A Bit Of A Fright

[SKIPRAT]

I just thought i would mention something that happened to me the other day.I was working on my lathe stopped the spindle took a job out of the chuck put another in
hit the start button and just about had a heart attack! there was a loud bang and a puff of smoke from the vicinity of the motor i sat down calmed myself down and had a look at the motor saw nothing much wrong with it externally so i cautiously hit the start button again motor just vibrated but did not start so i isolated the electrics took of the lid on the plastic box above the motor i was greeted by a very sorry looking capacitor as shown in the pictures it had detonated and split open so off i went to a motor repair and rewind shop about a mile away and got a replacement installed it and away you go back to normal running. I had a word with the guy at the motor pepair shop and he said it was a common fault . Well the motor had done about 4.000 starts and stops in the last 2weeks at a rate of about 100 perhour!

 

[SKIPRAT]

Here are the pictures i forgot to post earlier

Cheers Paul

 

[Artie]

mmmmm..... I reckon you could fix that....... :

 

[zeeprogrammer]

This is why it's good to turn things off when they're not needed.

When I was in college I worked for a small company that made systems that used a camera and took pictures of microwave panels. The systems were also sold to amusement parks that would take a picture and print it out on a calendar.

This was back in the day of IMSAI machines and S-100 boards. We built our own. Their practice was to leave the system on overnight to 'burn it in'. It sure did. We came in one day...heard a loud pop...and saw flames coming out of one of the systems. A capacitor had been put in backwards. If we hadn't been there when it happened...a building might have burned down putting several businesses out of business.

I've also seen wall power packs melt. That was years ago and quality is better...but still. Unplug it. Good for the environment anyway.

 

[Troutsqueezer]

When your heat pump/AC system doesn't start and maybe just hums, the fix is the same. Also the same if you are on a well and suddenly there's no water.

If you were really well prepared, you'd have a couple of starter caps on hand because eventually they will fail and you will get charged hundreds of dollars for someone to undo the single screw, pull the two wires and reattached the new one in about 60 seconds.

Also the same if a mouse crawls across the starting cap and decides to take a nap there. You'll never forget that smell.

-T

 

[Tin Falcon]

Hmmm an incapacitated capcitator. Looks like you need to find a new that is filled with fresh magic smoke. He He He. yes the home shop machinist has to be part electrician too.
Tin