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Noisy contactor coil
- Thread starter tomjelly
- Start date
- Replies 8
- Views 2,425
atomarc
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2009
- Location
- Eureka, CA
No..it isn't a voltage issue, it's dirty or worn or out of alignment. Blow it out with compressed air and give it a shot of WD40. There is a mating surface on the two halves of the laminated plunger and its mate that need to align and seat well or else it'll buzz and vibrate.
Stuart
Stuart
It's likely that the magnetic pole faces are surface rusted, or dirty.
On GE starters, you can easily unclip the coil and upper magnet, by lifting up on the coil terminals and moving away from the coil. Remove the upper pole magnet and coil to inspect the surfaces. Should be clean, smooth and dry.
If rusty, remove the pole pieces, and polish them on some 400 grit paper, on a flat surface. Do not coat the faces with oil, blow off well and reassemble. Clean the starter and enclosure of any loose magnetic materials.
SAF Ω
On GE starters, you can easily unclip the coil and upper magnet, by lifting up on the coil terminals and moving away from the coil. Remove the upper pole magnet and coil to inspect the surfaces. Should be clean, smooth and dry.
If rusty, remove the pole pieces, and polish them on some 400 grit paper, on a flat surface. Do not coat the faces with oil, blow off well and reassemble. Clean the starter and enclosure of any loose magnetic materials.
SAF Ω
Jraef
Titanium
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2004
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
It's also quite common for bugs to craw in there and get squashed when you energize it, then the dead bug carcass is left behind causing the pole faces to not meet.
It CAN be voltage, but the 131V is not that high for 120V, so if the coil is for 120V I would not expect a voltage issue. (if the coil were for real 110V, 131V could be high and might make noise)
Might be loose laminations, or a dirty pole piece as suggested.
Might be loose laminations, or a dirty pole piece as suggested.
TDegenhart
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2011
- Location
- Geneva Illinois USA
Is your contactor a vertical lift, a clapper or a horizontal action?
Tom
Tom
rons
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
- Location
- California, USA
Using Wd-40 is not a good thing to do for the long haul. Might wash away some dirt and initiate some de-rust reaction. But the residue will attract more dirt later. WD-40 is only good for garden rakes and shears.
