Packard C240B Packard Contactor 2 Pole 40 Amps 120 Coil Voltage

It does exactly what it was supposed to do. When 120v AC power it put through the "sides" of the contactor it closes and connects the circuit. My dust collector draws, according the manual, 20 amps on start up and runs at 15. However my local test claims 20 through out. It does not trip the 20amp circuit breaker. Before noting this and reading well enough I tried a remote control outlet to switch it on and off. Fried it instantly. I was very disappointed. So I got a heavy duty one for a dust collect and it also fried instantly. Turned out the heavy duty was good for 15 amps. That was the reason that I checked it out much more thoroughly. At 40 amps this was capable of carrying so much more than was needed I knew it would burn out. Tis was used to produce a remote controlled dust collector switch. I used the "Woods 32555 Outdoor Remote Control Outlet Converter Kit" as the remote control and the switching element. The remote had a little ring on it that make it easy to add a carabiner. It also had a short cord which normally I think I would have found annoying but for this application was perfect. Add a 25' 12 gauge extension cord and a 6' very cheap green christmas light extension cord and I was all set. Well I also used standard 1/4" blade connectors from Home Depot. < $3 for a pack of 30 I think... I needed 7 total because I messed one up. I cut about 8" off of the end of the cord, was connected to the "sides" of the contactor and then "plugged" into the remote. I used the power cable from the remote receiver/socket to connect to the same side of the contactor as the power-in from the extension cord. So it is powered whenever the cord is plugged in whether the contactor is engaged or not. Then power out from the contact goes to the rest of the 12 gauge extension cord. While the above explanation is perhaps not a review of just the contactor itself it might prove valuable to some. So let me summarize it a bit. I am not an electrician but I was able to do all of this construction in about 30 total minutes. The contactor was very made and very easy to deal with. The fit and finish were perfect for what I was doing. This is switched on and off dozens of times a day over the last 3 months, probably a 1000 total cycles by now, and everything is working perfectly. I would highly recommend this for any type of application or problem like I have having.

I bought several of these to use with zwave switches to automate the hot water heaters. Havn;t gotten around to that but just used the first one of these to control a new Salt chlorinator on the pool. It worked perfectly and if your wire size exceeds what you feel safe putting a solderless connector on, the spades on the contact point can be removed and the screws used. No issues installing, Coil is nice and strong and contacts have a nice solid, satisfying click when activated.

I used this to build a smart water heater timer/controller. I had an older mechanical water heater timer, that had failed after many years of reliable use. I wanted to add a smart controller to this, but there does not seem to be one that is ready made for this purpose. I decided to try one of these smart relay switches to control a contactor which controls the power to the water heater. I installed the smart relay switch, a 220v 40a contactor w/110v coil, and a terminal strip into the same box the old mechanical timer was in, and it works like a charm. Now I can add timers using the smart app, and also use voice control with my Amazon echo to turn the water off and on. It would be nice if someone made one of these complete and ready to install. But it's nice that I could build this for under $35. That's about half of what the mechanical timer would have cost to replace, and not I have smart control of it.

Worked fine for a while, now I makes an awful noise and I have to reset multiple times.

I was looking to buy a Contactor to switch my electric water heater on and off depending on the on/off-peak hours from my electric company and it has been holding up great after 5 months of switching 4 times a day during the weekdays for a total of 616 on/off cycles! It is a heavy duty, well-made product; I wouldn't be surprised if it will last me many more years of use. I actually bought a 2nd one to install at my parent's place and theirs is going strong too. It has already saved me over $100 over the months that I've used it! Overall, this was a no-brainer purchase for me; I just wish that I have bought it sooner.

This model requires 120 (with neutral) to switch and 220/240 power to pass through. Has a good solid (not quiet) sound when clamping down and engaging, so you know when it is working. I used this to create my own relay for pool pumps, spa heaters, water heaters, etc along with insteon switches for home automation purposes. It works very well for this, costs much less than an insteon 240 relay, has higher amperage capacity, and is much more reliable.

Excellent solution to remotely control (and use an automatic schedule) an electric 240V hot water heater with an added benefit of now having a manual switch at the heater. Even better is the cheap solution only cost $16 for the contactor, a recuperated power cord, and a salvaged electrical enclosure (this one from a well water pump starter). You could just add a switch (or pull the plug) if you don't need the smart control (this one is a $21 YoLink however there are many others available). Unlike some other reviews, this unit has a solid click when engaged, no chatter, and absolutely no steady-state hum or buzz. Unlike some other similar products' comments, this one is truly a 2 pole. Easy to wire, the 120V goes to the side spades (neutral/hot wires can be connected on either side), however I would suggest using the lugs and not the spades for your 240V load as most applications would be high current.