Motor Repair

Motors are important components to hundreds of devices we use in daily life. This Fix-Information technology Guide on motor repair tells how a motor works, what often goes wrong, how to identify a motor problem, and what parts and tools you will demand to fix information technology. It then gives unproblematic pace-by-step instructions for how to test an appliance motor, how to service a motor'south drive mechanism, how to service a motor'southward gears, and how to service a motor's fan blades. Motor repair may be needed to complete electric saw repair, floor polisher repair, food grinder repair, power tool repair, slide projector repair, small appliance repair, and more.

How Does a Motor Work?

A motor turns electrical free energy into motility. Actually, it uses electricity's magnetism to concenter, then repel components to rotate a shaft. You can attach fan blades, knife blades, wheels, or a dozen other components to the shaft to make useful devices. To name a few: blender, cassette deck, CD role player, coffee grinder, reckoner fan, reckoner printer head, DVD player, electric can opener. . .you get the idea. These and hundreds of other functional gadgets rely on electric motors to give them motion.

Smaller appliances typically apply what's chosen a universal motor. Information technology's simple, efficient, and relatively inexpensive. Information technology's called "universal" because it tin run on either alternate current (Air-conditioning) or straight electric current (DC) power. The function that stands withal is called the stator and the rotating role is the rotor. It's as uncomplicated every bit that.

Some modest appliances use a variation chosen the shaded-pole motor. It works about the same as the universal motor, simply is less expensive to manufacture so it typically goes into lower-toll, low-load, modest appliances.

Larger appliances, as you can imagine, crave more power. Many use a split-stage induction motor to develop more than rotating power, chosen torque, than smaller motors can muster. Carve up-phase induction motors, too, accept stators and rotors.

Smaller things, such as battery-operated appliances and tools, get their power from DC batteries so they are fabricated to run on direct current. They don't have much move or torque, just they get the job washed in a pocket-size space.

Motor Repair

You can come across the commutator and the rotor within this motor from a variable-speed food mixer.

What's the deviation? Usually it's cost. Nearly manufacturers use the least expensive motor that does the chore. Fortunately, checking whether a motor runs or doesn't is most the aforementioned for any blazon of motor. Unless you're adventuresome, you probably won't dismantle a motor and supercede components. If it works, you lot'll use it; if not, y'all'll recycle it.

Many motors include a drive machinery of some blazon that transfers the shaft rotation to some other component. You can gear up or supersede drive mechanisms besides (run into below).

What Tin Go Wrong with a Motor?

Motor Repair

Turning on and off the motor'south brushes (left, top, and bottom) creates a magnetic field that makes the motor shaft rotate.

Though efficient, motors tin can piece of work against themselves. A small problem can become a large one chop-chop and, before long, the motor is damaged beyond repair. Fortunately, most motors will tell you–sometimes subtly, sometimes not–that they are having problems. Motors fire out and freeze upwards; they get noisy, overheat, and wobble.

Ready-It Tip

Hearing noises that may be a motor going out? Plough off the appliance immediately. It may exist something rubbing confronting the moving parts or it may be a problem in the motor itself. In either case, the faster you catch it the easier information technology will be to troubleshoot and ready information technology.

How Can I Identify a Motor Problem?

  • If gears on the motor shaft wobble, the bearings may be worn out or some of the moving parts may be misaligned.
  • If you run across sparks inside the motor, the rotor, stator, or brushes may be worn or damaged.
  • If you smell a balmy olfactory property of hot oil, metal, or plastic, the motor is overheating and may crave lubrication.
  • If you olfactory property a pungent, acid odor, the motor's windings may be damaged.
  • If the motor is too hot to touch, something may exist blocking ventilation around the motor.
  • If the motor makes a grinding racket, bearings may be worn out.

Fix-Information technology Tip

Parts inside a motor rotate, so they require lubrication to minimize friction. Some motors have holes on them marked oil where drops of lightweight oil can be added. Other motors accept difficult-plastic bearings that don't require lubrication but may eventually wear out later years of use. Check the owner's transmission for your apparatus to determine what regular service the motor requires.

What Practice I Need for Motor Repair?

If you take electric experience and some advanced tools, you may be able to repair a motor yourself. However, nigh consumers opt to test and, if necessary, replace the motor. You tin can purchase 1 through the apparatus's manufacturer or an aftermarket supplier.

Once you've disassembled the appliance (meet the appropriate Fix-It Guide), here are the tools you'll need to test an electric motor:

  • Screwdrivers
  • Wrenches (standard and hex)
  • Multimeter

What Are the Steps to Motor Repair?

Test an appliance motor:

  1. Motor Repair

    This hair dryer motor and fan can exist tested easily using a multimeter.

    Make sure that the power cord wires are disconnected from the motor. If it is easy to do, remove the motor from the apparatus, though motors can be tested in place.

  2. To test continuity (the flow of electricity) through the motor, prepare the multimeter on the RX1 (resistance times 1) calibration to measure out resistance (in ohms). The multimeter's internal battery volition send a small electrical electric current through the motor'due south wires.
  3. Adhere i of the multimeter's probes to the motor'south common pb, ordinarily white.
  4. Adhere the other probe in turn to each of the other wires on the motor. The probe will check to see if information technology can measure the multimeter'due south input signal at the output. A low or moderate reading (in ohms) means the component is okay. A zero or infinite reading ways the motor'south windings or another component has a brusque.
  5. If it tests faulty, supplant the motor with one of the same type, ability rating, and size.

Service a motor's drive machinery:

  1. Tighten the setscrew that attaches the pulley or collar to the shaft.
  2. Adjust the drive belt so it is non and so tight it wears out the shaft nor and then loose that it doesn't rotate with the pulley. If the belt is worn or damaged, replace it.
  3. Cheque and tighten or supplant whatsoever reduction or worm gears on the shaft. Gears typically come in pairs and should exist replaced as pairs.

Service a motor's gears:

  1. Disassemble the apparatus to access the motor's gears.
  2. Remove and audit gears for obvious damage or wear and replace as needed. Gears, particularly, are susceptible to damage considering many are fabricated of plastic that can interruption or scrap.
  3. Reassemble and test.

Service a motor'southward fan blades:

  1. Disassemble the appliance to admission the motor's fan bract.
  2. Remove, inspect, and repair the fan blades. If not repairable, damaged fan blades should be replaced because they can spin unbalanced and potentially damage the motor.
  3. Reassemble and exam.

Prepare-It Tip

Install a new motor or reinstall the old motor in the exact aforementioned fashion as information technology was removed, making certain that all wires are connected as they were originally.