LW 450 ES compressor issues

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milkathecow

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Scuba Instructor
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Location
Mallorca - Illetas - balearic islands spain
hi everyone,

I have a major issue with my compressor... and the service on the island leads me to do it myself :).

first of all. when i start the compressor, the electrical panel on the side lights up at the bottom :
K6 : 1 red light
K 5: 2 lights then 1 light...

The motor doesn't shoot off, the vent doesn't start spinning and it does that gnnnnnnn sound of power not strong enough.

2nd problem, the water separators are supposed to be automatic, but don't launch even with the "blue" test button on the front. My only option was to open them and unscrew them to take the condensate out... which is going to Destroy my compressor if i continue like this.

Does anyone have any idea on how to solve that ?
 
Speaking as someone knowing nothing about your compressor other than what is obtainable online from the company's spec sheets I can offer two suggestions:

1) Check the power supplied to the compressor. If it is a 3-phase motor as the literature online says, there should be 3 "Line voltages", a neutral, and possibly a ground. You should have the same voltage between any 2 of the 3 lines, and the same voltage between each line and the neutral (and ground). If you're missing power on one line, many machines will have parts that function (your lights and controller perhaps) and some that don't (drain and vent systems). Since all 3 lines are needed to power the huge demands of the motor, it'll just hum when missing one. If it's not 3-phase the same rules could apply but in different configurations.

2) Unlike the most of us poor folk, you're apparently blessed with indicator lights. Check with the manufacturer and try to get someone in the product support/engineering who can decipher what the lights are telling you. Hopefully they can tell you where to start looking.

Good Luck!
 
hi angryJonE5, thanks for your msg.

well it's quite simple... i found it. i pressed on the K2 button... and i soldered the 3 phases together in the controller. which lead to not having the power as you stated.

after having blown the restaurant, bar, night club and center with my manipulation... i worked with a tester for the phases and figured it out with help of a friend over the phone...

Now obviously, today May 1st, everything closed... i just hope the electrical retailers tomorrow will not be doing the bridge week-end and be open so that i can get that part and finish solving my issues.

I still also have my water separators which are electrical and supposingly automatic which aren't working... well are not flushing the mix out, that's my second problem :).

I guess that once i'll have repaired all that i'll almost have a new compressor... 2 stages changed, 2 valves, 2 security valves, a part of the power block... o-rings and joints changed, i'm almost all on a new comp :(.

anyone want it when it's good and running ? :D
 
hi angryJonE5, thanks for your msg.

well it's quite simple... i found it.

Now obviously, today May 1st, everything closed...


anyone want it when it's good and running ? :D

If I can "find" it behind my shop in Palestine, TX I would take it in out of the rain. Perhaps you could "lose" it here.

Don't want to hijack a thread but perhaps you could educate an American on why it is obvious that everything is closed today?? What holiday is it?
 
Normally the condensate drains have two critical components.

1. Timer that actuates the drain every X minutes.
2. Solenoid valve or Servo valve that opens the drain when the timer commands.

In terms of the wiring there are normally some interconnects to the drain as well to ensure the drain closes when the compressor turns on, open when it turns off, and that the timer only runs when the compressor is on.

If the timer is broken you can replace it with a multifunction timer something like the 700HRF here:

Industrial Control - Bulletin 700-HR Dial Timing Relay

Replacement drain valves are also available if yours is no longer working.

Mat.

Mat.
 
scubadale, may 1st is closed in many parts of europe as being "labor day". now to tell you more i would basically go ahead into the wikipedia myself to get to the foundations of why they decided to make it a "shutdown" regime :).

Skippy, i'll have a look at all that... in any case i'm heading towards the option of repairing, checking, selling it for a coltri-sub 265l/mn for a start. then i'll probably add a 2nd one for a nitrox membrane or something later on.

scubadale, how's the diving around your place ? you have your dive shop or are you independant ? i'm affraid though it's a little far to ship it out else i'll leave the bill for shipping with it :wink:.
 
scubadale, may 1st is closed in many parts of europe as being "labor day". now to tell you more i would basically go ahead into the wikipedia myself to get to the foundations of why they decided to make it a "shutdown" regime :).


scubadale, how's the diving around your place ? you have your dive shop or are you independant ? i'm affraid though it's a little far to ship it out else i'll leave the bill for shipping with it :wink:.


Thanks for the info, our Labor Day is the first Monday in Sept. in the past everything was closed but not so much anymore.

Diving around here is 20-25 foot vis down to dive by feel. I just like being under so I can tolerate it. We drive anywhere from 100 - 300 miles (160 - 480 km) for ow checkout dives. Those dives are 40 foot vis on excellent days.

If I had to find the compressor with a bill for shipping it might be better for you to keep it.:( It does sound like you are very close to having it all in order to use.
 
that sounds like dives i would love :) why bother to drive so far when you have so little vis for OWD classes ? it's perfect no ? in lake geneva we used to dive on a 1 to 1 for owd's max 1 to 2 when vis was really good for checkout dives... but the vis was somewhat 6-7m (20ft) to feel also.
I feel the same as you... it's not the wonderful location which makes you dive... it's that feeling when you're under :). I actually miss fresh water... can't rinse my mouth in salt water, not super pleasant to drink when i'm thirsty down there. I have to go back home to switzerland to dive in winter on holiday to do so :D.

As for the comp, yes i managed to find that i blew a contactor yesterday... and i'm downtracking the failure for electro-valves so not far away... should be running by next week hopefully :).

I'll sell it around 2000€ i guess when it's fully in order again... for a 450L/mn worth 15'000€ it's pretty correct... but well, i need 2 comps by law if i want to do nitrox, so 1 450l/mn is not as good as 2x 215 ou 2x265L/mn to meet my needs.
 
Olivier, what is the basis for a two compressor requirement? Is a separate unit required for NITROX?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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