34
votes
Accepted
Inch-long block-and-spring part came with drill - what is it?
Those are replacement brushes for the electric motor in your drill. They are what make the electrical contact to the coil in the motor that spins, while also allowing it to spin. The rectangular part ...
- 4,877
31
votes
Did my installer give me the wrong overhead door springs or is my motor just too weak?
Your installer either does not understand how garage door springs work or he's lying to you because he thinks you're an idiot and will believe any crap he says.
The facts are that the springs are NOT ...
- 22.7k
29
votes
Did my installer give me the wrong overhead door springs or is my motor just too weak?
Automatic door motors are optional.
Every garage door is designed to work manually without a motor. You use your hands and a stick to push it up, and a rope to pull it down. The door action should ...
26
votes
Accepted
Replaced Blower Motor, but A/C won't stay on unless power button is held down
I don’t think that is a power switch. That is a safety switch that is depressed by the cabinet panels when you put everything back together. It should not work unless it is depressed. You should be ...
- 234
22
votes
Accepted
How to quantify the difference in power of tablesaw motor rewired to 240 vs 120 volts
I don't know who is saying those comments or in what context they are saying, but I don't agree. If the motor is actually designed to be jumpered between 240V and 120V, then it should perform the ...
18
votes
Is okay to use commercial appliance inside average US home? For electricity spec: 115/60Hz/1 Ph (NEMA 5-15)
That's fine, they are nominally the same. 120v is utility supply defined by ANSI C84.1. 115v is point of use desired voltage, generally specified by NEMA. One is 120v +5/-10% tolerance, the other is ...
- 14.6k
9
votes
Accepted
What tool/process do I need to remove this bathroom exhaust fan from motor?
The "small hole on the inner side" is a set screw. You will see that it lines up with the flat surface milled into the side of the shaft. You must unscrew it with a hex wrench, aka an Allen ...
- 13.7k
9
votes
Accepted
What should I do if I overheated my drill motor and made it smoke?
This has happened to me before and in general the tool continues to work mostly fine. I suppose there might be a drop in power output but I’ve never really noticed it.
I realized that slightly more ...
- 2,074
9
votes
Can I have 2 boatlift motors (rated for a total of 22 Amps), on a old 20 amp circuit if I replace the circuit breaker with a 30amp breaker?
Only if you like electrical fires.
The reason that we use breakers in the first place is to prevent wires from being dangerously overloaded.
Compare the wire for your cell phone charger to the wire ...
- 385
7
votes
Accepted
Why did my angle grinder die?
The Intermittent "sputtering" is sign of a loss of power going into the motor windings. there is pretty much only two ways this happens, A: there is a short somewhere (plug, cable or switch) or B: the ...
- 3,354
6
votes
Accepted
How do I re-wire a ceiling-fan to reverse its direction?
With another clockwise fan from the same maker, I was able to reverse the direction by interchanging the yellow and black wires as some answers here indicated. The explanation as I understood is that ...
- 76
6
votes
Should I put a dimmer switch on a ceiling fan?
Use a fan control (dimmer designed specifically for fans) on the power supply to the fan.
Common AC electric motors have a high low impedance on starting because velocity is 0, This draws a large ...
- 61
6
votes
Why is my Panasonic Whisper series bath fan starting up so slowly?
To make these fans quieter, the fans are designed to not create as much turbulence, which means they "slip" more when the air is not moving already, i.e. when you first turn them on. In addition the ...
- 14.7k
6
votes
Why is my Panasonic Whisper series bath fan starting up so slowly?
Installation guide, page 10...."Attention: when the switch is at the "ON" position, wait 8-10 seconds for the Fan to start. This is a normal working condition."
- 61
6
votes
Accepted
converting HP to Watt
I thought there should be a time factor in this calculation
Both watt and horsepower measure power. They are the same thing, just with different units, hence the direct conversion.
You seem to be ...
- 1,835
6
votes
Cordless lawn mower briefly starts then cuts out
I have had 5+ batteries brought to me that show full charge to no charge but do similar or slightly less.
In all of them they had been heavily discharged according to the owners.
All of them had ...
- 101k
6
votes
Cordless lawn mower briefly starts then cuts out
I checked the battery and it reports as fully charged and the multimeter says it is at 57.1 volts out of the supposed 58 volts, which seems fine to me
Is that the voltage checked right after charging?...
- 1,835
6
votes
Cordless lawn mower briefly starts then cuts out
I have the same mower. I solved this exact same problem today. That safety switch (the one you said that you haven't tested yet), THAT'S the culprit. It's a deadman switch, if it loses contact for ...
- 61
6
votes
Did my installer give me the wrong overhead door springs or is my motor just too weak?
Direct experience with exactly the same circumstances. The general understanding of door springs is that when disconnected from the track, the door should open without excessive force and should ...
- 10.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Connecting Motor wiring
Well it seems completely straightforward:
tien li kou huo xien <--> xien xiu qi "L" t'ou
tien li kou leng xien <--> xien xiu qi "N" t'ou
tien tung ma t'a lan xien <--> xien xiu qi "...
- 13.7k
5
votes
Will a fan motor run in reverse if the receptacle's polarity is reversed?
Just crappy fan design and misleading ratings (450-920 cfm with no duct at all, and terrible fall off with any normal resistance - or else it's an outright lie.) What is your actual duct arrangement (...
- 166k
5
votes
5hp 230v single phase motor popping 30amp breaker
NEC Table 430.245 states to size 5HP motor for 28A at 230V. Add 25% for start up and the circuit should be sized for 35 amps minimum. That would be #8 copper conductors with a 40A or 45A breaker.
...
5
votes
How to quantify the difference in power of tablesaw motor rewired to 240 vs 120 volts
You'll need to check the motor manufacturer's specification sheet for your model to be sure but generally there should not be any significant performance difference between running in at 220V vs. 110V....
- 22.7k
5
votes
Old drills randomly starts slow and rattling (if at all)
JJM your understanding of how motor brushes work is lacking some practical experience. For less than 20$ you can probably have both running like new and gain the experience.
Holding the motor at an ...
- 101k
5
votes
Accepted
Can I install a 240V outlet in my new US home for my UK kitchen appliances?
You should be able to do this, but there are a few things to consider:
Any 240V receptacles should be in addition to the required 120V receptacles. In a kitchen you need at least 2 counter-top ...
5
votes
Will Front Load Washing Machine (BLDC motor) rated for 220V 60Hz work in another country with 220V 50Hz?
Check the nameplate
Every competent appliance has a placard or nameplate somewhere on it which states the power requirements.
That is the last word on the subject.
5
votes
What should I do if I overheated my drill motor and made it smoke?
Usually overheat and smoke means replacement.
Smoke is from something burning/melting usually electrical insulation.
Once the insulation is damaged it needs replacing.
Might be able to get a new motor,...
- 16.8k
4
votes
Is sparking in the motor of my drill a concern?
If the motor has brushes some arcing is normal even with high quality equipment, cheaper models usually have more arcs that are visible because the armature is usually rougher. You may notice a ...
- 101k
4
votes
Accepted
Ryobi snowblower stalls seconds after starting
Ok so I was unable to troubleshoot this on my own, and I checked the batteries out a few times, they seemed perfectly fine. So took it into the shop, turns out the problem was a burned out ...
- 242
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