Re-purposing a washing machine motor

Thread Starter

HeezeyBrown

Joined Jan 17, 2019
3
I'm trying to re-purpose a washing machine motor to power a grain mill, but all the pictures/diagrams that I've been able to find online don't match the motor that I have. All of them have many different wires for varying winding speeds, but mine doesn't have that. I'm new to this sort of stuff, so I'm not sure where to start? I've tried researching by the motor model number, but haven't gotten anywhere there either. Again, all the results show motor wiring that looks different.

I purchased this motor at the ReStore, so not sure what washing machine it came out of. I'll attach some pictures.

E113 Model S68ZZSRB - 6287
HP. 1/2
Volts 115
Amp 9.0
HZ. 60
RPM 1725

I found this youtube video that was pretty similar, but again, had way more wires:
 

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MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
If it is a single speed and does not use a start cap, just a start winding then it could be like this.
You would need to find the highest resistance winding and this would be the Start winding.
Max.

 

Standisher

Joined Jan 16, 2015
156
I wonder if this video may help you in any way ? You do not say how many wires your motor has so I don't know whether his washing machine motors have more than yours.

Edit: Just seen the photo's you included and it looks like your motor only has three wires? If so, perhaps Live, Neutral & Earth.
 
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Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
I presume Motor6.jpg is showing a centrifugal switch for disconnecting a start winding.
Looks to me as though the top left connector is in the wrong position. It isn't inserted far enough into the switch housing to enable the blade contact to reach it, or to match the extent the other connectors have been inserted. It may also need rotating a half turn to fit better in the housing, or perhaps was meant to go in the next slot down in the housing to make the switch function as a normally-closed type.
 

Thread Starter

HeezeyBrown

Joined Jan 17, 2019
3
Yeah, Standisher was right, 3 wires, live, natural, & earth. After reading tons of forums full of engineers trying to explain to non-engineers how washing machine motors work, I succumbed to the fact that a wiring diagram will never make sense to me.

And since trial and error is how I learn the best...I just started hooking up wires and plugged the bastard in, lol. I couldn't figure out how a start capacitor would wire into this motor...so I just skipped it, lol. It'd didn't blow up, only smelled like burning a couple of times, lol. But it eventually worked.

In case anybody else stumbles across this post in the future, the blue & black wires had to be connected together as the "hot" connection and the white wire is the "neutral". I just stripped a computer power cable, connected blue&black to one wire, connected white to the other wire and Bob's your uncle, a working motor. I still have no idea how it works, but it works. Guess I'll stick to computers and brewing beer.

Thanks for all the help and replies.
 

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LesJones

Joined Jan 8, 2017
4,174
I think white is the common of one end of the run winding and one end of the start winding. I think Black and blue are the other ends of the start and run windings. Measure the resistance between white and black and between white and blue. the one with the higher resistance value will be the start winding. I agree with Alec_t's comments in post #4 that the black plastic assembly is the contacts for the centrifugal switch. I think the thin plastic moving part in the middle (Picture motor6 in post #1) should move down when the motor is up to speed. It looks like it is in the down position with the motor stopped which is wrong, Part of the contact assembly is also missing or in the wrong position as it should join the black and blue wires when the motor is stopped. (But disconnect them when the motor is up to speed.) I suggest that you connect a switch between the black and blue wires. put the switch in the on position. connect the power to the white wire and the wire that you have identified as the run winding from the resistance checks. apply power. the motor should start. After about a second move the switch to the off position. The motor should keep running. (You are simulating the function of the centrifugal switch with the switch.) If this works as expected you will have to repair the centrifugal switch.

Les.
 

Thread Starter

HeezeyBrown

Joined Jan 17, 2019
3
You're right about the switch being in the wrong position in the motor6 picture. The switch was disconnected from the motor in that pic, so I could take it apart and see inside. When its put together and screwed onto the motor, the blue and black wire are connected in the off position.

The question is, with all the current parts I have, I don't see how the blue and black wire would become disconnected after start? There is nothing to activate the switch to break the connection. I'm assuming there is something missing?

Is it an issue if I just leave it as is and leave the black and blue wire touching during use? I'm only going to use it for a few minutes every couple of weeks to mill some grains. I'm going to use a pulley/belt system to use the motor at around 200 rpm, instead of 1750rpm. So the motor running at high speed would be no issue.
 

LesJones

Joined Jan 8, 2017
4,174
In the picture motor6 in post #1 it looks like something is sticking out of the back of the motor under the switch assembly. I think this is linked to the centrifugal mechanism and moves up or down to operate the contact inside the switch when the motor is up to speed. If you have the start winding permanently connected it will probably burn out.

Les.
 
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