Reversing An Ac Induction Motor

[edd]

Yesterday I hooked up a 2nd motor for my skiving machine: 1/2hp single phase 240v clutch motor. Unfortunately, I hadn't realised that it turns the wrong way duhh

I've managed the reverse the direction by taking the back off and simply swapping the red capacitor cable from the neutral (blue to white) side of the terminal block, to the live (brown to black).

Is this OK to do or will it mean the motor is under strain or likely to burn out? (It's an AC induction motor.)

Cheers!

[DrmCa]

This is how the 3 phase motors reverse - by putting the capacitor to one or the other phase.

If the motor runs at the same RPM w/o overheating, you've done nothing wrong.

[Northmount]

It is the starting winding that determines the direction the motor runs. Reversing its leads is the way to do it (as you have done). The starting winding is only powered until the motor is nearly to speed, then it cuts out. A centrifugal switch in the end of the motor switches it off. There are other types of induction motors too. If you hear a switch drop out when the motor is coasting down, you have the one using a centrifugal switch. If not, it is the other type (can't remember its type name), and since it works and doesn't lock or buzz, you still made the right choice.

Tom

[edd]

Thanks for your replies fellas. I really don't know much about motors so appreciate the advice. It just seemed way too simple to be a legitimate fix but it seems to be running fine.

Detailed explanation here if anyone else is interested-http://woodgears.ca/motors/reversing.html

[DrmCa]

To make things more complex, there are 4-lead 3 phase motors, where you connect one or the other lead to the phase via a capacitor. So 3 lead motors are usually a breeze to work with.