Have you tried to help manually to see if the the motor start to turn?
Without the auxiliary winding, there is no torque when the motor is at 0RPM, since clock wise torque cancels counter clockwise.
Without the auxiliary winding, there is no torque when the motor is at 0RPM, since clock wise torque cancels counter clockwise.
Not yet. I just took apart that rusty pile of junk. It's nice 16" unit with brass blades. The prices of restored units are kind of eye watering. I had no idea . I will try tomorrow. I'm going to restore what I can, paint the body and polish the blades. Even if it won't run it's a nice vintage piece. Maybe I look into rewinding options ($$)
Get another HVAC motor, winding is a dying art in most of the USA.
Peculiar that it burned, old age or dried up lubrication.
Even table fan motors will work.
Peculiar that it burned, old age or dried up lubrication.
Even table fan motors will work.
Strip it, clean and lube it up.
I put front fork oil, or hydraulic oil in sintered bushes (sleeve bearings), and a little front axle grease.
5W-30 engine oil works as well, add grease also.
Same grease if ball / roller bearinds are encountered, unlikely here.
And paint it where the rust was removed, I find car body paint to be more durable.
And if the mains cord is stiff or damaged, replace, also the switch...short it out if you need to keep the original looks, and tell everybody in the house.
Clear lacquer over polished brass blades will reduce polishing frequency, see if car top coat clear paint can be used.
And do not run it more than 15-20 minutes, this remaining winding may also break down.
I put front fork oil, or hydraulic oil in sintered bushes (sleeve bearings), and a little front axle grease.
5W-30 engine oil works as well, add grease also.
Same grease if ball / roller bearinds are encountered, unlikely here.
And paint it where the rust was removed, I find car body paint to be more durable.
And if the mains cord is stiff or damaged, replace, also the switch...short it out if you need to keep the original looks, and tell everybody in the house.
Clear lacquer over polished brass blades will reduce polishing frequency, see if car top coat clear paint can be used.
And do not run it more than 15-20 minutes, this remaining winding may also break down.
Good info. I repair these too and in European fans the bearings of the A brands of then are often good but not in all. These are hard to find. I use teflon based thick oil or lithium based premium grease on the axles. As some are very old I tend not to use higher rpm settings and I balance the blades for best balance too.
Very often the dirt and dried out grease of decades has piled up and does the fan need a thorough cleanup before doing any repair.
Sometimes the burned coil burned at a place where it can still be connected with some imagination (mostly done with disgust as it is some kind of "fiddling") and fixing position with epoxy otherwise it needs rewinding. Replace the often hardened and crackling woven isolation stuff for new glass fiber heat resistant tubes. Rewinding is best done ASAP as if the situation is the same as here the art is disappearing and the prices rising to unrealistic levels. I would have it rewound also for 125V (in your case, mains voltage is going up everywhere) if it is a real nice one otherwise it will be an ornament with always someone wanting to switch it on in summer. IMHO such stuff even if old is for homes and should be operated by anyone without restrictions otherwise than "careful please, it is xxx years old".
Power cords are 9 out of 10 times unsafe and isolated with cotton or the like. Replacement cable with the same pattern and colors is a must when the family does not exist of trained electricians. PE can hardly be found (always 2 prong connectors) and it is advisable to connect the PE wire of replacement cable to the usually metal frame.
A replacement motor of old microwave oven fans can sometimes be adapted to the casing of the antique motor. This is an extreme measure consisting of many variables but it can be done when the axle has the same diameter.
Very often the dirt and dried out grease of decades has piled up and does the fan need a thorough cleanup before doing any repair.
Sometimes the burned coil burned at a place where it can still be connected with some imagination (mostly done with disgust as it is some kind of "fiddling") and fixing position with epoxy otherwise it needs rewinding. Replace the often hardened and crackling woven isolation stuff for new glass fiber heat resistant tubes. Rewinding is best done ASAP as if the situation is the same as here the art is disappearing and the prices rising to unrealistic levels. I would have it rewound also for 125V (in your case, mains voltage is going up everywhere) if it is a real nice one otherwise it will be an ornament with always someone wanting to switch it on in summer. IMHO such stuff even if old is for homes and should be operated by anyone without restrictions otherwise than "careful please, it is xxx years old".
Power cords are 9 out of 10 times unsafe and isolated with cotton or the like. Replacement cable with the same pattern and colors is a must when the family does not exist of trained electricians. PE can hardly be found (always 2 prong connectors) and it is advisable to connect the PE wire of replacement cable to the usually metal frame.
A replacement motor of old microwave oven fans can sometimes be adapted to the casing of the antique motor. This is an extreme measure consisting of many variables but it can be done when the axle has the same diameter.
Last edited:
Thank you all. When I came to US some 25 years ago I found radio console from 1929. It looked fantastic and I thought its worth
a ton of money because it's so old. Based on my Euro mindset I estimated that it must be exceedingly rare. To my surprise it was neither. I checked and 1.5 millions of this particular model of consoles were made..Lack of war and natural disasters in US ,wealth and early adopted mass production is the cause this stuff is immensely more common and easier to find than in EU .
I will eventually find some carcass of aforementioned fan with a good stator. Here is the picture from the web how restored unit supposed to look . https://antiquefanparts.com/circa-1929-16-emerson-type-29648-professionally-restored-desk-fan/
a ton of money because it's so old. Based on my Euro mindset I estimated that it must be exceedingly rare. To my surprise it was neither. I checked and 1.5 millions of this particular model of consoles were made..Lack of war and natural disasters in US ,wealth and early adopted mass production is the cause this stuff is immensely more common and easier to find than in EU .
I will eventually find some carcass of aforementioned fan with a good stator. Here is the picture from the web how restored unit supposed to look . https://antiquefanparts.com/circa-1929-16-emerson-type-29648-professionally-restored-desk-fan/
Not sure its wise to put anything but light machine oil on a sintered bearing, you don't want to gum-up the pores. Grease would be bad news I feel certain.
By the way that design of fan is both decorative and lethal - quite capable of severe lacerations to a curious child...
By the way that design of fan is both decorative and lethal - quite capable of severe lacerations to a curious child...
Oh, see if the fan from an old frost free fridge can be used, those are found as circulation fans inside the freezer....check the diameter of the shaft / axle.
Rewinding such an old motor needs a skilled and experienced person, sadly a breed that is dying out in the West.
We in India are lucky in that sense, I was able to get a wall mounted fan motor rewound, he also changed the worn out shaft,and put new sleeve bearings (self centering sintered type), all for 550 Rupees, about $7.
He used copper, I got it done it because the new motors are aluminum wound, full motor ready to use is about 700 Rupees, about $9.
This is a simple single speed motor, no swing function.
Sleeve bearings are sold here at spare parts shops, for both home electricals and others for auto electricals (starter and dynamo sleeve bearings).
They are of the sintered type, which can soak lubricant in the pores.
As above, the lubricant can be thin oil, thick oil, grease, or a mix of them, depending on speed and load.
Large motors are routinely rewound and rebuilt here in India, as it nis economically feasible, a new motor can be expensive
Samsung runs a scheme here, their damaged washing machine motors are given in at service centers, and a discount is given against this, and a new or rebuilt motor is sold to the servicing technicians. Their washing machine motors cannot be rewound by most winders, some unusual machine wound construction is used.
No ties, just being helpful here.
Rewinding such an old motor needs a skilled and experienced person, sadly a breed that is dying out in the West.
We in India are lucky in that sense, I was able to get a wall mounted fan motor rewound, he also changed the worn out shaft,and put new sleeve bearings (self centering sintered type), all for 550 Rupees, about $7.
He used copper, I got it done it because the new motors are aluminum wound, full motor ready to use is about 700 Rupees, about $9.
This is a simple single speed motor, no swing function.
Sleeve bearings are sold here at spare parts shops, for both home electricals and others for auto electricals (starter and dynamo sleeve bearings).
They are of the sintered type, which can soak lubricant in the pores.
As above, the lubricant can be thin oil, thick oil, grease, or a mix of them, depending on speed and load.
Large motors are routinely rewound and rebuilt here in India, as it nis economically feasible, a new motor can be expensive
Samsung runs a scheme here, their damaged washing machine motors are given in at service centers, and a discount is given against this, and a new or rebuilt motor is sold to the servicing technicians. Their washing machine motors cannot be rewound by most winders, some unusual machine wound construction is used.
No ties, just being helpful here.
In the projects I did in faraway countries safety officers were usually from the UK. In shiny clean fluorescent yellow safety vests and preferably as a team overseeing everybody's safety like a fascist motorcycle gang. Worrying about safety working shoes that have shoe laces (DANGER!) or tinted (WHAT were you thinking?) safety glasses but not seeing Chinese contract workers working at 14 meter height without any safety harness. Or even nicer: a safety harness secured to their own belt 🙂Not sure its wise to put anything but light machine oil on a sintered bearing, you don't want to gum-up the pores. Grease would be bad news I feel certain.
By the way that design of fan is both decorative and lethal - quite capable of severe lacerations to a curious child...
More than once I touched blades of such excellently teflon grease lubricated running fans from the twenties or thirties and my fingers are all still there. Not with the Beast I have that is 150W. I don't even dare to test that one without cover.
Last edited:
The load on the fan is low, I doubt you'd see the bearing self-heating enough to mobilize grease. I think oil is much easier to apply anyway as it will soak in if the bearing is dry at room temp.
I soak the bushes (sintered bearings) in oil, I have lots of sliding way oil, used in my molding machine, later was forced to switch to hydraulic oil as small quantities of way oil not sold here, minimum pack is about 200 liters now.
It is called Waylub 68 here, 68 is the viscosity. At least that is the name used as a brand by one maker of lubricants.
The hydraulic oil I use is also 68 vicosity.
And I put grease on the shafts when assembling.
No problems so far, oldest motor that this was done to is a fan from about 1978...
Hydraulic oil does not contain the detergents found in engine oils, which hold the dirt from the engine until routine oil changes. That is safer for the sintered bushes, preventing wear possibly caused by detergents in engine oils.
Front axle grease (CVJ grease), has a higher pressure and temperature rating than regular workshop grease, I prefer to use that for jobs where getting to the bearing is a headache.
I used way lube oil on my mptorcycle chain, maintenance interval (remove, clean, lube and fit again) went from 1 month to 3...it has adhesive properties, sticks to metal...main use is ways on presses, where frequent lubrication is not possible.
If you find it, use it, otherwise use normal oils ike engine or gear oils.
It is called Waylub 68 here, 68 is the viscosity. At least that is the name used as a brand by one maker of lubricants.
The hydraulic oil I use is also 68 vicosity.
And I put grease on the shafts when assembling.
No problems so far, oldest motor that this was done to is a fan from about 1978...
Hydraulic oil does not contain the detergents found in engine oils, which hold the dirt from the engine until routine oil changes. That is safer for the sintered bushes, preventing wear possibly caused by detergents in engine oils.
Front axle grease (CVJ grease), has a higher pressure and temperature rating than regular workshop grease, I prefer to use that for jobs where getting to the bearing is a headache.
I used way lube oil on my mptorcycle chain, maintenance interval (remove, clean, lube and fit again) went from 1 month to 3...it has adhesive properties, sticks to metal...main use is ways on presses, where frequent lubrication is not possible.
If you find it, use it, otherwise use normal oils ike engine or gear oils.
What do you know about motor rewinding in the U.S.? You don't actually live here. Where I live there are plenty of options including one within walking distance of my house. You have an opinion on absolutely everything whether or not you actually know what you are talking about.Get another HVAC motor, winding is a dying art in most of the USA.
Peculiar that it burned, old age or dried up lubrication.
Even table fan motors will work.
Well he generally knows his stuff possibly with a mistake here and there. That is human. For sure he knows a lot more than the average member here.
I am pretty sure you will not pay 7 $ for having a motor rewound in the land of the brave. Having been to India I know pretty much everything can be repaired and all that is not found here anymore (let alone the knowledge) is still normal there. Same counts for China where I had to have parts made that were produced in 1 day for me.
Maybe you could add valuable info to the thread?
I am pretty sure you will not pay 7 $ for having a motor rewound in the land of the brave. Having been to India I know pretty much everything can be repaired and all that is not found here anymore (let alone the knowledge) is still normal there. Same counts for China where I had to have parts made that were produced in 1 day for me.
Maybe you could add valuable info to the thread?
Last edited:
My advice would be to find a local motor rewinder given the value of the fan. Given the age of the fan I would get a full rewind for electrical safety.
If you are intrepid and have access to appropriate tools perhaps rewinding it yourself is an option.
https://archive.org/details/rewinding-small-motors/mode/2up (available for download)
If you are intrepid and have access to appropriate tools perhaps rewinding it yourself is an option.
https://archive.org/details/rewinding-small-motors/mode/2up (available for download)
Last edited:
It would take 3 hours to rewind the motor, without any stuck screws and so on.
I think that alone will cost at least $150 in the USA.
Add the winding wire, insulation sheets, varnish, and so on, and final assembly.
You are looking, I think, at an outlay in the range of $250 or so.
A friend has a 1930s Italian table fan, the blades have edges like wings on a bird, rounded steps is a fair description.
Unusual item from a bygone era.
At my insistence, it was stripped and the shaft bushes checked, I think one needed replacing.
Now it is good for many years into the future.
It was done as the bearings are sometimes not available, and the repairmen are usually old, the skill will be difficult to find after 10 years...
Winding means new coils of the proper wire, and correct number of turns.
A lot of work is needed after that as well, so a diy approach will take time to master. A different unit can be practised upon, old items do not like being dismantled every so often.
I think that alone will cost at least $150 in the USA.
Add the winding wire, insulation sheets, varnish, and so on, and final assembly.
You are looking, I think, at an outlay in the range of $250 or so.
A friend has a 1930s Italian table fan, the blades have edges like wings on a bird, rounded steps is a fair description.
Unusual item from a bygone era.
At my insistence, it was stripped and the shaft bushes checked, I think one needed replacing.
Now it is good for many years into the future.
It was done as the bearings are sometimes not available, and the repairmen are usually old, the skill will be difficult to find after 10 years...
Winding means new coils of the proper wire, and correct number of turns.
A lot of work is needed after that as well, so a diy approach will take time to master. A different unit can be practised upon, old items do not like being dismantled every so often.
- Home
- Design & Build
- Electronic Design
- Split phase motor problem in vintage Fan