Shopsmith Forums

Couple of questions on wiring my Mark V switch (4-tab DPST).

1. Is my config correct? In my photo: motor leads on top, power cord on the bottom, with each side pairing one motor lead to one cord wire. From Nick Engler's official video (and the manuals), it looks like there have been several configurations over the years - one manual I've attached even has the left/right reversed. So am I right that as long as each side pairs a motor lead with a cord wire, left vs right doesn't matter?

(For reference, my AO Smith motor's two leads are what I'd call green = "dark" and the light one - probably originally white - now brown. Black = active and white = neutral on the cord.)

2. The modern single-pole (SPST) method - I know a newer approach exists but I haven't found a simple diagram or a clear photo I can follow. Everett's drawing doesn't make any sense to me. If anyone has a dead-simple sketch or a real-world photo of their single-pole setup, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

I have a question re non-usa power / neutral. Here in the usa, 230v has no neutral.

Single pole switching should be used on the non-neutral(hot) wires.

2 pole switching allows switching both hot wires simultaneously.

IMO single pole switching is safe with the neutral wire constantly "on".

JPG - Single pole switching in this case would turn the motor on and off, but I vote NO on the safety. You would still have 115 volts to ground on the hot wire connected to the motor. If you were to contact the other end of the motor winding, you would have a path from that hot wire, through the motor, and you, to ground, with current limited only by the motor winding impedance and your body resistance. JMHO

Maurice - If that is a 230V Motor, then neither of the two wires to the motor is a neutral. That would make it a 115V motor. Both wires would be 'hot' and is probably brown or tan to begin with. I would never use single pole switching on a 230V circuit. Unless the the hot lead is actually 230V to ground, Then that changes everything, and would make wiring the same as 115V here in the States.

Thanks! I'm not very electrical so I honestly can't confirm the technical side. What I do know: it's a 230V/50Hz AO Smith motor, I'm in Australia (normal household power here), and it's run fine for decades wired the way it is in my photos.

So I'll just put it back exactly how it was - seems safest and simplest. But if being in Australia changes the single vs double pole answer, let me know.

Maurice,

JPG and Ron gave good feedback here. I will only try to add to this. I agree with JPG and Ron on what they said, but what we don't know is your house wiring and or what the end of that cord/cable looks like you are using. I found an interesting article about Aussie house wiring and what it tells me is that we can't just make the standard USA assumptions here because your case could be very different. Commonly houses in the USA have a single phase 240V wiring. For more modern wiring in Aussie homes, the 230V would be on one hot wire (black) and another hot wire (brown). You stated you thought the one wire was originally white and had turned brown with age. Is it possible this wire was always brown and is in fact a "hot" wire? I certainly hope this is the case because it might be possible that your home has an older 3 phase wiring where the white wire is also another "hot" wire. Probably not, but I just have to point this out as a possibility. I think you are on the right track, but just that you mis-labeled the wire as a "neutral" in your first pic up above. Just be careful. It can be a hefty fine and even possibly negated insurance coverage if you mis-wire something leading to a fire in Australia.

https://ajdelectricalsolutions.com.au/b ... ng-colours

Thank You RF Guy! You answered my initial question(neutral one side of 230v Aussie wiring).

So the bottom line is, IMO, single pole switching is "OK" but the correct wires must be switched.

Now we are dealing with an additional variable and that is the line cord. The presence of a white wire presents potential dilemma.

So to adequately determine the correct single pole wiring the plug configuration(hot,neutral,ground) to wire colors needs to be verified.


ASSUMING the white line cord wire is indeed connected to the receptacle neutral(through the plug) the correct connections are:

line cord black to switch center terminal
line cord white to motor Blue wire
motor Brown wire to switch 'on terminal'
line cord green to motor frame

HOWEVER:
The BEST (safer all things =) is to utilize 2 pole switching as shown above with the hot/neutral wires reversed for either the linecord or the motor leads(one only)


i.e. linecord black to switch pole A center terminal - motor Brown lead to pole A on terminal.
. . . . . ............white. . . . . . . . . . ........B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B
. . . . . ............green motor frame

Maurice,

The best advice I could give you on the wiring subject is to consult an electrician there. Since your countries electrical system varies from what we have in the US that is likely the best thing to do. Here our common voltage for most lighting and appliances is 110 to 120 volts. Larger power drawing appliances and tools use 220 to 240 volts. Actual voltage varies between those numbers at the electrical panel due to a number of factors. For us to get 220 to 240 volts on an outlet for an appliance like a clothes dryer, two hot leads (110 each) feed into the appliance with a single neutral and some now include a ground. The hot leads are most commonly black and red although other colors are sometimes used. White for the common lead with the ground wire being green.

This is only a guess on my part but on the Australian electrical system with 230 volts you may be using a single hot wire at 230 volts with a common wire and a ground. Electrical Code requirements for wire colors could be different than those used in the US. This brings me back to my original recommendation of "The best advice I could give you on the wiring subject is to consult an electrician there."

I agree re local electrician. However did thee read RFGuy's post?

It's probably low probability that his home has 3 phase power, but you never know. I just wanted to post what the most common wire colors and their purposes are for Australia because they are a little different than in the USA. Also, don't know how true this is, but according to Google about 80-90% of Australian homes are single phase power, but the rest are 3 phase power. However, in recent years, there is a trend of installing 3 phase power in new homes in Australia due to high capacity appliances being installed, but also to accommodate solar and EV charging. This is why I wanted to point out that a white wire in Australia might be phase 2 (hot) and NOT neutral. In the USA, almost always white is a neutral wire and at 0V (unless the neutral isn't properly bonded to Earth ground = dangerous). There are subtle differences around the world because not everyone copies everything from the USA, NOR should they necessarily IMHO.

P.S. Also just wanted to point out if the only white wire, if it was originally white, is inside of the AO Smith motor, is it safe to assume that motor was manufactured for the North American 60Hz market? As such, wire color inside of a motor can vary quite a bit and the motor could be re-wired from 120VAC in USA for sending to Australia working on 230VAC. I was more concerned with any white wires in the cord/cable and etc. than in the motor.