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Help me identify dryer motor?

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  • 30-08-2012 9:29pm
    #1
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭


    Hi All,

    Our Beko dryer stopped working and I took it apart tonight to have a look.

    It was turning on fine and starting, but the motor was not turning. I took the rear access panel off and gave the belt a pull and the motor came to life.

    Based on this, I guessed it was worn brushes in the motor, so I proceeded to take the motor out to see about replacing them.

    The only thing is, looking at the motor, I'm wondering if it might actually be a brushless motor, it's got 3 wires connecting it to the controller board and I can't see any obvious signs of where the brushess can be changed.

    I found a picture online of it
    here


    Can anyone more familiar with DC motors tell if that is brushless or not based on pictures? There are more available here

    Also, if it is a brushless motor, what is the likely cause of it not turning? Is it more likely to be the controller unit than the motor itself? (I'm thinking yes, but that wouldn't explain why it worked when I gave the belt a nudge)

    Any help appreciated.
    Thanks


«1

Comments

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    #2
    red sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    Thats a brushless motor.
    Are there any belt tensioners pressing against the belt?
    It's possible the belt has stretched and is no longer gripping the drum or motor pulley enough to cause the drum to rotate.
    I'd try a new belt first.


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    #3
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    sounds like it could be capacitor
    I'm not that familiar but i fixed a dryer with same issue by replacing start cap


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    #4
    red sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    M cebee wrote: »
    sounds like it could be capacitor
    I'm not that familiar but i fixed a dryer with same issue by replacing start cap
    I thought that at first too, but OP said when he puts pressure on the belt it turns.


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    #5
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,440 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    red sean wrote: »
    I thought that at first too, but OP said when he puts pressure on the belt it turns.
    What he said was that he "gave the belt a pull". I interpreted that as holding the belt and pulling it along it's length, as it were, which would have the effect of rotating the motor shaft. If the starter capacitor was gone then wouldn't doing that get it started?

    @OP, usually if the starter cap is gone the motor would make a bit of a humming / buzzing noise. Does it do this?


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    #6
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,440 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    BTW there's a dedicated Home Appliances forum here and also an Electrical forum here . In the Electrical forum there's a guy called robbie7730 who seems to know an awful lot about electric motors.


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    #7
    red sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    Alun wrote: »
    What he said was that he "gave the belt a pull". I interpreted that as holding the belt and pulling it along it's length, as it were, which would have the effect of rotating the motor shaft. If the starter capacitor was gone then wouldn't doing that get it started?

    @OP, usually if the starter cap is gone the motor would make a bit of a humming / buzzing noise. Does it do this?

    "but that wouldn't explain why it worked when I gave the belt a nudge"
    quote from OP.
    If the capacitor is gone, pushing or pulling the belt wont cause the drum to rotate.


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    #8
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,440 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    red sean wrote: »
    "but that wouldn't explain why it worked when I gave the belt a nudge"
    quote from OP.
    If the capacitor is gone, pushing or pulling the belt wont cause the drum to rotate.
    From the beginning of the post ...
    I took the rear access panel off and gave the belt a pull and the motor came to life.

    :D


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    #9
    red sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    Alun, I'm not argueing with you, it's not my style!
    Only trying to help the op.
    I have many times seen belts stretched as a result of constant use or a lot of use at least.
    I always tend to eliminate the inexpensive options first.
    Op needs to tell us if the motor is capable of starting off load first.
    Sean


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    #10
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,440 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    No problem, I got the impression from the OP's post that the motor wasn't turning at all, rather than not turning the drum due to a loose belt, but I agree, I think we need a bit more information from the OP to clarify that point.


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    #11
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    seems to me he's saying the motor wasn't turning 'til he started it by pulling belt


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    #12
    red sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    M cebee wrote: »
    seems to me he's saying the motor wasn't turning 'til he started it by pulling belt
    I agree it's a bit confusing!
    It appears the belt was on when he pulled it.
    I still doubt if the motor will turn the drum with a pull or nudge (op's words)of the belt if the cap. is gone. But could be wrong.
    We'll need more info.:)


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    #13
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kdouglas


    Hey guys,

    Sorry for the lack of clarity, the belt appears to be fairly well tensioned, certainly not loose enough to slip from what I can see.

    The motor was still mounted in the dryer with belt connected. I turned the dryer on and it didn't turn (humming noise from motor, couldn't see the spindle turning), I gave the belt a pull in the direction it would normally turn and the motor started turning then.

    A friend of mine (who knows quite a bit about electronics) suggested it is a brushed motor due to it being 3 wire, 1 neg, 1 pos and 1 rpm report. Whereas brushless would likely have 4, 2 power 1 pwm and 1 report.
    Although that was based on a small mobile phone picture and if it was brushless it could just be absent the report/rpm wire?

    The dryer is a Beko DRCS 76W


    Edit: I'm going to try connect up the motor without the belt/drum attached later tonight/tomorrow and see if it spins. If it starts without a load is that an indicator of the capacitor needing replacement?


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    #14
    red sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    I'd agree on the capacitor now. Should be common enough to find.


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    #15
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    ya i think bog standard dryers anyway use the workhorse capacitor start motor


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    #16
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kdouglas


    Alun wrote: »
    BTW there's a dedicated Home Appliances forum here and also an Electrical forum here . In the Electrical forum there's a guy called robbie7730 who seems to know an awful lot about electric motors.

    Thanks, have pm'd him to see if he can suggest anything. Probably should have posted in Home Appliances though...


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    #17
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kdouglas


    red sean wrote: »
    I'd agree on the capacitor now. Should be common enough to find.


    Will check it out and see, any recommendations for somewhere in Dublin/surrounding area I might pick up a capacitor rather than ordering online and waiting for delivery? (Really could do with a working dryer again)


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    #18
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,440 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    The reason for the three wires might be that it's a reversible motor. So 1 neutral and 2 lives. Single direction AC motors have 2 wires only.


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    #19
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,440 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    kdouglas wrote: »
    Will check it out and see, any recommendations for somewhere in Dublin/surrounding area I might pick up a capacitor rather than ordering online and waiting for delivery? (Really could do with a working dryer again)
    You'd have to find the capacitor and note down the specs which will be written on the casing. Usually a big cylindrical thing, sometimes inside a protective plastic casing.


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    #20
    richiek67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭richiek67


    Capacitor. I had the same problem!


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    #21
    richiek67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭richiek67


    www.e-spares.com is good for that kind of thing.


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    #22
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    kdouglas wrote: »
    Thanks, have pm'd him to see if he can suggest anything. Probably should have posted in Home Appliances though...

    he doesn't know anything:pac:


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    #23
    red sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    OP, as Alun said, get the details off the capacitor and it's possible your local Electrical Wholesaler has one.
    This is similar to what you're looking for:
    http://www.spareparts.ie/shop/Universal-8uf-Capacitor-%28CAP756%29.767


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    #24
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    kdouglas wrote: »
    Hi All,

    Our Beko dryer stopped working and I took it apart tonight to have a look.

    It was turning on fine and starting, but the motor was not turning. I took the rear access panel off and gave the belt a pull and the motor came to life.

    Based on this, I guessed it was worn brushes in the motor, so I proceeded to take the motor out to see about replacing them.

    The only thing is, looking at the motor, I'm wondering if it might actually be a brushless motor, it's got 3 wires connecting it to the controller board and I can't see any obvious signs of where the brushess can be changed.

    I found a picture online of it
    here


    Can anyone more familiar with DC motors tell if that is brushless or not based on pictures? There are more available here

    Also, if it is a brushless motor, what is the likely cause of it not turning? Is it more likely to be the controller unit than the motor itself? (I'm thinking yes, but that wouldn't explain why it worked when I gave the belt a nudge)

    Any help appreciated.
    Thanks

    That looks like a standard single phase induction motor. The main clue is the 2900rpm rating, or synchronous 3000rpm minus the induction slip.

    If the capacitor is faulty, or out of the circuit for any reason such as a faulty centrifugal switch (if the motor has one), a bad connection to the cap etc, then as a single phase induction motor, it will not start itself due to having only 2 opposing points of force.

    But it will start if assisted, such as giving it a push, but would be slower to accelerate up to speed than with the capacitor working properly.


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    #25
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    M cebee wrote: »
    he doesn't know anything:pac:

    Jaysus dont be telling everyone:)


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    #26
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kdouglas


    Thanks for all the help guys, I pulled the capacitor the other day and ordered a replacement from Radionics, hopefully it should be here tomorrow so I'll fit it then and see how it goes, fingers crossed we have a working dryer again :)


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    #27
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kdouglas


    kdouglas wrote: »
    Thanks for all the help guys, I pulled the capacitor the other day and ordered a replacement from Radionics, hopefully it should be here tomorrow so I'll fit it then and see how it goes, fingers crossed we have a working dryer again :)


    Just thought I'd come back and follow up, the new capacitor sorted the problem with the motor, but now it seems the dryer isn't heating, I've posted across in the home appliances forum to see if anyone there can help with the heating element.

    Thanks


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    #28
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    kdouglas wrote: »
    kdouglas wrote: »
    Thanks for all the help guys, I pulled the capacitor the other day and ordered a replacement from Radionics, hopefully it should be here tomorrow so I'll fit it then and see how it goes, fingers crossed we have a working dryer again :)


    Just thought I'd come back and follow up, the new capacitor sorted the problem with the motor, but now it seems the dryer isn't heating, I've posted across in the home appliances forum to see if anyone there can help with the heating element.

    Thanks
    is there any reset button inside dryers -im not sure


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    #29
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kdouglas


    M cebee wrote: »
    is there any reset button inside dryers -im not sure

    I was wondering maybe if when the motor went it popped a fuse that would be somehow related to the heating element, gonna take the front panel off this evening and see what I can find...


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    #30
    M cebee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭M cebee


    there may be a resettable cut-out near the heater -i can't recall

    'if you know what you're doing' you could possibly check for 230v at heater

    resistance of heater element should be about 25ohms or thereabouts i'd say if it's in working order

    i'm not too familiar with dryers


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    #31
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kdouglas


    M cebee wrote: »
    there may be a resettable cut-out near the heater -i can't recall

    'if you know what you're doing' you could possibly check for 230v at heater

    resistance of heater element should be about 25ohms or thereabouts i'd say if it's in working order

    i'm not too familiar with dryers

    When I checked the other day I couldn't pick up any voltage at the element, another reason why I suspect the element itself may be OK but there is a controller/fuse issue preventing it from heating.


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