Home Improvement Information

The Motors Best Friend


The starting current of motor can become 3 to 6 times the normal running current! That's normal for motors. The motor can experience this high current for a period ranging from 20 to 50 seconds.

A fuse will not be very useful in protecting a motor from this type of overload condition. A selected fuse large enough to permit passage of the necessary starting current would give little or no protection against overheating of the windings under normal running load conditions. The same case happens for the circuit breaker.

Overload relays offer protection of motors that is both compatible with the starting current of the circuit, and the requirement of protection in the event of overload running condition.

These conditions need to be adjustable. A particular motor requiring 56 seconds starting time under normal load will suffer serious damage if the rotor locks and the motor is not tripped in 20 seconds. Another motor may be able to withstand 25 percent overload for 30 minutes. A hermetically sealed compressor motor may burn in 3 minutes at 25 percent overload!

Good protection against overheating of the motor windings can be obtained from temperature monitoring protector devices that are embedded into the motor windings. These do not protect the motor itself, but act as sensors to trigger a temperature control circuit to stop the motor.

A thermal overload relay, however, uses a heating element to heat up a bimetallic strip so that it can trip a latch that will open the motor control circuit. This action will disconnect the motor from the line.

For reliable operation, the overload relay must be located at the same temperature environment as the motor. The heating effect of the bimetallic strip mechanism is supposed to represent the heating of the motor windings.

Melting alloy overload relays calibrated by the manufacturer are considered the most reliable of all the thermal overload protective devices. However, more commonly used is the bimetallic overload relays because the tripping current setting can be adjusted.

All the overload relays have one major limitation - because they operate on line current, they do not directly sense the motor temperatures. For normal steady running conditions, this poses no problem at all.

However, when a motor starts and stops frequently, the relay may not completely protect the motor. Why is that so?

During the motor running, the relay temperature follows the motor temperature closely. When the motor is off, the relay tends to cool off at a faster rate because of its lower mass. After a number of starts and stops, the temperatures of the relay and the motor may drift further and further apart. Eventually the motor becomes hot, and yet the relay does not trip because it is still cool. The motor burns.

Frequent starting and stopping of motors is no good both electrically and mechanically.

Until next time...

Are You Stumped by Complicated Electrical Calculations? Useful Electro-Technology Questions & Answers available for all electrical installations.

Many years of working experience in Marine, Facilities, Construction has given the author material for writing e-books and articles related to engineering, and management. Subscribe to facworld ezine

More information at Marine Engineer and M & E Engineer


MORE RESOURCES:

Newsday

9 home improvement projects for '09
Newsday, NY - 21 minutes ago
Home improvement experts attribute it to the fact that these projects tend to be relatively small (on Long Island, $300 to $900 for a replacement window, ...


Home improvement Q&A: Proper care and bleeding of a radiator heat ...
News & Observer, NC - 5 hours ago
By ALAN J. HEAVENS - The Philadelphia Inquirer Question: Do know anything about radiators and boilers for the home? I'm not sure about proper bleeding and ...


Home design depression
Boston Globe, United States - 11 hours ago
The sad truth is, if I had an IV drip of Diet Pepsi I could spend all weekend watching HGTV, or any of the home improvement shows on the DIY Network, ...


European shares down for second straight session
MarketWatch - 9 hours ago
Mineral extractors will continue its decline along with home improvement retailers. Remember the stay-cation theme where bets were on home improvement ...


BobVila.com

How to save money on your home improvement project
YourHub.com, CO - Jan 5, 2009
Workshop for Women can help you get the home improvement skills you need in an inviting and fun environment. Taking a class will . ...
New Year's Home Improvement Resolutions BobVila.com
all 2 news articles


9 home-improvement projects for 2009
Seattle Times, United States - Jan 3, 2009
A look at what home projects will allow folks to live better now and make the house more saleable later. By Karen Klages A bathroom remodel may make your ...


Do thorough research before signing a home improvement contract
Detroit Free Press, United States - Jan 4, 2009
... the economy on shaky ground, it's more important than ever for homeowners to carefully screen the contractors they hire for home improvement projects. ...


Home Improvement Expert Don Zeman Dies
Los Angeles Chronicle,  USA - Jan 3, 2009
SAVANNAH, GA - Don Zeman, known to millions of radio listeners and television viewers across the country as "America´s Home Improvement Expert" died ...
News From The Homefront KEYC
all 3 news articles


What’s Up? Students go back to school and hectic lives
Reno Gazette Journal, NV - Jan 7, 2009
It never is easy to focus on finals when you've spent the last two weeks watching reruns of Home Improvement, hanging out with friends and sleeping in until ...


What's your home improvement resolution for 2009?
MLive.com, MI - Jan 3, 2009
"What are your home improvement resolutions for the new year?" Post your response under "Post a comment," and it could be included in next Sunday's ...

Home-Improvement - Google News

home | site map
© 2006