Troubleshooting Electric Motors

Solving an Electric Motor problem proactively on your own or troubleshooting an electric motor can save you a lot of money and time. If the problem if small it is better to solve it on your own, but if the problem turns out to be severe, then there are always repair shops available to repair them. Troubleshooting contains some steps that you should keep in mind:

1. If your electric motor is giving you a problem, then the first step would be to test what the problem is. An ohmmeter or a test lamp can be used to do the testing. This way you will know whether your motor can be repaired or has to be replaced.
2. Put on your safety glasses to start the process.
3. Now read carefully the motor’s nameplate and verify whether it is a low-voltage 115-volt motor, a 230-volt motor, a three-phase 230-volt or high-voltage 480-volt motor. This will help you to find out the amount of power leads that the motor possess.
4. Now when you have determined the power leads, it is time to do the technical stuff. Take away the plastic wire connectors and turn the volt ohm meter to the ohm setting. The meter should read OL (open lead) or zero ohms.
5. Now test each motor lead by touching one lead to the case of the motor. The motor is bad if the recitation of any ohms is observed and you have a direct short in the motor windings. The main thing to know is that the three phase motors have large resistance reading i.e. 20 megaohms range or larger. This is fine or is a sign that the bearings are going bad.
6. The last step is to take off the capacitor from its housing. Switch on the volt ohm meter to volts and cautiously tap to the exposed leads of the capacitor. If voltage is examined, then the capacitor still holds a charge. Holding the leads of the meter to the capacitor should confirm it discharging. Carry on till zero voltage is examined on the meter.

By following these steps, one can easily troubleshoot an Electric Motor. The only thing is to be carefully, use precautions and maintain extreme safety.