Singer Clutch Motor And Switch Question

[Kwild]

I have an electrical question that i could use some help with. I'm running a Singer 211g with a 1/2hp Singer motor, through a Singer switch. When I turn the machine on, I cause a brown-out in my house with the current draw! Strangely, once it's up to speed, it still causes the lights to dim every time I start sewing.

I can't find any information online in regards to the singer part numbers on the starter box, or what I believe to be a capacitor inside that box. Here are the motor specs:

Motor Singer K-432161

Voltage 105/115

HP 1/2

Phase 1

Rpm 3450

Amp 5

This seems like a very low amperage draw for this motor, But I am no motor expert.

The starter switch is located in a singer box labelled 1/2hp, 250 VAC, 1phase, part no 198843. Inside the box is a square black thing that I believe is a capacitor. It is marked with part number 198841. Above that is written 12MF 330 VAC. On the bottom of this thing is written STE 61 335 17A

The thing that seems odd to me is that although this is a single phase 115 V motor there are four wires coming off of the switch to the motor. It is wired with a regular 110 V plug and three wire cord to the switch. On the motor side of the switch there is a black and a white wire going to the motor. There is also a wire coming from the same terminal that the white is connected to, going to the capacitor. The other lead from the capacitor goes to the motor.

I can understand the peak amperage draw required to get the heavy clutch spinning. Maybe I'd be better served with a dedicated 20 amp circuit for my machine. What confuses me most is the way it is wired, and the heavy draw every time I begin sewing.

Any insights would be appreciated.

Kris

[TinkerTailor]

That does not sound like things are good. I recommend not even plugging it in until you or an electrical savvy person ensures it is electrically safe. With a multi meter. Look for ground faults. The motor may have issues causing excess power draw due to high impedance. This can be tested at an alternator/electric motor rebuilding shop.

If it is ok, check how many other devices are sharing the same circuit in the house/shop. Find one that is unused, 1/2hp and 5 amp draw is a pretty big load to share with even a couple incandescents.

Sewing on it if it has a short or is overloading a circuit may kill you or burn down the house. Brown-outs are no joke.

Edited January 18, 2016 by TinkerTailor

[Kwild]

Thanks for the heads-up. I guess I hadn't considered a dangerous possibility, since I wasn't even tripping the 15 amp breaker that I'm on.

K

[TinkerTailor]

Electricity does funny things. Any time an electrical device causes issues with another device, it is cause for alarm and some investigation. Properly designed and loaded electrical systems, both in the machine and in the premises should not do what you are describing.

[Northmount]

Does it dim the lights only on one circuit, or in the whole house? If the whole house, you have a problem with your electrical supply from your breaker panel out to the utility.

If it is only one one circuit, you may have too many items on that circuit, even though running less than 15 A. Though another possibility is a poor connection anywhere from your breaker (either side of it) to your receptacle you are plugged into. I have seen poor connections on the breaker to the bus bar it is attached to. I have also seen loose connections/terminals in receptacles in the string between the one you are using and the breaker. Fun to trace when you can't see the cabling!

Another possibility is aluminum wiring improperly installed, or mismatched with the receptacle terminal screws or the breaker terminal screw. Sometime you will hear buzzing or a crackling sound. The poor quality joint heats up and may cause a fire.

I was wondering about the motor capacitor, but the motor runs so may be is okay.

Tom

[Kwild]

Great additional thoughts. I suspect that there is too much on the circuit supplying that end of the house. I believe the lights and recepticals in the bedrooms are on the same circuit.

I think I may have wrapped my head around the wiring to and from the capacitor. I'm used to dealing with single phase motors that have a start capacitor mounted right on them. In that configuration I'm never seeing the connection between the power supply and the cap. With the cap far away from the motor, there must have to be an extra wire to feed the start windings from the cap. Once it's up to speed, the run windings take over, and the start cap is isolated from the system. At least I hope that's the invisible magic that's happening...

I've traced the voltage from the wall to the motor and get a solid 120v the entire way

Here's an unusual addition: beside where the leads connect to the motor, are two connections to feed a light. Presently they are connected to a standard receptacle mounted under the table. My lamp is not plugged in there. When I check the voltage across those two points I only get 7v. Wha??

I'm going to try running a heavy extension cord (10g) down to a dedicated receptacle in the garage and see what happens. I'll report back.

Kris

[gottaknow]

Output to Singer lights is 6.3v.

Regards, Eric

[Kwild]

Thanks Eric! Interesting tidbit I had no idea about. I wonder if the previous owner ever figured out why the 110v receptacle they installed from the "light" leads on the motor couldn't power a desk lamp.

I think I'll tuck away those leads inside the motor cover plate to avoid any future confusion.

K

[gottaknow]

That voltage was the industry standard for decades. I'm still using some, but I've changed almost the entire factory over to LED. The lights were used to reduce the heat near where a factory operator would have their head for 8 hours a day. You can still buy the bulbs. They are 6.3v 17watt. We sew mostly dark fabrics, heavyweight Pendleton wool. As a footnote, in deciding on a retro fit bulb, I did a lot of testing. I decided on Phillips LED in the 60w equivalent. Warm white or cool white depending on what the operators prefer.

Regards, Eric

[Kwild]

Update:

I tested the machine on a 15 amp circuit that had nothing else on it, with a 50 foot 10 gage cord. (Only 5 feet of 14g wire from breaker panel to receptacle. I had no dimming of lights anywhere else and things fired up just fine. My conclusion is that there is not only too much on the other circuit, but also a really long run of 14g wire supplying that end of the house. when the house was renovated, the new electrical panel was moved further away and a large conduit installed feeding the old panel, which essentially became a large junction box. That way the walls didn't have to opened up and the wiring rerouted directly to the new panel.

The result of all of that is that there is probably over 100 feet of 14g wire feeding all of the lights and receptacles in the two far rooms of the house. VOLTAGE DROP!

I'm going to put in a 120v 20A dedicated circuit directly to where the machine is likely to live. That way I'll have plenty of capacity within the CB and the wire to handle the heavy jobs.

Thanks for playing along!

Kris