Anyone have any experiences with these contactors. They come in an Lighting Control Panel that I have been installing in some box stores. They have been chattering. They have been installed correctly on my end, I have even taken them apart and put a little lube on them, and that helped for awhile. I just got word today that a store that we did not do caught on fire because of these contactors.

I asked about his once before HERE is the thread

Here is a cut sheet

The link to the other thread doesn't work and my server blocks your photo, but I'm going to assume you mean a TECO (not Telco), CN-18 contactor.

Teco are cheap IEC contactors made in Taiwan, they don't sell a lot here in the US. Their only claim to fame is being one of the cheapest on the market, you kind of get what you pay for.


Don't know where you would put "lube" in a contactor, but they should never need that. If they are chattering, it's usually one of three things:

1. Coil voltage is too low
2. Foreign object / material or rust on the pole face of the magnet armature.
3. Broken shading coil or other manufacturing defect.

If you have multiple failures and you are confident of the coil voltage (did you measure it WHILE the contactors are chattering?), then either they got dirty or corroded at wherever the LCPs were made (it happens), or you just experienced the "value" of the cheapest supplier. More profit for the LCP maker, more headaches for the guy in the field later (you in this case).

I would replace them with any other decent brand of IEC contactor that is at least that size (32A lighting load or AC-1). They should all be the same width (55mm) or smaller. For example an A-B #100C16*10 would be rated for 32A for lighting just like the Teco, but is only 45mm wide. Siemens, Cutler Hammer, Schneider (Telemecanique) even GE are all good brands. I would stay away from the Teco, Fuji (Automation Direct), LG/LS (or their multiple brand labels) or ABB products and anyone else that are just known as just being cheaper than everyone else.

* insert coil voltage code.

 

I have experience with the Teco/Westinghouse CN-18 contactors. In my opinion they are the worst contactors I've dealt with. Typical to see the coils melted. The panels they are mounted in are for lighting control at retail stores. I've had problems with them buzzing but not chattering, due to the coils. Some of the problems with these contactors aren't the contactor itself but the control board controlling them. Slow blow fuses that dont blow before melting down the coils and cause a fire. Ive addressed this problem with the Vender of the EMS panel and they dont give a @#$%^.

I've got close to 100 bad CN-18's on my truck and 10 or so bad control boards. The problems usually occur after a local power outage/surge. I would replace these with better contactors, but cannot due to corporate BS.

Bob