Worth Fixing?

[AV tinker er]

I was given a Devilbiss 60 gal compressor with a 6.5hp motor (125psi max). Its older but the pump and tank seem to be in great shape. After wiring up a 220 outlet the motor keep tripping the breaker, so I am assuming the motor is bad. Looking online they are $350+. Would it be worth replacing the motor or just trying to sell it as is and buying a new one?
But then I see something like this for a few hundred more: http://www.lowes.com/pd_337413-28309-SS3L3_4294795218__?productId=3354166&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_avg_rating%7C1&facetInfo=#BVRRWidgetID

 

[930dreamer]

Let's see some pics.

 

[AV tinker er]

Here you go!

 

[dottedzebra]

How many amps is (are?) the motor and breaker?

 

[AV tinker er]

Placard on the tank says 15 amp motor, 2-15 amp breakers, it runs for 2 or 3 seconds then trips

 

[RECox286]

If you have or can get use of a clamp-on Ammeter, test to see

how many amps each leg is drawing. When does it trip the breaker,

on start-up, or when the pressure in the tank is making the motor

work harder ? As stated ^^^, what is the amp rating of the motor ?

(should be on the motor data plate) What is the rating and brand of

the 2pole breaker ? Maybe you just need a bit more umph out of the

c/b panel...

Uncle Bob

 

[AV tinker er]

If you have or can get use of a clamp-on Ammeter, test to see

how many amps each leg is drawing. When does it trip the breaker,

on start-up, or when the pressure in the tank is making the motor

work harder ? As stated ^^^, what is the amp rating of the motor ?

(should be on the motor data plate) What is the rating and brand of

the 2pole breaker ? Maybe you just need a bit more umph out of the

c/b panel...

Uncle Bob

I can probably get an ammeter, the breaker panel is GE and so are the breakers. I could replace them with 20 amp breakers, it does trip the breakers on startup but I currently do not have the drive belt connected to the pump so there is no resistance on the motor.

 

[Davefr]

Does the motor try and start or does it just hum and then trip the breaker. What happens if you power it on and then give it a spin manually?

Most motor problems are in the starting circuit such as centrifical switches and capacitors.

I would not buy a $350 motor!!!

 

[dottedzebra]

Be sure that all the wiring in the circuit is at least 12 gauge before putting in a 20 amp breaker. I think that usually the larges possible breaker for the wiring is already installed.

 

[Always_Thinkin]

You may be able to send it to a local shop that rebuilds electric motors/altenators etc. It has been a while so I am not sure how much it would cost. It would be worth having it looked at.

 

[brownbagg]

are you sure that motor wired for 220, that model can be wired as 110 or 220

 

[Falcon67]

Startup surge may be beating up those 15A breakers.

 

[AV tinker er]

are you sure that motor wired for 220, that model can be wired as 110 or 220

How do I check that? When I was given the compressor it had a 220 plug on it.

 

[AV tinker er]

Startup surge may be beating up those 15A breakers.

It runs for 2-3 seconds before tripping one leg of the circuit. How long does it take for current to stabilize? Once the motor is at operating speed?
The guy that gave me the unit said it worked but he used his dryer outlet for which is substantially more potential than my circuit.

 

[kevinwilly]

If it's constantly tripping the same breaker every time, you might just have a bad breaker. I've come across this half a dozen or so times in the past. At least twice with air compressors. The inductive load the motors create on startup is HUGE and if a breaker is on its way out it just can't handle it.

Do you have a dryer outlet you can try it on? I've always had at least 30 or 40amp breakers for my bigger compressors... but that's because I also ran my welder on the same circuit (but not both at the same time, obviously).

 

[Falcon67]

Some other notes - it's not a 6.5HP motor. If it pulls the rated 15A, it's a 5HP motor. (15A * 240V)/745w = 4.83HP It was just tagged 6.5 "peak" before the government made the compressor labels carry more truth in advertising. As noted, a 12-2 circuit with 20A breakers would be the minimum to run that compressor. Sounds like one of the existing breakers is just giving out first. The motor is probably fine, you need more overhead capacity on the power line to the compressor.

 

[Spareparts]

Unplug it and blow it out, might be dirty, maybe the capicators are bad. I am with others and it should be a bigger breaker.

 

[AbitNutz]

I have an IR SS5L5 (not the SS4L5 they have now) and I paid $700.00 for it at a Tractor Supply 2 years ago Christmas. Display model, great deal..yada..yada...yada...

I think yours is a better compressor than mine. If the tank and compressor are good...and they probably are...I would likely put in whatever it took to fix it.

Saying that, the motor is may good as well. It does sound like an issue outside of the motor. Usually when they die, they don't turn before they blow the breaker.

I'm sure you know this but once a breaker blows, it can sometimes go stupid and start tripping at random.

 

[NCtim]

Chris is correct. He wins the prize. I know this because I had a pre-1990 compressor taken to a service shop and they shared the same info with me back then. I wasn't having an electrical issue though. Mine was the relief valve giving way before max pressure reached. The tech just shared some info with me. All my wiring is 12 gauge minimum.

I was running two framing nailers and a power gluer from mine when this started while framing my house.

 

[Big-Foot]

Possibly a bad check valve.

If you can drain the tank empty, then turn it on and it runs for a good while before slowing down and popping the breaker, the check valve i probably hung open.

It happened to me on two different compressors.

 

[volaredon]

if it is a bad motor, CL and Ebay can be a big help.

 

[volaredon]

oh and you have your 220 circuit set up as 2 seperate breakers? It does the job but I am thinking youd be better with a single pole double throw breaker anyway with that where the reset knobs for both legs on the breaker switch, are one piece.

 

[AV tinker er]

So I replaced the 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp, still no joy. I found a electric motor repair shop in town. If the motor is good, could the switch be causing the breaker to throw? I ohm check the cord to see if it has a short and nothing there. Could it be dirty contacts? Is there a relay somewhere that could have corroded terminals after several years of no use?

 

[RAPID49]

check your unloader valve

 

[mellamoesrico]

Are you are using 2 separate 110V circuit breakers on the same side of the panel but not right above each other? If so, these might be in phase with each other, and you are only sending 110V to the motor. It sounds like that's possible from the way from you describe only one breaker tripping. The double pole breakers are forced to trip together by the little metal bar that connects their two handles together. The double pole 220V breakers (double height) reach across from the left bus bar to the right bus bar to create 220V.

The bus bars on the left side and the right side of the breaker panel are 180 degrees out of phase with each other. The bus bar in the middle is neutral. Left bus to neutral is 110V. Right bus to neutral is 110V (but 180 deg out of phase with left bus bar). Left bus to right bus is the only way to get 220V. On most panels, every breaker slot in a column is fed from alternating buses. That way when you install a double pole 220V breaker, one leg is fed from left bus bar and the other is fed from the right bus bar.

Try to find the FLA rating on the motor nameplate. FLA is full load amps, and a true 5 HP motor will generally have an FLA of about 23 amperes at 220V. You need a circuit breaker that is at least that large. If its a dual voltage motor, then it should already be wired up in the peckerhead for 220V, since the guy you got it from was running it on his dryer outlet, which is definitely 220V.

 

[jobey]

I had a buddy that had the same problem with his compressor. I took it home to start to tinker with it. I also changed my 15 amp breaker to a 20 amp, to no avail. So I took the capacitors off and brought them to a local HVAC supply store. They had a capacitor checker and checked both for me. Turned out the start capacitor was bad.

 

[nehog]

1. you need breakers bigger than 15 amp for a 15 amp motor load.
2. You need a proper 240 volt breaker (ganged handles) not two separate breakers.
3. It is very unlikely the motor is bad if it worked before at your friends house.

Fix the breakers, make sure the circuit is big enough (12 AWG or better 10 AWG) and the breaker is 20 amp (or 30 if you have 10 AWG wiring).

After fixing the breakers, then measure startup and running currents with an accurate ammeter. These values will tell you what the motor's condition is.