Special Switch?

I might be off the wall here, maybe somebody could double check me... Don't go taking this advice unless somebody double checks me... A compressor that small will most likely run the motor directly through the pressure switch, either switching both lines, or switching the hot, with the two presser switch terminal sets paralled to share the load. I think if you stuck a magnetic starter on the compressor, you could wire that up as you would for any motor, but feed the magnetic switch with the power currently exiting from your existing pressure switch (currently being sent to the motor). Send that switched power to the contactor, and then from the contactor straight to the motor.

The start button would start the motor (provided the tank is low, otherwise no need to start the motor), and when the pressure switch opens (tank full), it'll be an effective power outage, the starter will drop out and default to the failsafe positon, which is the off position.Until the tank is low and you hit the button again.

The override switch "should" be easy, if you're building a full on custom control. This way omits it, but it uses off the shelf, tried and true parts, exactly in the way they were meant to be used. An unconventional order, but the actual working in side the switches remains as designed. Other than that, it's really no different than what you're trying to do. I guess I just prefer components that are made for the exact job that they're doing, (evven if it's not the intended application), versus designing from scratch and iterating universal parts until it works. Latching relays do work though if you've got the right ones... It's certainly been done, and is fine. I'm not knocking that.

Food for thought I guess, until somebody more familiar can give that a thumbs up or thumbs down...

In the mean time... How much harder is it to patch up a couple of air leaks than it is to completely reengineer a new electromechanical control system for a semi-automaticly operating machine? Feel free to -not- answer that question, because I'll tell you right now that I'm not going to tell you how long it takes my air compressor to wake me up in the middle of the night if I forget to switch it off. :cool:
 
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@RJSakowski : I was hoping to make this without rewiring the compressor... Any way to do that? (Otherwise it is perfect!)

@Jake M : I did ask about a solution like that at the beginning but the consensus was this relay method (cost would have been similar) and no one suggested a magnetic starter so now I'm semi-committed to this method if it can be made to work... As for the air leaks … I have hunted them quite a bit, but it seems to always be the quick connects that are the worst offenders and I have not found any that are reliable at not leaking so this is the next best solution, especially considering the system is off way more than on.
 
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@RJSakowski : I was hoping to make this without rewiring the compressor... Any way to do that? (Otherwise it is perfect!)

@Jake M : I did ask about a solution like that at the beginning but the consensus was this relay method (cost would have been similar) and no one suggested a magnetic starter so now I'm semi-committed to this method if it can be made to work... As for the air leaks … I have hunted them quite a bit, but it seems to always be the quick connects that are the worst offenders and I have not found any that are reliable at not leaking so this is the next best solution, especially considering the system is off way more than on.
On most compressors, the presasure switch is separate from the compressor and tank, connected only by a pipe to the tank and the wire to the motor. The power mains come in at the pressure switch. It is a simple matter to remove the cove to install the additional wiring to the relay. Should you want to return the compressor to OEM configuration, just remove that wire.
 
Find another pressure switch to use with your relays.

We are typing as we are thinking...

Compressor stays STOCK NO MODIFICATIONS to electrical, we will tap off for air.

A new power cord goes into a box containing relay, button and pressure switch with a duplex outlet, assuming 120 vac.

Hose goes to compressor TANK, or hot side of compressor regulator, usually a fitting for this or a pressure gage, add a female quick connector here.

Your relay needs to be 2 pole, single position.

2 position works but not needed.

Most common relays are good for 10 amps.

If your compressor is smaller than this, fine.

If not, add a contactor or parallel second relay.

Parallel the coil connections and from the "C" and "NO" connections from pole a to both poles of second relay.

RELAY SOCKETS make things easy, if soldering to relays, use a terminal strip with wires soldered to relay and connected to terminal strip.

Here is wiring, simple.

New power cord goes into box.

The neutrals all connect together, (white)

Cord in, duplex outlet, one side of coil for relay coil.

Hot side of power cord goes to panel mount circuit breaker.

Next, it goes to the "C" terminals for both poles of the relay.

A wire from one of these terminals goes to the push button switch. "START/RUN" (Make contact on push)

Other terminal on START push button switch goes to the other coil (HOT) connection for relay.

The "NO" connection of pole "A" goes to the hot side of the duplex outlet.

The "NO" connection of pole "B" goes to the pressure switch.

Other side of pressure switch goes to a second push button. "STOP", (Break contact when pushed)

Other side of STOP switch goes to the coil hot TERMINAL.

HOW IT WORKS

The neutral is common to everything.

Circuit breaker is obvious, it needs to be correct size, as does the power cord.

The hot gets routed to the common connection of both poles of the relay.

Hot is routed to the START switch, pressing this provides power to the relay coil activating the relay.

One pole, A, provides switched power to the duplex outlet.

When the relay activates it connects C to NO providing power to the outlet.

Pole B provides power back to the relay coil to latch it.

This latching function is controlled by EITHER of 2 switches in series.

The pressure switch will open the circuit when it reaches pressure, this MUST be BELOW the compressor switch pressure.

The pressure switch connects to the quick connector added to tank pressure.

The STOP switch also will cause the latch to release.

A relay connected in parallel with POLE A will allow more current, but a motor starter would do this.

They already have START and STOP buttons and adding the pressure switch is a simple wiring change.

Plug compressor into wall to use all day, plug into this for one cycle per push.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 
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