Schneider TeSys F · obsolete since 2023
Schneider LC1F Contactor Repair
Schneider's own guidance says TeSys F contactors cannot be repaired, and the range has been obsolete since 2023. We repair them anyway: contacts, pole carriers, coils and auxiliaries, on the frame that already fits your enclosure. Then we prove it on the bench and fly it back.
- FramesLC1F265–LC1F2100
- CoilsLX1F, AC and DC
- Turnaround2–5 workshop days
- Warranty24 months on overhauls
Repair, don't replace
Not repairable, according to the manufacturer
The TeSys F range is the high-current contactor in a large share of European-built machinery, standby generator sets and wind-turbine converter cabinets. Schneider made it obsolete in 2023 and points customers to TeSys Giga instead. Fitting a current-range contactor in place of an LC1F means an engineering change to the cabinet.
The LC1F wears in well-understood ways, and the frame itself doesn't wear. An overhaul replaces the wearing parts as a set: contacts, springs, the coil where it is marginal, auxiliaries and arc chutes where eroded. The contactor you send back already matches the enclosure, the busbar drilling and the controller. It is tested as a unit, not just checked for closing, and the results go on a certificate against its serial number.
On the smaller frames a new contactor can be the better answer. We'll tell you when that is the case.
- Same frame, same footprint, same terminations
- No engineering change to fit a different range
- Pick-up, drop-out and contact resistance proven per unit
Common faults
What wears on an LC1F
Eroded or welded contacts
The silver-alloy main contacts pit and erode until the poles run hot or weld shut. Arc damage can also burn the moving contacts and the pole carrier.
Tired springs
Contact springs lose pressure, which raises contact resistance and heating.
Coil failure
LX1F coils overheat in a warm cabinet or fail on a control-supply transient.
Chatter and hum
Debris or corrosion on the magnet faces, a damaged shading ring, a weak coil or a low control supply. The pick-up measurement points to which.
Intermittent auxiliaries
LA1 and LADN auxiliary blocks that feed the controller go intermittent long before the main poles fail.
Corrosion
Surface rust on drive shafts and mechanism parts in damp cabinets, cleaned and re-lubricated during the overhaul.
The overhaul
What we do to an LC1F
- Stripped to individual components; nothing cleaned in place
- Main contacts replaced or restored as complete sets, fixed and moving, with contact springs; alignment checked
- Pole carriers inspected for heat distortion and cracking, repaired or replaced from donor stock
- Arc chutes cleaned, replaced where cracked, eroded or tracked
- Coil resistance and insulation tested, magnet faces cleaned, shading rings checked, coil replaced where marginal
- Auxiliary blocks proven in every position, replaced where intermittent
- Mechanism cleaned and re-lubricated; terminations inspected
How it is tested
Pick-up voltage at the bottom of the coil's tolerance band, so it closes when the control supply sags. Drop-out voltage, so it releases when commanded. Operation at 85% coil voltage. Contact resistance per pole with a micro-ohmmeter, insulation resistance phase-to-ground and phase-to-phase, coil resistance, and repeated electrical and mechanical operations.
Case study
An arc-damaged LC1F780, restored in a week
An LC1F780 came to us from a repair company working in Denmark and the US after an arc-flash event. Carbon covered the pole assemblies, the contacts had welded together and one coil had failed. A new unit meant a long lead time on a discontinued part.
We broke it down to components, cleaned every part, separated and restored the contacts, replaced the coil, rebuilt and tested it. It was dispatched one week after it arrived, with the import and export paperwork handled at our end.
Coverage
Contactors we repair
| Range | Frames and main items |
|---|---|
| LC1F265, F330 | Contact sets and springs, LX1FH coils, arc chutes, auxiliary blocks |
| LC1F400, F500, F630 | Contact sets, LX1FJ / LX1FK coils, pole carriers from donor stock, arc chutes, terminations |
| LC1F780, F800, F1250 | Contact sets, LX1FL coils, pole carriers, magnet and shading rings, arc chutes |
| LC1F1400, F1700, F2100 | Full strip and rebuild: contact sets, coils, magnet assembly, terminations |
| ABB AF and A-series | AF116 to AF2650, A110 to A300. AF electronic coils fail on supply transients; older A-series frames wear their magnets and shading rings. Rebuilt with contact sets and coils. |
| Siemens 3RT / 3TF | 3RT1075 to 3RT1476 on newer plant, 3TF68 and 3TF69 on older plant, plus 3RH auxiliary blocks |
From your site and back
Turnaround, Express and exchange
Standard
About 3 days air freight each way and 2–5 working days in the workshop. Typically 8–11 working days door to door, plus customs clearance.
How it worksExpress
A 1–2 day workshop turnaround, about 7–8 working days door to door plus clearance.
Exchange units
We hold many tested units in the UK*, flown out the day a failure is reported if your frame is in stock.
Exchange unitsCustoms
DAP or DDP. We prepare the commercial invoice and the repair-and-return paperwork.
Shipping & customs*Subject to model and rating.
FAQ
LC1F contactor questions
Schneider says TeSys F can't be repaired. Can you really repair it?
Yes. Contacts, springs, pole carriers, coils, auxiliaries and arc chutes are all replaceable, and the frame doesn't wear. Our sample certificate is an LC1F780 with severe arc damage on one pole carrier, repaired and tested.
Our LC1F keeps welding. Will an overhaul fix it?
The overhaul replaces the welded contacts and any heat-damaged carriers. Repeated welding on the same duty points to the application: an undersized frame for the inrush, a coil supply that dips under load, or the wrong utilization category. The strip-down report will say so.
The contactor chatters or hums. Is it repairable?
Almost always. Debris on the magnet faces, a damaged shading ring or a weak coil are overhaul items. A low control supply is a site fault, and the pick-up measurement will point to it.
Can you hold exchange units for our fleet?
Yes. For fleet customers we hold overhauled units against your frame sizes and dispatch them the day a failure is reported. Exchange units.
Can you just sell us a contact kit or coil?
Where we hold it, yes. But new contacts on a unit with tired springs, a marginal coil and worn auxiliaries is a short-term fix. We'd rather overhaul and certify the whole contactor.
Send us the nameplate
A photo of the nameplate and the fault is enough for a first answer. We reply the same working day with a recommendation and a price for diagnosis and freight.