CONTINUOUSWAVE

Q1: how can I shut off power to the IMTRA windlass control panel seen in Figure 1 below?



BACKSTORY

The IMTRA windlass control panel is always powered. A 70-Ampere circuit breaker [seen above in Figure 1] has a label 'PUSH ON PULL OFF."

If the 70-Ampere circuit breaker push button is pushed it, the button pops back, and then the button cannot be pulled out farther.

A new 70-Ampere circuit breaker (that I purchased) works the same way.

I want to be able to shut off power to the IMTRA windless control panel so I do not accidently hit it.

[Moderator's note: this TOPIC has been moved to the SMALL BOAT ELECTRICAL FORUM for discussion.

Better advice could be offered if you could supply the wiring schematic diagram for the windlass and its control panel. Without seeing exactly how the circuit is constructed, to offer advice about how to modify or improve the circuit is going to have very speculative value.

On a general basis, if a push-button-style circuit breaker is in the de-energized or fault condition, and if the mechanical control of the circuit breaker is moved from the OFF or TRIPPED or FAULT position to the ON position, if the fault condition that caused the circuit breaker to trip to the OFF off or FAULT condition still exists, the circuit breaker will repeat its intended function and trip OFF again.

If this situation occurs the only remedy is to locate the cause of the circuit breaker to trip OFF or to FAULT.

On a general basis, when a circuit breaker interrupts the current flowing in the circuit that is has been wired into as an over-current protection device, the cause of the circuit breaker interrupting the current is the amount of current that was flowing in the circuit exceeds the current rating of the circuit breaker.

ASIDE
A device that hauls or lowers an anchor line is a windlass. See: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windlass

A period in which there is no wind is described as being windless. See https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windless

Or a device that normally might need to be wound to operate but due to some change can be operated without winding can be said to be windless.

I took a stab at finding the switchplate pictured on Imtras website with no luck. However, with my less than 20-20 eyes it appears that the labels on the switchplate indicate "push on" and "push off" or perhaps "push on" and "pull off" Either way it seems rather obvious that Imtra is possibly using a circuit breaker for two purposes. On and Off, and overload protection. Just my guess....

Hello! The push/pull button on the right is a breaker.  Pull it out to turn it off.  

Thank you, I did not realize that you had to really pull it hard.

The apparent confusion over the STATE of the circuit breaker seems to have been caused by the operator being unable to determine that the FAULT or OFF position was never achieved due to failure to mechanically PULL OUT the button sufficiently far.

The result was the circuit breaker was NEVER in the OFF or FAULT or TRIPPED condition, and the power in the branch circuit that the circuit breaker was protecting--the windlass--was always on.


Now that is has become apparent, I have to ask:

Q3: does the lamp marked POWER illuminate when the circuit breaker is non-tripped off, which would be more or less continually during normal operation?

Q4: or, does the lamp marked POWER illuminate only then the rocker switch that controls the windlass is moved from OFF position to either the UP ARROW or the DOWN ARROW function?

Regarding using a circuit breaker in a secondary function as a CONTROL element in the electrical circuit: this is possible, but the manufacturer of the circuit breaker should be contacted to be certain that the device has been manufactured with that use in mind. Some circuit breaker are NOT design to be routinely and repeatedly mechanically activated into the OFF or FAULT or TRIPPED condition in order to function as a control in the electrical circuit. Such circuit breakers are only rated by the manufacturer for a limited number of cycles in which the circuit breaker will be mechanically forced into the OFF or FAULT or TRIPPED condition.

ASIDE
When including a photograph as an illustration in a technical topic, the photograph should be taken so that any LABEL of the switch that designates a FUNCTION or STATE as a result of the POSITION of the switch should be clearly seen in the photograph. In Figure 1 supplied by the topic originator, only one label associated with the switch position is visible.

Thanks to Imtra_Corp for joining this discussion and providing the needed information straight from the source.