View Full Version : Single phase vs three phase
Craig Brna
Feb 18, 2010, 12:24 PM
Can you switch the rotation on a single phase motor?
letmetellu
Feb 18, 2010, 12:42 PM
On a single phase motor it has to be wired at the factory to be reversed.
If the motor can be reversed it will have four wires coming out of the motor and two of these wires will be connected together, and the other two wires will be connected. These wires will be colored like orange and yellow and purple and gray. (This is just an example. To reverse the motor you switch the way the four wires are connected. But you have to be very careful that you put the right colors together. If it is a new motor the wiring diagram should be on the side of the motor.
There is one exception. If you can take the armature out of the motor and switch ends with the armature and then put it back together, this will reverse the motor. If you do this make sure that the wires coming our of the motor do not get in the way of a fan or something.
On a three phase motor you change any two of the three wires connected to the motor and it will reverse.
KISS
Feb 18, 2010, 06:26 PM
It depends largely on the type of motor and whether the motor's wires allows it to be reversed. Wiring diagrams are usually located in a small junction box on the motor for induction motors. Even if all the wires are black, there should be letters and numbers on it e.g.T5.
Synchronous and PSC motors are reversed differently.