Quincy compressor keeps overheating...

[Notch1988]

I bought a USED 5hp 2 stage Quincy a little over a year ago. When I use it hard, like running my DA sander to strip a vehicle, it will trip the motor on the compressor.
The compressor is setup inside a 5'X8' compressor room and I leave the door open when I'm running it hard.
The previous owner of the compressor sprayed industrial paints with the compressor. The compressor was only a year old and he had it setup in a seperate compressor room outside his shop. However, he had first used it inside when he painted cuz the compressor is caked with a heavy paint/epoxy coating overspray. The motor is covered in overspray as well.

Just wondering if this overheating is normal or not. The compressor will be good for about an hour straight of heavy use but then I have to reset it. At that point I stop to let it cool down as I don't want to wreck it. I'm wondering if pointing a fan into the compressor room would be enough to help cool it. Or if the motor needs to be looked at.

 

[Greatbear]

If the motor is caked up with paint residue, it is probably limiting cooling airflow through it, causing the tripping. It's a good idea to clean it out, this will most likely require the motor to be at least partially disassembled.

 

[chrommagman]

I would clean the motor, take it apart and lube it then put it back together.
I have a small shop (18x 15) it has no ac and has the water heater in it. so all I do is point a fan at my compressor (20 gal speedaire)

 

[nehog]

In addition to cleaning, measure the ambient temps in the room, and ensure that there is good air-flow as well. A fan might be just what is needed, or perhaps an outside air flow.

 

[Warrenator]

Add a fan, and take a coffee break every 20 minutes. When you use the compressor hard, are you opening the door to the door to the compressor room so the room doesn't get super hot?

The Quincy should be able to handle a heavy duty cycle, but I would definitely take the end caps off the motor and see if the motor is clogged up with paint overspray, since the motor is aircooled by air passing right through the insides one can see how it might get clogged up.

 

[930dreamer]

Can you post a few pics of the Quincy?

 

[Notch1988]

 

[cnc-me]

Overload relay might be getting weak.
You might want to look into replacing it.
Use a clamp on amp meter to find out if the unit is actually overloaded.
Likes like it could use a good cleaning, as the other posters have already mentioned.

 

[tdkkart]

Just for kicks, measure the voltage at the motor when running, and if possible measure the current draw while running. It's possible that the motor isnt not getting it's full voltage, which can make it overheat.

 

[slacker garage shop]

I know this is a old post but I have the identical compressor except mine is new. If I run it more than 20 minutes the crank vent starts pumping smoke and every part including the tank gets extremely hot. I really like the power from it but this really concerns me. I really expected it to be able to run than that with out a problem.

 

[pcmeiners]

Notch1988..
aside from cleaning the motor, what size feed wires do have on this, wiring in wall and from the wall?

 

[RECox286]

See if you can determine what the duty cycle is from the mfg. It may not be rated

to run continuously.

Uncle Bob

 

[1967marti]

The tank and motor will normally get hot...This is a by-product of compressing air.
Your pump should also get warm/hot during use. If you see smoke shooting out of the vent hole something is very wrong. Does it smell like burning oil? You may be getting water in your oil (and then the “smoke” would be steam), you may not have enough oil in the case or you are overdue for a rebuild (or it could have been put together wrong at the factory).
Your electric drive motor should not get very warm. If it is getting hot I would first look at the bearings and see if they are dry or have damage, then I would look at the electrical issues. If your breaker on the electric motor is tripping it is because you are pulling too much current through it. This could happen if your motor's bearings are shot or are not running as smooth as they need to.
If your motor wasn’t getting enough juice from the wall it would have tripped the wall breaker or melted the wires in the wall/plug harness.
Another good candidate for this issue would be (as cnc-me said) the motors onboard breaker. As these breakers trip and age they become more temperamental and are more likely to trip before their rated trip point.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Slacker - If it's a brand new Quincy, call up your local service rep or where you bought it. They come with a 2-year on-site warranty.

 

[Gary S]

What is the temperature of the room when the compressor gets too hot? You can't expect a compressor to run cooler than its environment. I have never understood the need to put a compressor in a small box and then wonder why it is hot in there.

My compressor sits out in the open in my garage, and heat isn't a problem. The ceiling fans cool it.

 

[slacker garage shop]

Thanks guys. Yes its new,has less than 5 hours of run time. The motor doesn't get really hot and it has never tripped the overloads. Oil is full and doesn't look or smell burnted but it sure does start pumping smoke within 20 minutes of running. Enough smoke to make me open the garage doors to clear it. Btw it is in a air conditioned garage with plenty of fresh air. I got it from northern tool so ill give them and shout and see what they say.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Yeah, it shouldn't be smoking... Maybe the oil-level is too high or something is clogged up inside. Either way that's not normal. Quincy will make it right.