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Forum Index : Windmills : wind tower motor
| Author | Message | ||||
| brucedownunder2 Guru  Joined: 14/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1548 |
Hi Crew,, My tower has been down resting for some months now ,while I play with other things and my new Exmork gennie. Have to beef up the steelwork on the tower a bit. Anyhow yesterday I decided to raise the tower to check for maintenance issues. Yep, the electric motor stalled ,just hummed a bit ,but started when I spun the uni joint a bit .. ANTS, millions of them inside the motor , I think are the problem , so, I'll have to dismantle the motor (bugger of a job) and clean her out.. So, just a warning to those of you that have electric motors attached to things near ground level,, keep an eye on them , --I had mine covered with a tarp -- 
Bushboy |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Bruce The wet weather has them looking for a dry home where they can, might pat tp commect your battery charger to the motor to dry it out a bit before running as I had one loose the magic smoke yesterday due to moist windings. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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| brucedownunder2 Guru Joined: 14/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1548 |
OK, thanks Bob ,, she growled a bit , but I didn't persist for more than a second .. I reckon ,or hope, it's the ants ,, hell of a job taking the motor off , nearly a 2 man job , heavy ,and those holding bolts are in that channel , a bit tricky to get them in .. Bruce Bushboy |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi bruce Try leaving it mounted and take off the end plate of the motor to clean the end out and use compressed air to blow the ants nest out, make sure the start run toggle relay isnt stuck as well, dry out with a battery charger apply a liberal spray of CRC et al and plenty of surface spray for insects as the little buggers will come back as soon as you turn your back. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Yep, the electric motor stalled ,just hummed a bit ,but started when I spun the uni joint a bit Bruce that is the symptoms of a bad capacitor. Allan "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Yeah Bruce I agree with Allan, sounds like a bad starting cap. Even full of ants and their nest, the motor should have started. Mind you, ants and dirt wont do the motor much good once it was running 
At my old place there was a 2.2kw single phase motor on the jet pump, to pump water up the hill to the house. It was a on demand system, with a pressure switch. Over a period of about 2 months, I noticed the water pump wouldn't always start, getting worse with time. Up at the house I would turn on the water tap, and as the pressure dropped off, the lights would dim as the pump tried to kick in. After several attempts it would start and I had water again. There were two motor start caps, a 8uF and 4uF in parallel to give 12uF. My cap meter measured about 7uF total, so I bought two new caps, and they measured the correct 12uF. Fixed the problem, the motor started first time every time. The pressure switch would play up to, but only when I was about to have a shower. The pump was about 200m from the house, down hill. Bugger of a walk, wrapped in a towel, only to find ants in the switch contacts! Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| brucedownunder2 Guru Joined: 14/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1548 |
Thanks for that info Alan and Glenn and all others .. I'll change over the cap and clean out the ants ..Hope that fixes it . Gee Al,, what a sight for sore eyes seeing you in just a towel walking, (staggering) , muttering , down that steep hill dodging the odd roo and keeping an eye out for the big red bellied black .... Why can't ya train (send to Tech) she who must be obeyed ,,Just get her to dye her hair for the course, Blonde, won't help,lol.. Cheers Bruce the idiot. Bushboy |
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