Information
Type: Adjustable Auto-Cycling
Vacuum: Electric Pump
Page: 9 of 11
Attach the Electrical Box
Parts used in this section:
Time:
Tools:
Wood screws #8 x 5/8"
Electrical Box
2 Romex connectors
5 minutes
Wrench or pliers
Screwdriver
Remove two of the "knockouts" from the electrical box to allow for the wiring of the unit. You can remove any two of these knockouts depending on where your wires are running. In this example, I removed the two that are at the far ends of the box.
Attach the romex connectors to the utility box where the knockouts were removed.
Attach the electrical box to the upright on the carrier with two to four wood screws as shown in the picture below.
If the pump you are using comes with a capacitor, now is good time to attach it to the carrier.
Wire the System
If you are soldering the wires to the vacuum controller, be careful not to damage the vacuum controller by over-heating the tabs. Here's the proper technique:
Allow the soldering iron to reach full heat before you begin. Then apply solder to the common and normally closed tabs. Next apply solder to the wire ends. Lastly, reheat the wire ends onto the tabs. This last step should not require any additional solder.
Or, if you opt to use crimp-on connectors, simply strip off 1/4" of insulation and insert the wire into the connector and crimp the plastic area of the connector with a pair of pliers.
There are several possible wiring options based on the type of vacuum pump you are using.
Situation #1: 110v Vacuum Pump Drawing Less Than 10 Amps You don't need an electronics degree to successfully wire the system. Follow the instructions below and your system will be sucking in no time. Ummm.... wait a minute. That didn't sound right. Well, just do it and you'll see what I mean.
Measure the distance between the vacuum controller and the electrical box. Add 6" to this measurement. Now cut this length from the A/C cord that will be used to power the system. You'll need this part in a few minutes.
Insert the remaining length of the A/C power cord into the utility box so there is 6" of wire available to connect to the rest of the system. You may have to strip back some of the outside insulation to have access to the wires.
Tighten the romex connector that holds the A/C power cord.
The pump and the Mac valve have non-polarized wiring which means that either of the two power wires coming out of these components can be used for the neutral side (thereby leaving the remaining wires for the "hot" side of the power). Pull one wire from the pump and one wire from the Mac valve into the utility box. Attach these two wires to the white (neutral line from the A/C power wire) with a wire nut.
Using the piece of A/C cord from step #1, attach one wire to the "common" tab on the vacuum controller. To get to this tab, you need to remove the plastic "lid" on the vacuum controller. See the animation above.
Attach the other wire from the A/C cord to the normally closed tab on the vacuum controller.
Insert the other end of this small section of the power cord into the utility box.
Pull up the remaining wire from the Mac valve and from the pump into the utility box and tighten the romex connector.
Attach one of the wires from the short section of the A/C power cord to the two wires in the step above. Insulate them with a wire nut.
Attach the remaining wire from the short section of the A/C power cord one of the terminals on the light switch (do not use the ground terminal).
Attach the black wire from the main A/C power cord to the remaining terminal on the light switch (again, do not use the ground terminal).
Attach the light switch to the utility box.
Attach the light switch plate to the utility box.
If your electrical cord comes with a ground wire, you can attach it first to the light switch on the electrical box. Then route it to the grounding screw on the pump (if the pump has one).
Capacitor Wiring:
If you've purchased a new Gast 5.5 CFM pump from VeneerSupplies.com, the capacitor is attached to the carrier with a small wood screw (not included). The capacitor is connected to the two brown wires. The remaining two wires are connected to the power.
If you've purchased a rebuilt Thomas vacuum pump from VeneerSupplies.com, please note that the black wires from the pump are connected to the capacitor. The other two wires (which should be brown/blue) are connected to the system as shown on the wiring diagram above. The capacitor can be mounted to the pump body with a wire tie. To attach the capacitor to the system, set the capacitor next to the wires that are going to the electrical box and put one or two wire ties around it to hold it all together.
Situation #2
If your vacuum pump draws more than 10 amps at start up, you will need a relay with a 120VAC coil and contacts rated for at least 30 amps @ 120VAC. The relay is available by clicking here.
There are only three differences between this wiring situation and the one shown above.
The vacuum controller is now controlling the Mac valve and relay instead of the Mac valve and pump.
The pump is now powered by the relay. The relay gets its power feed from the hot wire after the light switch (see the red wire shown below).
If you are using a vacuum pump that draws more than 15 amps, you will need to upgrade to a heavy duty light switch.
Please note, if you are using the relay from VeneerSupplies.com, the common terminal on the relay is marked with a #7 and the normally open terminal is marked with a #5.
Situation #3: 220V Vacuum Pump Drawing Less Than 4 Amps
Please note that due to the safety issues associated with 220v (high voltage) power, I do not support this type of configuration. Please consult your local electrician before building a 220v system.
Several surplus centers are offering inexpensive 220v pumps. But you have to ask yourself if it's worth saving $35 for the hazard of a system wired for 220v (assuming you have 220v available in your shop).
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