compressor motor blew up

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Update from Quincy rep

Update from Quincy rep

Hi All.
Thanks again for the input.
A quincy rep in south florida came to the warehouse this morning.
All was Ok with the install… 230v 1-Phase 5 HP
The compressor and motor is the correct one for the customer (small furniture refinisher).
Quincy claims that this motor may have been subject to some temperature extremes as all Quincy
compressors bought at Northern Tool come from the California distribution warehouse.
Travel, temperature and who knows what else during transit may have caused the motor to be compromised. At least this is what the rep said.
They are sending a new motor and a factory installer to replace.
He did recommend a good surge suppressor at the hookup.
Any recommended brands from the Forum members?
Have a great Memorial Weekend.
M3
 
I also agree that if 3 phase was available, then a three phase motor would be the best buy. Way cheaper than 5 HP single phase, easier to start, therefore smaller branch circuit and smaller starter.

Now if the small refinisher was looking to maybe 1. retire and sell equipment in a few years, or 2 move to a single phase location in a few years, then single phase was a better choice (resale higher due to more possible buyers).
 
Jraef said:
"High leg" means absolutely nothing ... You CANNOT get anything higher ...
Click to expand...
True, but it could have been connected to 208 volts (on which it should have been almost OK, maybe a little more current & heat than normal) or 120 volts, on which it might have never started turning and never disengaged the start winding, which would have led to a LOT more current & heat than normal. (but the thermal overload device should have prevented it from getting hot enough to smoke ... unless it wasn't working or wasn't hooked up correctly)
 
drcampbell said:
True, but it could have been connected to 208 volts (on which it should have been almost OK, maybe a little more current & heat than normal) or 120 volts, on which it might have never started turning and never disengaged the start winding, which would have led to a LOT more current & heat than normal. (but the thermal overload device should have prevented it from getting hot enough to smoke ... unless it wasn't working or wasn't hooked up correctly)
Click to expand...
That is ridiculous. There is no evidence that any of what you are saying happened and even if it did there would not have been sparks shooting out of the end bell.
 
mltech said:
Hi All.
Thanks again for the input.
A quincy rep in south florida came to the warehouse this morning.
All was Ok with the install… 230v 1-Phase 5 HP
The compressor and motor is the correct one for the customer (small furniture refinisher).
Quincy claims that this motor may have been subject to some temperature extremes as all Quincy
compressors bought at Northern Tool come from the California distribution warehouse.
Travel, temperature and who knows what else during transit may have caused the motor to be compromised. At least this is what the rep said.
They are sending a new motor and a factory installer to replace.
He did recommend a good surge suppressor at the hookup.
Any recommended brands from the Forum members?
Have a great Memorial Weekend.
M3
Click to expand...
Does the guy think they used an oven as a warehouse? The motor can probably take at least 125 degrees C, maybe even up to 150. 125C = 257F, 150C = 302F, might actually run in those ranges when fully loaded for a few hours.
 
Temperature extremes just from being in California? How hot do you think it gets here? :lol:
Most modern motors use class H insulation, but even if it was class F, the max temperature in storage or transit would need to exceed 311 degrees F before it would damage the insulation. He's just fishing for an excuse to blame someone else to deflect from the fact that nobody tested that compressor before shipping it.

As long as they make it good though, that's all that really matters. Just don't buy into that crazy story. It was a defective motor and nobody checked it out before shipping.
 
Jraef said:
Temperature extremes just from being in California? How hot do you think it gets here? :lol:
Most modern motors use class H insulation, but even if it was class F, the max temperature in storage or transit would need to exceed 311 degrees F before it would damage the insulation. He's just fishing for an excuse to blame someone else to deflect from the fact that nobody tested that compressor before shipping it.

As long as they make it good though, that's all that really matters. Just don't buy into that crazy story. It was a defective motor and nobody checked it out before shipping.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Final thoughts

Final thoughts

FYI!
I only retold the story for the forum.
Personally I didn't believe the story.
Large corporations teach their Reps and employees that it's never manufacturing or design as this would degrade the brand. That's how we get these storylines.
I posted my questions as I was more concerned about my safety and others, as I have never had a motor due that.
Scared the heck out of me. I don't like that it happened!
As Mike Holt teaches in his classes, the "crosshairs" are on us as electricians and this felt too close.
That motor sits 5' high with the switch right next to it.
Probably should have left the circuit off at the breaker, turned on the switch, and then flipped the breaker?
This way I wouldn't have been right in front of it.
Anyway, all is right and moving forward in a positive direction.
Remember this Memorial weekend and what it means.
God Bless!
M3
 
I did a startup on a 600HP blower with a soft starter. I built the soft starter, so my contract included the startup. The same thing happened to that 600HP motor, big blue flame came right out of the bell housing the instant I started it with the soft starter. Motor rep was there but he of course instantly blamed my soft starter. No matter what I said about how there is NO WAY a soft starter can make a motor blow blue flames out of it, but to no avail. So I had to agree to offer to pay for the motor rep to megger the motor and if it was bad , I didn't have to pay. Fortunately I watched him, he had no idea what he was doing. I had to hook it up correctly and of course, it was a winding failing to ground. But again, he kept saying if was my soft starter, so I agreed to pay the contractor to run a temporary hookup to one of the other motors to prove it was fine. It was of course, so the motor supplier had to eat it. I paid the contractor for the temp hookup work but sent the motor supplier the bill. It was a Siemens motor, Siemens eventually paid my bill, but only after threats of legal action.
 
mltech said:
FYI!

Probably should have left the circuit off at the breaker, turned on the switch, and then flipped the breaker?
This way I wouldn't have been right in front of it.
M3
Click to expand...

On our compressors, you have to press the reset button to lock in a safety relay before it can be started after power is applied.
 
ActionDave said:
That is ridiculous. There is no evidence that any of what you are saying happened and even if it did there would not have been sparks shooting out of the end bell.
Click to expand...

and another thing.... this is memorial day. we'd have gotten
sparks only if it was fourth of july.....

i'm suspecting the motor was made overseas, and not in
compliance with US holidays.
 
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