Troubleshoot Electric Motor Starters

Troubleshoot Electric Motor Starters

Troubleshoot Electric Motor Starters : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

Troubleshooting motor starters, especially electric ones, can be quite tricky. But if you are fairly experienced with motor work and want to learn how to do simple troubleshooting tasks, this article is for you. Read the tips below and see if you can do these yourself before heading off to the nearest service center or a servicing technician. This will save you some cash and the time and effort you would normally spend if you called somebody to check your motor. There is also a list of materials you will need for your initial inspection.

• Materials that you will need:
  • Safety goggles
  • Wire pliers
  • Screwdrivers, both Phillips and slotted
  • Volt-ohm meter
  • Emery cloth
• Putting on protective gear. As they always say, an ounce of prevention is a lot better than a pound of cure, so make sure you are wearing your protective gear, in this case, safety goggles. Remember that eyeglasses and sunglasses do not count. You really have to use safety goggles.
• Disconnecting the unit from power. Your next step is to remove all existing electrical connections. You can do this by removing the connection to your motor circuit. To check that there really is no power running through it, switch on your volt-ohm meter and attach it to the incoming power track. The meter should read 0 volts. Do not start any work if the reading is not 0, since you might electrocute yourself.
• Checking the screws. Your next step is to check all the terminals and their screws. The screws must be tight, and none should be loose. If one is loose, get your screwdriver and tighten it. Having a loose screw in your machine can be very dangerous. Check the condition of the wires, too, for anything burnt or discolored, since this is a sign of a malfunctioning wire. Replace the wires if there is any discoloration or anything similar. It is better to replace a doubtful wire than to have an accident later on.
• Checking the fuses. You can check the fuses by starting with the starter circuit of the motor. Check whether all wires lead to a closed circuit on all fuses. Normally there are two or three fuses, depending on the type of motor you have. Regardless, all of these should be part of a closed circuit. Check the wires and their conditions, too, as described earlier. Remember that an open circuit will eventually burn something.
• Checking for overloaded heaters. You should next check the surrounding parts of your motor, such as the mating surfaces, to see if they are already corroded or weak. You can remove the corroded metal by sanding it with an emery cloth. This is like sandpapering the surface and will get rid of the corroded metal surface. After sanding, it should be smooth and free of any discoloration. Overloaded sections are those that are colored purplish or blue. Look out for this type of discoloration in your motor.

If the improvements mentioned above do not help your motor, then you will need to bring it to the nearest service center to have an expert technician take a look at it.