Can anyone help in connecting an electric motor

[Freeflyer]

Being a bit of a DIY'er, our scuba club have asked me to have a go at building a tank tumbler to complement our new mixed gas capability. I've been reading the threads here (thanks for the input) and have a good feel for how to build one.

I've sourced a motor from a washing machine, and a pulley that should give me about the right speed, but I'm not sure how to connect the motor.

The plug on the side of it has 6 leads feeding it plus earth. Presumably these are for different speeds or reverse. I'll attach a couple of photos.

In the close up of the plug, the white and blue leads go to the brushes. The two thin red leads at the bottom go to the end of the motor, and I think might be a speed sensor. This leaves the gray and black leads that I don't know about.

As the earth connects to the metal plate that the plug connector is mounted on, that leaves the two power input leads to connect two of the four leads on the motor (blue, white, grey, black).

Before I go randomly plugging mains voltage through it, can anyone help with how it should be connected. I'm not looking for anything more than a simple spin in one direction.

Cheers,

J.

 

[kelseysmith]

I've sourced a motor from a washing machine, and a pulley that should give me about the right speed, but I'm not sure how to connect the motor.

The plug on the side of it has 6 leads feeding it plus earth. Presumably these are for different speeds or reverse. I'll attach a couple of photos.

In the close up of the plug, the white and blue leads go to the brushes. The two thin red leads at the bottom go to the end of the motor, and I think might be a speed sensor. This leaves the gray and black leads that I don't know about.

As the earth connects to the metal plate that the plug connector is mounted on, that leaves the two power input leads to connect two of the four leads on the motor (blue, white, grey, black).

If i remember correctly, the brushes are where you connect the juice. the ground is the safety net in case one of the brushes becomes dislodged and comes into contact with the metal housing.

Question: Is the white wire on the connector the same wire as the white one connecting to the large black protrusion just near the red wires in the photo?

The red ones definitely look like a speed sensor.

The best thing to do is search online for a service manual for the brand of washing machine you liberated this motor from....

Disclaimer: I won't be responsible for injury based on information I provide. Connect this motor to electricity at your own risk.

Kelsey

 

[Freeflyer]

Thanks for the reply. Without dismantling the motor, best I can tell, yes the white wire goes from the connector to the black lump, which is the bush on one side. The blue goes through(round) the motor to a similar brush on the other side. Glad you agree on the speed sensor.

I'll try giving it a run in the next couple of days and see what we get. I searched for a manual, but it's an old Dutch machine and I couldn't find anything for it.

Cheers,

J.

 

[Potapko]

It is difficult to say without a diagram but I'll throw something at you. Those brushes are probably not important to you at all. They are picking up voltage and not supplying it. To run the motor you need to supply power to the wires going to the stator, or static winding which is that ball of wire attached to the outer cage. The static one. This magnetic field will cause the shaft to turn which will in turn generate voltage out of the brushes at the other end, probably for controls which you do not need. They may also be part of a magnetic braking system used on some machines.

Been a long time since I looked at one, but here is my .02
DP