Electric motor testing
Electrical motor is the common used in industry all over the world.It very important device to made production smoothly.To ensure the electrical motor condition is good or not,we must know how to testing it.
The electrician or maintenance person must have this skill to determine the electrical motor condition,defected or cannot use anymore.It can save the repair cost and maintenance expenditure.
How to testing electric motor?
- Check the appearance of motor.find any defect at body,cooling fan or shaft.
- Try to swing manually the rotor shaft check the bearing condition.Check either it smooth rotating or not.
- Collect the motor data from motor NAME PLATE.It very important to know about specs of motor before we testing.
- Ensure the terminal for power supply in good condition.Check the connection bar for terminal ( U,V,W ).What kind of connection for terminal.( STAR OR DELTA ).
- Please confirm first the power supply VOLTAGE for electric motor.It single phase or three phase type.
- Using the multimeter,check the continuity of winding from phase to phase ( U to V,V to W ,W to U ).Each phase to phase must have a continuity if winding is OK.
- Check the motor winding ohms reading using multimeter or ohmmeter for phase to phase terminal ( U to V,V to W ,W to U ).Reading for each phase must same within one or two ohms deference.If no reading,maybe winding was defect.
- Check the insulation resistance of motor winding using Insulation tester meter on 500 Volt scale.First check from phase to phase ( U to V,V to W ,W to U ) and second check from phase to earthing ( U to E,V to E ,W to E ).According to standard IEEE 43: IR test minimum value of the electric motor is a 1 Mega Ohm ( 1 MΩ ) . It mean winding is in good condition.Refer my last post how to test motor using insulation tester meter.
- After all step we perform and the testing result is OK,now we test in actual condition.Why we test it with power supply?It is to ensure no mechanical defect like bearing problem or unbalance rotor movement.
- When motor is running,we must check the AMPERE of motor using Clamp on meter.Refer to FLA at name plate of motor.
- If every step is completed,now we can decide the condition of electrical motor either OK or NEED TO REPAIR.
Now i hope you`ll can get some step how to check or testing the electrical motor from my post this time.This is a guide for all technician or maintenance person for improve their skills for troubleshooting….TROUBLESHOOTING IS ART :D
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Should we check the no load current and noise level too?.
for more detail and deep analysis,you can check for that parameter.
sir, i want to know how we can find out six terminal name (u1, u2 etc) if their name is not given on motor name plate.
please refer my post : http://www.electricneutron.com/electric-motor/star-delta-motor-connection/.I discuss detail how to find out six terminal for electric motor
Thank you for your post; From above it was recommended that insulation test be done on phase to phase. I want to ask why need to test for phase to phase. we already tested phase to phase using multimeter for continuity or being opened; hence phase to phase insulation testing for me would not be needed.
For me it for checked insulation between phase to phase of winding to ensure it not leakage to each other due to insulation varnish failed.In my last experience,i already faced with winding leakage phase to phase.I cannot detected when using multimeter but found it when perform insulation tester :D some time the insulation varnish not working in proper condition…
So before this Phase to phase insulation test is conducted; the phases are isolated first are isolated sir. Thank you very much.
I wonder how could I test the range hood single phase electric motors and the sliding switches?
Hello Joe.
High respect you for share your experience.
I would like to fulfill more at least with one important point about testing of motors insulation:
Motors in factory (producer) have to be checked phase to ground 2*Un+1000V according EN 60 034-1 (acc. Europe standard at least).
You can do it by multimeter with small (manual) power generator. Because it is very important, when you control motor by frequency inverter(FI). All FI has parasitic voltage effect 2,5*Un supply each sinusoidal peak for few piko-seconds (I don’t know any FI producer, who doesn’t have it and all motors lifespan (winding) is calculated twice shorter if it’s controlled by FI). For example BEVI brand all motors for 400V are tested winding insulation with 2500V.
If you connect FI to old didn’t tested motor, it can cause fault frequency inverter, because obsolete and impaired insulation, which is enough for direct connection.
Hi Andrius…
Thanks for the great input and describe about motor insulation testing.
The easiest and fastest way to quickly find out the health of a motor winding and rotor (and if needed use a trending software for following up) is to use one of our hand held instruments manufactured and patented by ALL-TEST Pro.
we are marketing and selling these instruments globally but have a few countries in Europe and Scandinavia where we are actively searching for a good distributor.
Please visit our website.