electric motors for cold weather

[Hobbyman2]

I remember Garys mentioning living in cold climate and was saying he had issues with motor strt during the cold.

I thought I remembered a hvac rep telling me years ago about this issue back then,probably 20 years go , I sent off a email to emerson electric motors and low and behold they are now handled by Nidec , they were kind enough to send a email to Nidec in my behalf,, thank you for the effort to the folks at Emerson,

Nidec sent me a email with link on motors to chose from ,,from dealers in the area ,, you can find dealers in your area here , they did not clear up the issue and sort of left me with the thoughts of here,,,,,, is what ya can get . http://www.usmotors.com/Service-Support ... butor.aspx no reply on the question is there a motor designed for cold weather.

I could be wrong and maybe things have changed,,, if my memory is correct they have motors with ceramic bearings that can handle cold weather .

Again I could be wrong .

Here is the reply


Hi,



Good day and Thank you for contacting Nidec Motor Corporation.



Regarding on your inquiry, please contact a local distributor in your area. You may select from our list by clicking here: http://www.usmotors.com/Service-Support ... butor.aspx or you can contact our International Sales at phone number: 314-595-8299



Thanks,

Jay Santos





Jay Santos | Inside Sales | U.S. MOTORS Brand HVACR Aftermarket
Nidec Motor Corporation | 8050 W Florissant Ave | St Louis, MO 63136

contactus@nidec-motor.com | http://www.usmotors.com

http://www.USMotors.com

[ChrisNeilan]

One of the issues with compressor motors is not the motor itself, but the compressor pump. Most (the good ones) have an oil bath and the oil in cold weather (SAE 30) is a little thick when cold. More drain on the motor, more draw of current. Oil-less is the way to go in the cold- just don't last as long in commercial application.

[Hobbyman2]

Good point

When dealing with the compressor here is a link from

Ingersoll Rand's Top Distributor by Brian Driggars describing the effects of seasonal moisture s well.


https://www.air-components.com/air-compressors-cold


My owners manual for my compressor described using lighter grade oil during the cold months.

One has to assume we follow the manufacture instructions?

[garys]

ChrisNeilan is correct. The problem with cold starts isn't the motor. It is the pump. I get around that by using synthetic compressor oil in my compressor pumps and larger size wire to power the motor.
Synthetic compressor oils come in different weights for different temperatures so that helps.

[ChrisNeilan]

I bought my 60 gallon compressor around 1993. Put in the recommended 30 non-detergant oil. I have never changed it since then, nor have i needed to add to it. I am wondering if I should. This one lives in the garage. I just ordered a new one for the basement shop from California Air. A small 5 gallon unit that is oil less. It also only operates at around 60 decibles so you can hear yourself think when it runs! Not bad for $189 from Amazon! (Free delivery as well!)

[garys]

It depends on the hours you have on the compressor. Your owner's manual for the compressor should have recommended oil change intervals, both for regular oil and synthetic oil types. If the compressor gets run in cold weather, condensation can be a problem and that can put you into a different category of operation.
Cars have oil change interval recommendations for Normal service, and Severe service. You may find that your manual for your compressor has similar recommendations.
Look at the oil. The synthetic oil I use is almost as clear as water out of the bottle. When I see any darkening of the oil in my compressor, I change it even if I have not put anywhere the max hours on it. The oil is recommended for up to 8,000 hours under ideal conditions, which is more hours than most consumer grade compressor pumps are rated for.

[JPG]

Again we have drifted from the original subject(HVAC compressor) to a different subject(air compressor).

[Hobbyman2]

HVAC compressors are a separate breed,,,, it depends on the refrigerant as to the type of oil used ,,,,,, most HVAC compressors in the north have crank case heaters to keep the oil from gelling during the cod months,even though the unit doesnt run,,,, the heater does .


Often thought a air compressor should have the option?

Although oil plays a great part in the cold start,,,,,, it shouldnt be blamed for all issues, my chainsaw is harder to start in the cold and it is 2 stroke,, the lubricating oil is in the gas. my 4 wheeler {{wont crank}} when it is too cold ,,,,the starter becomes too tight it is a 4 stroke.

The way I understand it ,,,,ceramic bearings have little to no friction and dont expand and contract as much as with metal bearings,,,,for what it is worth,, the small oil pads ,,or wipers ,,that provide the oil to the bearings get stiff they can gel up and stop providing oil to the bearings .