ao smith motor repair

[billmayo]

Let's back up a minute.

You have shown you know which motor wires are the run and start windings.

One wire from the switch(blue) goes to the two run winding wires and the single start winding wire(upper left in your picture). Ignore the start circuit stuff for a minute.

The other wire from the switch(yellow) goes to the other end of the two run windings.

Now for the start circuit. This circuit consists of three things connected in series. the start winding, the start capacitor and the start switch. It does not matter in what order they are connected as long as it is a series 'chain'.

Now the start circuit needs to be connected across the power switch leads(that be where the power source is)(blue/yellow wires).

Since one end of the start winding is connected with the two run winding leads and the blue wire to the switch, that end of the start circuit is fixed.

The start switch has two connections and the capacitor has two connections and there is one remaining start winding connection(wire).

The start winding wire can connect to one terminal of the start switch. The other start switch terminal then connects to one terminal of the start capacitor. The other capacitor terminal must then connect to the other power switch terminal(yellow wire).

The start switch and capacitor can be swapped in that description.

Has anyone measured the resistance (ohms)of each of the set of wires for the run and start windings. In the few Mark VII motors (GE & AO SMITH), I have disassembled, I found that a run winding (1-2 ohms) and the start winding (4-6 ohms) was in parallel and the other run winding (1-2 ohms) was used for the starting circuit. The motors operated OK after I connected the run windings in parallel and used the higher resistance winding as the start winding.

[JPG]

Now that is weird! Doubt it developed full power. Probably started quickly!