Parts washer warning

[JC220]

About a year ago I purchased a 20 gallon parts washer from a local tool store.

It was SIP brand, not a cheapie. Although these darn things all come from China really!

Always worked a treat until yesterday. Happily washing 20 years of crud from my m113 injectors and BAM!! Lights out.

Out of the aide of my eye I could see the flash at the parts washer pump housing and it let the smoke out.

We run proper 240v here not that half USA juice so it was a proper bang. Probably could have got electrocuted given both my hands were in the machine if it weren't for the MCB, RCD and whatever modern consumer units I installed to my house a few years back. It cut the power the millisecond it shorted. (Plug fuse didn't even blow the house tripped first)

Now I actually look into the damn thing is it any wonder! I believe the fireworks show was actually the switch. Water dripping out of it, no waterproofing at all is it any wonder.



Check your parts washers people. They are probably all the same sub standard set up.

I am going to re-wire mine safely with proper waterproof glands etc and moving the switch well away from the machine. Probably adding an RCD plug too.

 

[JC220]

Update on this -

The pump was actually OK - I wired it up and got my GF to switch it on to test

(Joking!)

I purchased one of these plugs which has built in RCD protection ideal for a high risk appliance:



Fitted that, sealed the wires where the old unsealed switch was and I am just using this plug as a On / Off Switch now. The motor is just fine it was the switch that caused the mini explosion the last time.

So if any of you own a parts washer - do make sure you use some sort of RCD protection device and consider replacing or relocating the mains switch off of the appliance itself they are forking dangerous and probably all the same as mine was, especially given mine is a "name brand" SIP unit.