New compressor motor kicks off, within moments of starting

[RalphWD45]

I have an old Gardner Denver, 2 hp compressor. The old 2 hp GE motor burned up, and I ordered a new motor from Surplus Center. The motor is hooked up 230 vt's, and has a diagram for either 120 or 230. I put white to L1, and black to L2, and green to ground. It seems pretty straight foreward to me. On initial start up, it kicked the two 30 amp breakers in the panel, as soon as the motor got wound up, this happened 3 times, so I switched the wires in the panel, over to a set of 40 amp breakers. The same thing happened again repetedly. Thinking that the motor was trying to do more than it was designed for, I removed the belt (load), and started it up, It then kicked off the thermal overload, shortly after starting. Is this a bad New motor?, or is it my wiring job? I don't have a free electrician available! The same wiring used to run the old motor ok, till the mice got into the motor.

 

[Bob]

Sounds like you mucked something up in the voltage change (120 or 240 Volt) wiring area, or the centrifugal start switch is stuck.

If you persist in running it you will let the smoke out of a winding(s), if you haven"t already.

Can you post a snapshot of the motor connection diagram?

 

[dr sportster]

STOP RIGHT THERE ! Now read Bobs post a few times. Stop reseting breaker look for correct hook-up for your voltage. It may be on the back of the plate. Otherwise google it. You remind me a of a foreman I had once where I had to keep jumpng rows of warehouse light together for carpenters to insulate. As the circuit drew more and more amps he kept giving bigger breakers . After the 20 amp lights were on the 50 amp I told him I had no more desire to electrocute any carpenters.
Bigger breaker Not the answer!

 

[M-MAN]

Sounds like it's wired for 120 to me.

 

[RalphWD45]

I am pretty frustrated right now, I have been taking pict's with the Easy Share, and have taken over a dozen, finally chose 4 that seemed clear enough to see. I had the wife crap out on me, and refuse to play computer guru, for me, then had the son, play with the picts for a while, and tell me that they should be on the forum, but when I checked tool talk, there was no post. I guess I am going to have to bite the bullet, and call a electrician, to hook it up for me.

 

[Bob]

Can you email the pictures to me and I"ll post them?

[email protected]

 

[John T]

Not being there and based on what you say, my first educated "guess" has to be its not wired correct, perhaps for 120 and its drawing way too much current.

John T

 

[dr sportster]

You don't need an eletrician. Slow down read this link. You just need to switch some leads to the correct terminals. You know the voltage you have so you are halfway there. See if my link helps. If not keep googling it until you find one easy to understand. Once you are confident you have it wired for 220 then aplly power. Do not apply power before that .
wiring

 

[okierob]

there should be only 1 breaker, a double pole. sounds like you have a separate breaker for each wire.

 

[RalphWD45]

That is just my poor way of saying , double pole breaker. Didn't know what it was called!