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Compressor Motor, Early Failure.

Zoomup

I recently attended a local food takeaway. A walk in chiller had been causing tripping problems. As a last resort the owner had plugged the chiller's compressor straight into another 13 Amp socket on another circuit via an extension lead. An instant trip resulted. The compressor unit had been replaced just over a year ago.

An insulation resistance test by me revealed a near dead short L to E.

Inside the control box/motor housing I saw a label on the big motor capacitor (about 115 microFarads) that said 60 Hz MADE IN MEXICO. Could the  make or design be the cause of the premature failure. The new compressor unit only had cost the owner about £3k just over a year ago. What Voltage is used for single phase equipment in Mexico?

Z.

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  • 0

    AFAIK, several voltages are used in Mexico.  Some parts follow USA practice under which 208 volts, 240 volts or 277 volts are all used, for high loading appliances, with 120 volts for lighting and small appliances. Other places follow South American practice, with 220 volts being popular.  Sometimes from a single phase three wire system at 110/220 volts and sometimes from a three phase four wire system at 220/380 volts.

    The design of the capacitor is unlikely to be relevant. The capacitor might have failed and in so doing might have killed the motor, the motor SHOULD be protected against against such an eventuality.

  • 0 in reply to broadgage

    So, if the thing was designed to run on 220 Volts and was used here on 240 Volts that may have stressed it. Or, if the capacitor has failed, the motor would not start and perhaps burned out. There is nothing obvious regarding burning or strange smells etc. I have advised the owner to get in touch with his refrigeration engineer as I can do no more.

    P.S. Upon initial arrival I found the supplying consumer unit open with no cover. When I was refitting the cover I noticed loose internal tails that just pulled out of the main switch terminals. W.T.F. I thought, who has been meddling in here. I had worked on that consumer unit about 3 to 4 years ago, and I know that I would not have left it like that. It was a plastic consumer unit with a fire just waiting to happen.

    Z.

  • 0 in reply to Zoomup

    An interesting video taken in the States.

    Z.

    WALK IN BREAKER KEEPS TRIPPING - YouTube

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