On Sat, 23 Jul 2016 19:52:21 -0500 BOB wrote: > I have worked on air compressors in industrial inviorment for over 45 yea= rs. The compressor I have is 25 litres, which is, I believe, around 6 or 7 gall= ons.=20 Not professional material at all. It has three functions=20 - power switch, which can be activated manually - The power switch is also activated when the compressor reaches it's max p= ressure - When the switch is activated by either action, it also releases the press= ion in the tubing, to avoid having too much pressure on the pump on restarting. As I mentioned in the original mail, the switch popped out by itself, reactivating the motor.=20 I was trying to determine _what_ was the cause... and yes, I found loads of offers on the net, and with the state_subsided mail from China, those things are _really_ cheap. Still, adding import taxes, the delay (30-60 days for 'free shipment'), and customs bureaucracy, the real cost is far from that. And the engineer in me wanted to know more ;-) So, yesterday I dismantled the switch, and found out that the pushbutton was supposed to have two 'stable' states: a circular arrangements of 8 plastic springs press on the button's axis and a pattern in its thickness provides positive in-or-out action.=20 I suspect that usage caused the springs to wear down, and the pressure wasn't enough anymore to keep the button down. The pressure wasn't even enough to keep the button in the switch. Anyway, I made a quick replacement in the lathe, and I'll be sure to put some grease to avoid wear. Thanks all! --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .