AboutWill Expertise Three phase electic motors, controls and related problems or failures, three phase motor installation issues, performance issues, connections, data and duty cycle information. All other electic motors. Specialty motors, repair concerns, performance concerns, obsolete motors and solutions. Other specialty equipment issues. Lost nameplate data and identification, lost connection data.
Also DC motors of all types.
See my profile under Home/electrical at this site
Experience 30 plus years in the electrical motor and apparatus repair industry. VP level management of repair facilities, current owner of my own specialty repair and consulting firm.
Organizations EASA, IBEW [retired], other specialty organizatons, Lubrication, Vibration EDI, Triboelectric Councils
Publications Currently fielding concerns at this site under "Home Electrical"
Education/Credentials 4 year technical, College level specific courses, EASA repair courses, vibration analysis electronic and electrical trade school.
Expert: Will Date: 6/11/2008 Subject: 115/230 motor
Question I installed a refurbished pump for a sprinkler system. I couldn't get it to prime and when it tried to get to prime, the motor ran hot. I brought it in to a repair shop to get it fixed. They found that the pump had a bad seal and replaced it. But the motor wouldn't get past 30 psi while runnign it on 220 volts without heating up. I spoke with the person who I got the pump from and he said that the motor was set for 230 volts and I needed to switch it to 110 to run on 110 voltage. I relayed this info to the pump repair shop who said that because I ran the motor on 110 when it was set up for 230, the motor got fried.
Later the pump repair shop called to say they switched the motor to 110 and now the motor works fine.
Could I have damaged the motor when I ran it on 110 voltage when it was set for 220? Thanks.
Answer Lee,
it is like this, if you have a device needing 110 volts and you put 55 volts on it what do you think would happen?
A light bulb would be dimmer, a radio may not even come on, it depends on the device.
In the case of a single phase motor it is [possible] to damage the motor rated for 220 by applying 110. If the motor was not protected correctly, then the motor might try to start, not make it to the run mode, trip off, start over, try to start, see what I mean, all the while, the motor builds up heat not doing anything and usually burns out a start winding or start circuit component.
So it is a qualified yes, a lot of parameters need to be met to damage a higher rated voltage motor on a lower voltage supply.
Sounds like they fixed it, I am not sure how this all got out of wack, did they charge you? They did not just "switch" the motor from one voltage to the next, it could have been anything from a rewind to a reconnection in the windings to a reconnection externally.
Hope that helps, there is no absolute answer, it all depends on what the circumstances were.
