Baldor motor swap

[Just Having Fun]

I was hoping someone with more knowledge than me would chime in. I recently purchased a 2019 Cutis FS 80-gallon compressor with all the bells and whistles for $225 from a body shop. I believe the case breather became plugged from dirt, this forced oil past the rings and blocked one of the stage 2 valves. The motor overheated and melted the windings allowing it to short out, (this was also a replacement motor). Other than the valves the rest of the pump checks out. Now for my question, it currently has a Baldor L1410T installed, I found a Baldor FDL3612TM for $250, same frame and measurements from the mounting bolts to the shaft are identical, but I do not about some of the differences. I will list the old motor first / then the replacement: AVA code J / G, service factor 1.15 / 1, power factor 95% / 88%, full load amps 21A / 23A. I have thought about a VFD and 3 phase motor but am not confident I could program it to work if it did not work out of the box. Please let me know your thoughts, thank you.

 

[timgunn1962]

As far as I can tell, the main difference is in the frame cooling: the LT1410T is an open frame, while the FDL3612TM is Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled. Indoors, either will be fine. If it's outdoors, or somewhere that has potential for a lot of dust, especially metal dust, and/or insects, I'd probably choose TEFC over open. That said, I'm in the UK and we use IEC metric motors here. These are almost invariably TEFC and are sealed to IP55. I don't think I've seen an open-frame motor on any new industrial machinery in close to 40 years, so my experience of them is rather limited.

I've run a 3-phase (3HP) compressor with a VFD, albeit some time ago. To cope with the speed ramp-up, it needed a solenoid valve teed off the line between the Non-Return Valve and the pressure switch. This was open during ramp-up and closed when the VFD was at speed to keep the current draw down during starting.

 

[Just Having Fun]

Timgunn1962
Thank you for the reply, I had a feeling it would work but wanted a second opinion before I spent the money. It would be indoor use only, I would not be against a 3ph VFD but would be lost if it needed to be tweaked. Thanks again

Greg

 

[marinusdees]

I was hoping someone with more knowledge than me would chime in. I recently purchased a 2019 Cutis FS 80-gallon compressor with all the bells and whistles for $225 from a body shop. I believe the case breather became plugged from dirt, this forced oil past the rings and blocked one of the stage 2 valves. The motor overheated and melted the windings allowing it to short out, (this was also a replacement motor). Other than the valves the rest of the pump checks out. Now for my question, it currently has a Baldor L1410T installed, I found a Baldor FDL3612TM for $250, same frame and measurements from the mounting bolts to the shaft are identical, but I do not about some of the differences. I will list the old motor first / then the replacement: AVA code J / G, service factor 1.15 / 1, power factor 95% / 88%, full load amps 21A / 23A. I have thought about a VFD and 3 phase motor but am not confident I could program it to work if it did not work out of the box. Please let me know your thoughts, thank you.

I have no first hand experience with VFD use on compressors. In general, compressor motors don't do well with "phony" 3 phase, dunno if this applies to VFDs.

 

[PoorUB]

If you need to buy a motor anyway, buy a single phase motor.

Why buy a motor and a VFD?

 

[Just Having Fun]

I have no first hand experience with VFD use on compressors. In general, compressor motors don't do well with "phony" 3 phase, dunno if this applies to VFDs.

Not sure what you mean by "Phony" 3 phase, I have seen many comments by people that they had success with the VFD.

 

[Just Having Fun]

If you need to buy a motor anyway, buy a single phase motor.

Why buy a motor and a VFD?

Potentially for cost, a single phase 5hp motor new $1200 used $400-600 (yes there are deals). 5hp 3phase, NOS can be found for $250 used commonly go for $100-$250 and a new VFT is $150-$250.

 

[Maui]

I restore vintage American built motors, and I get more calls for single phase 5 hp compressor motors than for anything else. I could have easily sold every single phase 5 hp motor 10 times over. And no, I don’t have any at the moment.

 

[PoorUB]

Potentially for cost, a single phase 5hp motor new $1200 used $400-600 (yes there are deals). 5hp 3phase, NOS can be found for $250 used commonly go for $100-$250 and a new VFT is $150-$250.

A minute on Amazon and I found a suitable 5HP, 1PH for $750.

So you buy a used 3PH for $250, a VFD for $200, plus like the other post, starting a compressor on the VFD can be problematic, so you may need to unload the compressor for a few seconds, so another $100 for a valve, next thing you know you are right up there, plus a whole bunch of more **** to go wrong.

Don't get me wrong, I love VFD's, I have one on a drill press. I used to install them and program them for a living, but for a single RPM unit like a compressor, and the fact you need to buy a motor I would skip the VFD and buy a 1PH motor.

Plus, I bought a compressor with a 3PH motor, and I had a VFD to run it. I spent a day messing with it and the VFD did not like the start up load. I shelved the deal and got a single phase motor and it worked out so much better.

 

[marinusdees]

Amen. Thank you for that.

 

[Just Having Fun]

Thanks for all the replies