any recommendations,failure of single phase baldor motors

[cmawash]

have a string of baldor motors about 4 years old, appear not to have the quality construction of older motors, been failing at a alarming rate. Is there any recommendations for a higher quality ( usa made) motor. Grangers motors have a hit & miss quality issue also. advantage with grangers that there is a one year warrenty and you can buy an extended warrenty. granger rep also said there air compressors are being returned in groves due to very high failure rates. cant get 3 phase power so we use single phase power

 

[Greg Pack]

have you checked capacitors?

 

[Randy]

There are very few motors that are made in the US anymore, most are made in Mexico or China. Baldor motors have gone downhill in the last few years. We will no longer use a Baldor motor or motors made by Grainger, to many failures. I think Grainger motors are the worse ones on the market, we’ve had nothing but problems with them. We’ve had pretty good luck with Leeson motors.

 

[MEP001]

You can use a single-phase to 3-phase inverter and 3-phase motor for only a little more than the cost of a single-phase motor.

 

[cmawash]

that requires a motor generator, switching,. 3 phase is the best way to go, in some locations very expensive to get 3 phase installed. Just looking for good quality motors, prefer us made if their is such a thing any more. off shore products(china) generally very poorly made and a few dollars spent for quality parts are worth it, also agree with buy U.S. made to support economy

 

[MEP001]

that requires a motor generator, switching,. 3 phase is the best way to go, in some locations very expensive to get 3 phase installed. Just looking for good quality motors, prefer us made if their is such a thing any more. off shore products(china) generally very poorly made and a few dollars spent for quality parts are worth it, also agree with buy U.S. made to support economy

A VFD inverter is about $150-200 and replaces your existing contactor.

 

[pgrzes]

What you need motors??? I have a bunch of them, CHEAP!!!

 

[cmawash]

have over 50 motors in service, at 12 locations

 

[wash4me]

Sometimes you can replace capacitors or start switches to repair the single phase motors. As far as the vfd single to three phase inverters go that's a neat idea but it's going to cost more than $150. My 2 cents is just put back a single phase totally enclosed fan cooled motor with a 1.25 or greater service factor and hope for the best. If you do want a 3 phase motor and an inverter I am a Weg dealer. Weg offers a 3 year warranty if you buy both the inverter and motor at the same time.

 

[mjwalsh]

have over 50 motors in service, at 12 locations

cmawash,

We have honestly been blessed to have a really good 2nd generation motor sales & repair shop here locally. If you can locate a really good repair shop in your area ... I would definitely find out if the Baldors could be restored better than when they were originally manufactured ... which is not unheard of. If it is just capacitors going out the manufacturer may have skimped there possibly. Again ... a really good repair shop can help guide a person. In our specific case ... our Fluke 12 meter's capability of testing the mfds (microfarads) on a suspect capacitor has also proved to be helpful.

mike walsh http://kingkoin.com/USA_Deficit_Reduction.html

 

[mjwalsh]

Sometimes you can replace capacitors or start switches to repair the single phase motors. As far as the vfd single to three phase inverters go that's a neat idea but it's going to cost more than $150. My 2 cents is just put back a single phase totally enclosed fan cooled motor with a 1.25 or greater service factor and hope for the best. If you do want a 3 phase motor and an inverter I am a Weg dealer. Weg offers a 3 year warranty if you buy both the inverter and motor at the same time.

Wash4Me, cmawash, & others,

What should also be considered which may cost more is to possibly make sure the single phase VFD to 3 phase motor is done with a 3 phase motor that is classified & properly rated to work with VFDs. More than one engineer told me that there are distinct differences in the insulation within the motors. Having a VFD does open the door to further innovative controls such as what Tom Hoffman has done ... which in some cases a potential lower Hertz Speed could very likely prove to be too much for just any non inverter (VFD) rated 3 phase motor. One of the electrical engineers I visited with .... is also the "very much hands on" owner of the local motor sales & repair shop that I referred to my previous post.

mike walsh www.kingkoin.com

 

[wash4me]

Nearly all modern 3 phase motors that would be used on a Carwash pump are fine to use with a vfd. Even with an old motor the chance of failure is very low.

 

[MEP001]

Nearly all modern 3 phase motors that would be used on a Carwash pump are fine to use with a vfd. Even with an old motor the chance of failure is very low.

Right, and if you use a VFD just to supply power to the motor, especially if you're doing so to save on the cost of motors, it doesn't make any sense to spend more on an inverter-rated motor.

 

[JGinther]

Anyone looking into using a vfd for 3 phase generation from single phase feed, should not forget to oversize the VFD to 200%! (some less for some manufacturers...)