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    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Jan 12, 2010, 05:08 PM
    Wiring electric motors
    Ac motor has a white, a black, and a blue wire. What is the blue wire for?
    unluckynut's Avatar
    unluckynut Posts: 294, Reputation: 23
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    #2

    Jan 12, 2010, 07:25 PM

    Need more info
    stanfortyman's Avatar
    stanfortyman Posts: 5,598, Reputation: 279
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    #3

    Jan 12, 2010, 07:29 PM

    There should be a wiring diagram on the motor plate.
    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #4

    Jan 12, 2010, 08:01 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by stanfortyman View Post
    There should be a wiring diagram on the motor plate.
    There is absolutely no writing at all on the motor. There's a little Japanese scribble on the capacitor and that's it.
    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #5

    Jan 12, 2010, 08:03 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by unluckynut View Post
    need more info
    Wish I had more info, but that's all I can supply. I have not run across a motor before with the blue wire.
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
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    #6

    Jan 12, 2010, 08:16 PM

    Could be a second speed. Like white/black speed #1, white/blue speed#2

    Or blue could be for a capacitor. What's the resistance of the windings? i.e. combinations.

    What's the application?
    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #7

    Jan 13, 2010, 03:41 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid View Post
    Could be a second speed. like white/black speed #1, white/blue speed#2

    Or blue could be for a capacitor. What's the resistance of the windings? i.e. combinations.

    What's the application?
    Sounds like some possibilities to try. The capacitor is already connected in the circuit. I think the motor came from a piece of equipment, maybe a grinder or drill press. Unsure. I'll check the resistance on the windings. Thanks for your input.
    Stratmando's Avatar
    Stratmando Posts: 11,188, Reputation: 508
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    #8

    Jan 13, 2010, 05:39 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by lifeseeker47 View Post
    Wish I had more info, but that's all I can supply. I have not run across a motor before with the blue wire.
    So you have No Idea what this motor is for. Is it not working?
    You need another speed?
    Needs to work on a Different Voltage?
    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #9

    Jan 13, 2010, 10:16 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Stratmando View Post
    So you have No Idea what this motor is for. Is it not working?
    You need another speed?
    Needs to work on a Different Voltage?
    I believe that it came off a grinder. After checking the resistance, which another guy asked if I had done, I found that I was reading infinite resistance on the plug in. That always sounds like a broken winding or a loose wire. Found that it had a broken wire in the windings. Fortunately, it was on top and close to the lead in wires. After soldering it back together, I ran through the usual "swap the wires around" until I finally came up with a running solution. The white and blue wires tie together and go to one lead in wire. The black wire hooks to the other lead in wire. Now I have a screaming little "grinder" motor or whatever use I need it for. Thanks for the info everyone. It solved my problem.
    Stratmando's Avatar
    Stratmando Posts: 11,188, Reputation: 508
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    #10

    Jan 13, 2010, 04:07 PM

    Good Deal.
    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #11

    Jan 13, 2010, 08:08 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by Stratmando View Post
    Good Deal.
    Well, I thought that too, until I let it run a while. Then that awful smell started, followed by the smoke. Now I'm back to square one. Oh well...
    Stratmando's Avatar
    Stratmando Posts: 11,188, Reputation: 508
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    #12

    Jan 14, 2010, 06:04 AM

    When you said this, "Now I have a screaming little "grinder" motor or whatever use I need it for".
    I was thinking "Screaming" in not always a good thing for a motor.
    You learned something.
    Sorry to hear, take care.
    I had this thought in the back of my mind
    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #13

    Jan 14, 2010, 08:51 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Stratmando View Post
    When you said this, "Now I have a screaming little "grinder" motor or whatever use I need it for".
    I was thinking "Screaming" in not alway a good thing for a motor.
    You learned something.
    Sorry to hear, take care.
    I had this thought in the back of my mind
    Well, I thought this was going to be a hopeless case, but I decided to try a few more ideas and blow me down, I finally figured it out. The black and blue wires hook to the line and the white wire is a "starter" wire. It can be wired in with a momentary switch and all will work like a charm. I actually let it run for at least 5 minutes this time and no smells and no smoke. I think I finally have myself a good working little motor. If anyone else out there runs across a motor with similar wiring, this could be your solution also.
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
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    #14

    Jan 14, 2010, 09:22 AM

    The "starter wire" can be replaced with a "starter cap". So it looks like you have a capacitor start, capacitor run motor.
    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #15

    Jan 14, 2010, 01:46 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid View Post
    The "starter wire" can be replaced with a "starter cap". So it looks like you have a capacitor start, capacitor run motor.
    Yeah, the capacitor was already wired in the circuit. All the ac motors of this nature that I had ever messed with, had only the standard black and white wires. The extra blue wire was giving me headaches trying to figure where it went. Using the blue wire as one of the mains and the white as a starter works fine, so I guess I'll stick with what is working. I really need a centrifugal switch to kick the white wire out of the circuit as soon as it starts. I had some old three wire motors that worked that way, but the starter wire was never really exposed. It was inside the motor housing. It will be very easy to add a momentary switch to the circuit, soon as I figure out what I want to use the motor for.
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
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    #16

    Jan 14, 2010, 02:26 PM

    You missed my point: 1 motor, 2 capacitors. 1 start and 1 run cap.

    See: http://www.starite.com/pentekmotors/...B_SMC_CSIR.pdf

    Usually you think one OR the other or a dual capacitor in a single unit.
    lifeseeker47's Avatar
    lifeseeker47 Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #17

    Jan 14, 2010, 08:43 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid View Post
    You missed my point: 1 motor, 2 capacitors. 1 start and 1 run cap.

    See: http://www.starite.com/pentekmotors/...B_SMC_CSIR.pdf

    Usually you think one OR the other or a dual capacitor in a single unit.
    Yes, I did miss the point, but do NOW understand. Thanks for the info. I am just a tinkerer, so sometimes I'm slow to catch on. How would the second cap be wired in?
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
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    #18

    Jan 15, 2010, 04:32 AM

    Read this: http://www.stearns.rexnord.com/pdf/C..._902_table.pdf

    It's very similar to a "hard start kit"

    The capacitor acts as an initial short, thus starting a motor. Note the "OR" in the ref in past #16.
    ceilingfanrepair's Avatar
    ceilingfanrepair Posts: 5,733, Reputation: 109
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    #19

    Jan 27, 2010, 01:43 AM

    Does the motor run if you connect only 2 of the 3 wires? Try all combinations.

    If you want to avoid more smoke, wire the motor in series with a 300 watt bulb for testing purposes.

    Most electrical devices run on smoke. Once you let the smoke escape they don't work any more. Buying new smoke for them can be very expensive.

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