reversing single phase motor

[SDMike]

Good Morning. I have a 3/4hp electric motor that I am trying to switch from CW to CCW rotation. I do not think it is as simple as flipping the black and white wire locations, but maybe it is. Tried to find
info on the internet, but I am about to take it to an electric motor place in town. Thought I would try here first. Thanks for any help.

Mike

 

[John T]

I think sone of the other fine gents who have time may even come up with a wiring diagram or instructions but basically you reverse the wiring to THE START WINDING if I recall correct no warranty is been way too long.......Im sure others will take the time to look up more specifics maybe even some color codes if they exist.....I left the Century Electric Motor Company nearly 50 years ago and seem to have forgotten all that stuff lol

John T

 

[Paul Janke]

I am guessing that it will help to know the information on the tag with the voltage, RPM, manufacturer, etc. I had a motor where the needed wiring to reverse it was not accessible. I was able to reverse it by swapping the shaft end for end. That was probably twenty years ago so details on how I did it are long lost.

 

[Russ from MN]

Paul, I did that once too, it was on a water pump motor that I repurposed for an air compressor. Water pump motors are not electrically reversible because it would spin the impeller off and ruin the pump.

 

[Destroked 450]

Is there a wiring data plate or decal on the motor
Normally it s a simple mater of swapping two wires
An example would be swapping the black wire to the connector where the orange wire is and moving the orange wire to the connector where the black wire was
That was just an example as I have found the wire colors vary depending on what country the motor was made in

I can look at the tags on my spare feed line and fan motors to see what they say but that doesn t mean your motor uses the same wire colors

 

[Phil Tibbetts]

Should be instructions on a tag or plate. Usually you just need to swap 2 wires and the tag will tell you which ones. I've done it many times, and you can also wire it up with a double throw double pole switch so it can be switched for use such as a metal lathe. With single phase you won't have instant reverse like 3 phase. You will need to wait until the motor stops before switching.

 

[SDMike]

Thanks to all. There is no tag (that I can find) but I will look again for a made in stamp.

Mike

 

[Roger in Iowa]

Instructions may be on the inside of the plate you removed.

 

[Steve@Advance]

If you have the motor tag with the brand and model information, it can probably be found online.

Need to get it right, guessing can instantly let the smoke out!

 

[Geo-TH,In]

If you can't find instructions as others said, then you have to take the motor apart. Locate the end switch.
One wire connected to the end switch is a power wire and the other wire is connected to the start winding.
Using an ohmmeter locate the other wire of the start winding.
Those two start wires need to be reversed.
I'm not a EE, just a redneck EE.
Good luck. Sometimes it's a head scratcher.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I took a motor from a bandsaw and put it on the drill press (both the china cheapies) and had to reverse it. It had two wires connected each line. I swapped the leads for the start windings to reverse.

 

[Destroked 450]

Looked 3 motors I have, Marathon, Century, GE, all made in Mexico
All said to reverse motor interchange red and black wires
That doesn t mean your will be the same

 

[buickanddeere]

swap the polarity of the start winding

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 14:20:32 02/10/23)
Looked 3 motors I have, Marathon, Century, GE, all made in Mexico
All said to reverse motor interchange red and black wires
That doesn t mean your will be the same

I'll bet it is the same. The wiring in the OP's picture matches this diagram you posted above other than the yellow/black wire, which is the purple wire on the motor.

This post was edited by BarnyardEngineering on 02/11/2023 at 03:13 pm.

 

[Leroy]

I have had OLD motors that I was told were not reversable. Made before reversable came about.

 

[SDMike]

I swapped the black and red, it is a GE motor. Now runs CCW. Thanks to all!!

Mike

 

[Destroked 450]

Glad that worked for you

 

[miangus]

Other gave you the correct answer. I have an older motor on my drill press that has adjustable brushes that has a forward and reverse setting, just loosen the nut and rotate the brush holder. It has a patent date of 1921.

 

[cleddy]

I also have a motor with brushes and I can vary the speed and reverse by a lever coming out of the motor at the back that rotates the brushes. It is a 1.5 HP GE motor so a name brand. I would imagine it is very old or special purpose as it is on a 1913 Horizontal Milling machine that I still use to do a repeat hobby job. It runs kind of hot and has a duty cycle of 50% or something. It is maybe about one of the only 3-4 brush type motors I have seen in my 70 years of life??(not counting small drills and saws)Cleddy

 

[Hdonly]

(quoted from post at 05:56:06 02/13/23) Other gave you the correct answer. I have an older motor on my drill press that has adjustable brushes that has a forward and reverse setting, just loosen the nut and rotate the brush holder. It has a patent date of 1921.

That is what is called a "repulsion" motor.