Re: (ET) Circuit protection devices and wiring resistance

I'm somewhat confused here.Which over current / over temp device is opening? On the traction motor, or on the snow blower

?If it is the traction motor, which on of the two available is it? The large externally mounted Klixon® that causes everything including the Fuel Gauge to die when it opens, or the internally mounted in the field windings switch that causes to RTN relay to drop out when over temp has been achieved?

----- Original Message -----

From: Joel Parks

To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu

Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 9:02 PM

Subject: (ET) Circuit protection devices and wiring resistance

I have a question:

should I try harder to avoid popping the breaker on the snowblower?

I've had my E-15(HA) for 3 years now, and I didn't have to use the snowblower last winter as far as I recall - I used the dozer blade and that worked out fine. But I mounted the chains and hung the blower on Thursday night after I got home from work, because there was about 4 or 5 inches on the ground, another 2 or 3 falling, and another 6 or 8 in store for Sunday.

I had no trouble with the Thursday storm - I wasn't too aggressive pushing into the powder and the pile at the end of the driveway was not too heavy.  But Sunday when I headed out as the snow changed to rain, it seemed harder to find that balance between pushing too hard on the pedal (Alltrax / Curtis potbox) and the chute clogging. So I guess I over heated the protection device a few times - probably about 5 times in the course of an hour or so.

Is that bad for the system?

I'm guessing that I probably need to overhaul the electrical connections - my machine had not been stored indoors all its life when I got it, and even under the best of circumstances I guess the connections increase in resistance over time.  Should I replace the heavy-gauge wiring outright? Should I measure resistance of various segments and only replace the "problem" areas, defined somehow? Should I disassemble the connections, use emery cloth or wire brush, and Kopr-shield and reassemble?

Should I make an effort to calibrate the Amp-meter and then follow the "red-line" guidance offered by the meter? I'm sure the shunt resistance is too high, since full-speed up a medium incline on my lawn even without the mower running pegs the meter - I know I ought to replace at least that wire with the specified length and gauge (and measure the resistance to verify) so the meter is right. But would staying mostly out of the red-line zone reduce maintenance requirements over the long-term as well?

I guess I partly know the answer - increased resistance means lower voltage means higher current draw means higher wiring temperatures.   So ultimately I should be doing this service to reduce the resistance. But in the short term, will the protection device on the snowblower protect the motor sufficiently? Or should I always do my best to avoid popping it?

thanks,

Joel

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