[KUXJ]

You guys are going to love this.

Basements getting humid.
I go down to check why Dehumidifier isn't kicking on.
No matter where I set Humidistat it won't go on, yes its plugged in.

I'm a curious kind of guy so I pull the cover, and looked it over to check the obvious, then get my trusty Triplett 630-A, start doin' continuity checks, I was getting infinite resistance from the humidistat, I checked the voltage going to it and found 143 volts, we've always been high here.

I checked on the web, and found a replacement for $38.95+7.99 for shipping, two others were $50+ ship.. parts are not in stock, 2week backorder.

I call two Local suppliers $52+ship 1week back... So...

What I did was, hooked a regular light switch to the humidistat leads, made sure it was off then plugged it back in, flipped the switch back on, an lo an behold it started running, its been running for 5 maybe 6hours now, and the switch, and where I have it plugged in are running cool. No heat.
Plus it's doing the job it was intended for, dehumidifying.

As you can see by the pix, there are three ratings

• Full
• Locked
• Resistive

Full I'm not too worried 'bout, Resistive would be in the variability of the humidistat, but the lock is in case the motor shaft locks, right? And if that's the case, then it'll trip the breaker?

I also feel that since the light switch is allowing full current to go through, then its acting as if the humidistat is turned the whole way up. Right? Wrong?

Now for my question.. Is there any inherent danger in doing this, until I get a new switch?

My DW is aware of this situation. We have no children. One cat. Wire used to make connections from unit leads to switch 12AWG. Connections are insulated and taped, switch is in U/L approved box and attached to the side of cabinet.

Thoughts?

K

[tkrussell]

Sticking my nose in the forum I don't often check.

Your reading the component in the photo wrong. It is a contactor and those are the max ratings. You right on Locked Rotor load, if a motor shaft is locked , but again that is the max rating of the contacts. As is the full load and resistive, resistive being the opposite of a motor load, AKA called inductive load.

I really don't get what was done with the switch, a diagram would help.

Doesn't the 143 volts concern you? Does me. Something is seriously wrong in the electric system to see 143 volts. Bad connection, breaker, panel, cable, so many places this can be.

[KUXJ]

Hi! tkrussell

Your reading the component in the photo wrong. It is a contactor and those are the max ratings. You right on Locked Rotor load, if a motor shaft is locked , but again that is the max rating of the contacts. As is the full load and resistive, resistive being the opposite of a motor load, AKA called inductive load.

Okay I'll have to bone up on that

I really don't get what was done with the switch, a diagram would help.

The one in the pix was swapped out for a interior wall switch. I have the tech sheet but its too big to upload at 4Meg, I'm going to try and shrink it.

Doesn't the 143 volts concern you? Does me. Something is seriously wrong in the electric system to see 143 volts. Bad connection, breaker, panel, cable, so many places this can be.

When we first moved in, we kept blowin' lightbulbs, then I found out from a neighbor 'bout the high voltage. He told me to get bulbs rated at 130v and it slowed down the blowouts. But I will check an see what's up. Do you think those new meter's that send your usage back to PPL have anything to do with it?

[tkrussell]

So you replaced the contactor in the photo with a switch? That makes sense, as a contactor is a switch operated by a magnetic coil. The coil is burnt out from the high voltage.

Using 130 volt lamps is a band-aid masking the fact of the high voltage.

No a utility meter does not affect the voltage.

This needs to be checked out and corrected quickly. Why you have not had other problems, I do not know.

[KUXJ]

S
This needs to be checked out and corrected quickly. Why you have not had other problems, I do not know.

Called people This morning at 124am edt said they send someone out to check

[KUXJ]

Called ppl This morning at 124am edt said they send someone out to check

They did have a crew out this morn at 6am their side looks good 120v/200A

What do you mean by:

• Bad connection...Just Loose? Nothng crossed?
  
• Breakers...panel...cable, all new in '92
  
• Have re-tightened all connections at panel every
  other year since, which means...yep! time to do it again!
  
• This includes the wall switches and sockets, right?

Whewww... Glad I'm retired now :)

[KUXJ]

Well the problem solved itself, as long as I stayed out of the way! :o

When I read the volt meter the graduations went from 100 to 150, and I counted 10 grads.
I then went into auto-pilot an thought each grad meant a value of 10, instead of five.

Took more readings this morning and found the needle either rested right over the 4th grad (120V) or a third of the way to the fifth grad or (125V) giving me 'bout 123V.
I seem to remember a computer saying; S*** in, S***out :rolleyes:

So I'm looking okay.

Called an 'lectrician friend of my brother, and he helped me catch my error. Also told me house Voltage should be between 108 an 125V. He laughed when I told him what I did, and it would be okay for now, but I really need to get the new humidistat.

The pix's show the "new" switch I'm using, and I sent along the tech sheets for the unit.
It's a little hard to see because of the corrosion, but in the lower half of the top pix (wiring diagram)where it says Humidistat. That's where I swapped out the switches.

I know the tech sheet says1162714, but the part # for this Sears Kelvenator Dehumidifier is 106.953411 unit is approx. 14yrs old.

Hope this helps anyone down the road.

k