Hvac Tips and Tricks
hey, guys. This is Mitch over at Snowdon, and this is part of our Snowdon approved University where we’re going to show you tips and tricks about electric motors and products. Today I’m going talk about horsepower and amperage; how it’s pretty critical whenever you are replacing an electric motor.
One of the biggest questions I get is that the original motor seems to be stronger or the horsepower stronger, and I just wanted to clarify one thing that horsepower is actually a scientific measure. So, there is no such thing as a stronger horsepower. It’s the same thing as like an inch is an inch. There is no such thing as a big inch or a small inch. What makes a motor stronger or weaker is its amperage. So, that’s why I’ve got some examples here today that- you know this motor here is a half horsepower 575 volt, single phase condenser fan motor. And this one draws 1.3 amps. Same thing, half horsepower, 575 volts, 1100 RPM, and this one draws 1 amp. And then, this is a carrier motor, which is a 575 volt, half horsepower, 1100 RPM, and this one draws 1.9 amps. Now, all three are half horsepower, but each one has different amperage. This one here would be considered the strongest one because it’s 1.9 amps, but the reason why it’s 1.9 amps, it’s not because it’s a half horsepower, it’s actually three quarter horsepower that they were able to deray. And, the reason why manufacturers can do this is because when they are going to get their UL approval or their CSA approval, they might start off with a design that is half horsepower, but when they’re doing their test that they might need like three quarter horsepower. Now, since they’ve already passed through their testing UL and CSL will allow them to do this. It’s imperative that they write the proper amperage on the nameplate, because it is dangerous. If a technician or electrician is installing the motor and he always should be verifying your amperage before walking away from the application. So, they have to indentify the amperage properly. So, this is just an example to show you that whenever you are trying to figure out how to replace an electric motor, yes horsepower is a guide, but the tell-tale sign is definitely the amperage. So, when you’re calling Snowdon, we’re always going to ask you what’s your horsepower; what’s the amperage.
So, whenever you’re replacing any your condenser fan motors, just give us a call here at Snowdon. We’ve got everything you need, when it comes to condenser fans, on the shelf.
So, my name is Mitch and if you have any questions about our videos, our training seminars or products feel free to give me a call anytime. My number is below. Or, sign up for our training seminars. So, I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
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