Electric Motor Tips
Maintenance: Proper maintenance and operation are the keys to getting the most from your
general purpose electric motors and other electrical equipment. You should schedule routine preventive maintenance procedures at regular intervals. Routine maintenance should include lubrication, cleaning the inside and outside of your motor, and electrical and mechanical testing. To be effective, each of these operations must be performed with accuracy and care.
Lubrication: To much lubrication is a major cause of premature motor failure. If to much grease is applied, it is eventually forced out of the bearing housings and begins dripping on motor windings and internal switches. In then attacks and destroys the insulation system.
To relubricate standard duty motors, follow the original manufacturer's specifications. Begin by
cleaning the grease fitting and removing the drain plug. The best time to lube a motor is while
it is at running temperature.Turn the motor shaft while installing lube to allow it to find it's "place"
rather then pack into the bearing and jam or "stick" the balls. Run the motor for a while before
installing the drain plug allowing the excess greace to purge out rather then leaking onto motor
insulation. Clean off extra lube. If the motor manufacturer's specifications are not available use
the following guide for lube replenishing. Note: If you can hear a ball bearing "squeal" then
the damage is already done and replacement, rather then lubrication, is the proper solution.
RPM Frame Range 8 Hr./ Day 24 Hr./ Day
3600 56 - 256 T 8 Months 4 Months
3600 284 T-286T 6 Months 2 Months
3600 384T-587T 4 Months 2 Months
3600 384T-587T 4 Months 2 Months
1800 56 - 256 T 1 Years 2 Years
1800 284T-326T 1 Years 18 Months
1800 364 -365T 1 Years 4 Months
1800 404T-449T 9 Months 3 Months
1800 505U-587U 6 Months 2 Months
1200 or Less 56 - 256T 3 Years 2 Years
1200 or Less 284 -326T 3 Years 18 Months
1200 or Less 364T-449T 1 Years 4 Months
1200 or Less 505U-587U 9 Months 3 Months
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Cleaning: It is very important that the air passages be kept clean so that the motor can dissipate
the heat it develops by circulating cool fresh air through it. With totally encloseed-fan cooled motors,it is also necessary to keep the cooling fins free of dirt and debris, because these motors
depend entirely on heat transfer through the fins to dissipate heat. To assure proper cooling, make
certain nothing prevents sufficient amounts of fresh air from reaching your motors Make sure that
your motor is not recirculation the same hot air it pushed out because it's vents are placed to close
to a wall or another motor and hot air can't escape.
Tape Your Connections: Water wreaks havoc with electricity. I've opened many motors that were filled with water, yet continued to function and not short simply because someone had wired the leads of a motor together and put electrical tape tightly around the nut, essentially making it watertight. I can't say how long some of these motors were in this condition, but water is the primary cause of death for industrial motors and industrial electrical connections. This may be of some importance to those who own protable generators (essentially motors in reverse), or compressors. Also, please take the time to check the integrity fo the seals on the "pecker heads" (a common term for where the wires are attatched to a motor).
Continuous Duty: Motors should not be used in applications that require frequent starting or reversing unless special provisions are made. These motors must be allowed to run long enough after each start to dissipate the heat that builds up from the "inrush" current (about six times the rated fill load current) that surges through the windings during the starting period.
Spare Motors: Having a spare motor can keep down time to a minimum especially for motors that are vital to your operation. Store your spare motor in a clean, dry area and rotate the shafts periodically to keep lubricant on the bearings.
Replace or Repair?- If you are thinking replacement, consider an energy-efficient motor for applications requiring near full output on continuous loads. The term energy-efficient covers a wide range of efficiencies so carefully check all of the manfacturer's actual ratings. How long can you be without this motor? If it's that critical to your operation, you should you get the new one and repair the old one for a spare. Repairing a motor often has advantages over replacement. Some adaptation costs can be high on special mounts so repairing the original motor can save these costs. In most cases, the insulation system in a rewound motor will have a higher temperature rating which will extend the life of the motor. Feel free to discuss any questions about electrical motors with us by calling 1-800-752-2581.
