vacuum problem

[carwash1970]

I have a JE Adams vac that has stopped working. I have replaced the fuse, timer, coin switch and the wires that go from the coin switch to the timer. The vacuum still will not work? I have also tested to make sure that I was getting voltage to the vacuum. The wires that go to the vacuum motors all look good and have good contact. Not sure were to go from here. Any suggestions?

carwash1970

 

[Waxman]

what about the brushes?

 

[carwash1970]

OK - this is probably going to be called vacuum ignorance, but I have heard of vac brushes, but I have never changed one. How do I check this out?

carwash1970

 

[Waxman]

pop the dome off.

there are 2 motors in mine.

each has a plastic cover that pries off.

there are brushes inserted horizontally on each side of the windings.

take a pr. of needle nose pliers and bend the brass-looking tab down, then pull on it to remove the brush. inspect.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I think PC & D will be printing an article I wrote in the May issue about troubleshooting coin op vacs efficiently. You said the wires to the motors "Look Good" Have you tested to see if they are providing voltage to the motors after the proper # of coins are deposited? On a few occasions both motors are bad at the same time. (One usualy goes bad and the other shortly thereafter.

Sometimes you unknowingly replace a bad item with a bad item. Does the coin switch register continuity when tripped? Can you make contact to the coin switch terminals on the timer manualy with a jumper wire to see if you get power out of the timer? Do you have a 24 volt transformer and relay on this unit? If so is there power to the transformer? Is their power out of the transformer? When tripped is there power out of the relay if one exists?

 

[Randy]

The first thing you need to do is determine if you have 110 volts at the timer. If you do then jumper around the timer to start the motors, turn off the breaker and connect the 110 volt power directly to the motors. Turn on the breaker and see if both motors are running, this is an easy test to check the motors. If the motors are not running turn off the power and remove the plastic cover on top of the motor. There are many deferent type s of vacuum motors and they all have different types of brushes, it?s little more complicated than what Waxman said to do. I?ve found that most of time when the brushes go bad the armature is normally ruined from the excessive arcing of the brushes. If the motors run then you have a problem with your timer or coin switch. What kind of timer do you have installed? I always install a mercury relay between the timer and the motors. This takes the load off the timer and prevents damage to the timer if the brushes short out.

 

[crewchief97]

I had mercury relays in my vacs and the so called customers would beat repetedly on the vacs to slosh the mercury to make the vacs run. I installed electronic relays.

 

[MEP001]

I had mercury relays in my vacs and the so called customers would beat repetedly on the vacs to slosh the mercury to make the vacs run. I installed electronic relays.

The mercury relays I use (from Kleen-Rite) won't allow that to happen. The vacuum won't come on unless it's laid completely on its side. Perhaps yours weren't mounted completely upright.

 

[Randy]

Hey Carwash1970, did you get your vacuum problem figured out? What was the outcome?