More than any other AC load, motors are all about amps.

What do I mean by that? When you have a motor that is misbehaving, the best, most informative electrical test you can do by far is amps. And one of the worst mistakes you could make is to just rely on ohms when testing a motor.

In this recording from one of our biweekly Live Dojo workshops, we go over several different aspects of troubleshooting motors.

Thermal controls are the first order of business. All AC motors have an internal thermal protector that keeps it from overheating when the motor is unable to rotate properly. Like everything else about a motor, these thermal protectors operate based on current. We also discuss in the video the difference between resettable and non-resettable thermal controls.

Interpreting amp readings requires you to have the specs for the motor. We go over where to find these specs and how to interpret them in the video.

Ohms measurements don't tell the whole story with motors. Motors have ohms that are only present when it's rotating, and these ohms can't be picked up by your meter. This all ties into why it is that motors have higher amperage the more load they're under, and why locked rotor amps get so high. It's not that the motors somehow "suck up" more amps -- it all has to do with the relationship between ohms and amps.

Want to learn more about all these topics? Watch the full recording right here. These Live Dojo workshops are open to anyone, so keep an eye on our calendar to join in next one.

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