I have an old lasko window fan that works but the switch got sticky and stopped working. It is a 2 speed reversible motor. The switch was an Ark-les switch which used slides to make the contacts. The wiring diagram has been long gone but after lots of tests I've come up with which wires need to go where. It also has a 3 MFD capacitor My question... is the a way to wire this with toggle switches or do I need to get something else?

Low - Forward
Hot, 2, 4
1(INS)
Com, 3, 5

Low - Reverse
Hot, 2, 5
1(INS)
Com, 4, 3

High - Forward
Hot, 1
2, 4
Com, 5, 3

High - Reverse
Hot, 1
2, 5
Com, 4, 3
any help at all would be greatly appreciated!

 

It seems that it could be controlled by having two toggle switches.
One switch to have three positions: Forward, Center off, Reverse, and the second switch two positions, Low, and High.
Both switches will need to be double pole, double throw, with one having a center off position.
Probably you should not reverse the direction while the blade is turning.
Detailed connection descriptions in a later post.

 

Wow! Thank you so much! I have both of those switches. I just have studied it for a long longggg time and tried different configurations on paper but can't figure it out. I'm no expert and am just doing it for a hobby. I'll post some pics of the old switch and motor as well

Also ohm readings are:
3, 2 = 33
3, 1 = 21.5
2, 1 = 11.5
4, 1 = 144.5
The rest are OL or no reading

 

Hey MisterBill, I was just wondering if you had a chance to look at how I should wire the connections on this motor?

 

I have an old lasko window fan that works but the switch got sticky and stopped working. It is a 2 speed reversible motor. The switch was an Ark-les switch which used slides to make the contacts. The wiring diagram has been long gone but after lots of tests I've come up with which wires need to go where. It also has a 3 MFD capacitor My question... is the a way to wire this with toggle switches or do I need to get something else?

Low - Forward
Hot, 2, 4
1(INS)
Com, 3, 5

Low - Reverse
Hot, 2, 5
1(INS)
Com, 4, 3

High - Forward
Hot, 1
2, 4
Com, 5, 3

High - Reverse
Hot, 1
2, 5
Com, 4, 3
any help at all would be greatly appreciated!

OK, there may be some confusion here. I had guessed that the connections here were between the marked terminals on the switch. and that the numbers in the center were just connected to each other. certainly that can be verified by a close inspection of the switch operation, even if they are not making contact. With the view in that last photo it should be possible to check continuity for each switch position and list which terminals are connected to which terminals for each button being pressed. Also, the capacitor must be connected some place, and that is mot obvious to me now.
It still should be possible to do with toggle switches, but now I am not as certain as I was as to exactly how.

 

2 speed reversible motor

Does it have to reverse ?

 

OK, there may be some confusion here. I had guessed that the connections here were between the marked terminals on the switch. and that the numbers in the center were just connected to each other. certainly that can be verified by a close inspection of the switch operation, even if they are not making contact. With the view in that last photo it should be possible to check continuity for each switch position and list which terminals are connected to which terminals for each button being pressed. Also, the capacitor must be connected some place, and that is mot obvious to me now.
It still should be possible to do with toggle switches, but now I am not as certain as I was as to exactly how.

The original way it was hooked up was..
•Wire #1 (on fan (black)) > pin #1 on switch
•Wire #2 (on fan) > pin# 2 on switch
*(with a jumper to pin #3 on switch)*
•Wire #3 (on fan) > L2 on switch
•Wire #4 (on fan) > pin #4
•Wire #5 (on fan) > 3MFD capacitor
• The other side of capacitor went to pin #6 on switch

Also in regards to the original power cord on the fan... it was not a grounded plug and the male end could be reversed and inserted into the duplex either way. So one side came from the outlet to a thermostat, then from the other side of the thermostat to L1 on switch. The other side of the power cord went to L2 on the switch.

I was able to do the continuity checks and here's what I came up with...(each line is a different set of the connections made on the switch. Listed above is what each pin on the switch had connected too. Also high gear in both directions has three different connections and low gear in both directions leaves wire #1 (on fan) alone and not connected to anything)

REMEMBER THERE WAS A JUMPER FROM PIN #2 TO PIN #3 ON SWITCH. NOTHING ELSE CONNECTED TO PIN #3 ON SWITCH EXCEPT JUMPER FROM PIN #2

Low - Forward
L1, 2, 4
L2, 6
1 - INS

Low - Reverse
L1, 2, 6
L2, 4
1 - INS

High - Forward
L1, 1
L2, 6
2, 4

High - Reverse
L1, 1
L2, 4
2, 6

I'll attach a picture of the back of the switch showing the pins (the one by itself not labeled never had anything on it)

Thanks MisterBill and everyone else for helping me with this project. I hate to just trash it because I know it works both directions and both speeds but only when I manually connect the appropriate wires. Hence the reason I'm trying to figure out how to apply switches to do the connecting. Thanks a bunch for all your help, it is greatly appreciated!

Aaron

 

Does it have to reverse ?

The fan motor is stated to have a revers mode.

I have had a similar window fan acquired many years ago, also reverse-able, with three speeds in each direction, controlled by a seven position rotary switch. Since it has never failed to operate correctly I have not needed to investigate the control scheme. That fan is branded as "Westinghouse", produced in an era prior to the introduction of really rotten quality imported garbage-quality products.

 

The fan motor is stated to have a revers mode.

I have had a similar window fan acquired many years ago, also reverse-able, with three speeds in each direction, controlled by a seven position rotary switch. Since it has never failed to operate correctly I have not needed to investigate the control scheme. That fan is branded as "Westinghouse", produced in an era prior to the introduction of really rotten quality imported garbage-quality products.

I do remember seeing the slightest bubbly looking "W" on the motor that was very faint. The data tag was nothing more than a red sticker and unreadable.

 

So do you think i should get a rotary switch instead of trying to use toggle switches?

 

So do you think i should get a rotary switch instead of trying to use toggle switches?

NO!!! I have no idea as to how that switch is connecting inside. That button switch is probably simpler to trace out all of the switch patterns for speed selection and direction selection.