2012
- Messages
- 329
Mr. Rick;
These heaters do not need to be tested. They are considered calibrated by the manufacturer as long as the correct heater for the application is utilized. As mentioned the "W" style heater contains a eutectic alloy (solder pot) as a part of the its assembly versus the older "N" style AB heater where the solder pot was a part of the starter itself.
When a heater trips it quite often spits a bit of solder when the spring loaded ratchet spins the core to release the trip mechanism. This in turn makes the heater easier to trip next time as there is not as much solder to melt anymore. Nuisance tripping. So the overload circuit is "recalibrated" so to speak by replacing the overload element (heater).
HTH