Compressor tripping circuit breaker.

[Swarfcut]

  My troubles this week are comparatively minor compared to the rest of what's going on.

 My faithful compressor started tripping the circuit breaker. It's a 3HP  induction motor direct drive V 14cuft/min pump Chinese jobbie, and a quick test shows one field winding with a direct to earth connection, (where it's a bit burnt deep down inside) so the motor is effectively toast.  A new motor costs more than a replacement brand new compressor. I know how that's the way our crazy economic model screws the planet but I hate dumping stuff.

 Swarfy.

[muskrat]

  My troubles this week are comparatively minor compared to the rest of what's going on.

 My faithful compressor started tripping the circuit breaker. It's a 3HP  induction motor direct drive V 14cuft/min Chinese jobbie, and a quick test shows one field winding with a direct to earth connection, (where it's a bit burnt deep down inside) so the motor is effectively toast.  A new motor costs more than a replacement brand new compressor. I know how that's the way our crazy economic model screws the planet but I hate dumping stuff.

 Swarfy.

G'day Swarfy.
Yes that's the "throw away" world these days.
Buy a good one then link with your old tank. Twice as much air.
Cheers

[Swarfcut]

 Good idea Musky, I won't dump it just yet. Had a look on YouTube at how they make these Chinese motors. Absolutely amazing, with highly mechanised coil winding and automated machinery producing the stator assembly....but in the one viddy I saw the motor casing was an aluminium sand casting.

 Sullen workers moved parts between workstations. Clean and tidy working, but had the feeling that behind the camera there was a definite incentive to keep on working....and I don't think it was a carrot.

 Swarfy.

[coater87]

 From the things I hear from our far ranging engineers, you are correct that its no carrot.

 I am told factories in a given area will match wages with each other, that way there is no upside for workers to look for a better job. Wages are held low by the owners.

 Because of more applicants than jobs, its not hard to imagine a complete race to the bottom for labor. Someone is always hungry or desperate enough to do it for just a little longer and for a little less money.

 Lee

[BSA_54A10]

The bulk of the stuff that comes from China is made on fully automated machines where no human hand ever touches it.
Stuff that fails QC at the end goes to a hand line to be fixed or sold on as defective to another factory that does rebuilds .
It is a myth spread by large Western manufacturers to rationalise off shoring production .
wage rates in China are actually quite good in comparison to the purchashing power and for the last few years they have been subcontracing to North Korea, particularly the fashion industry
Chinese products are so cheap because the exchange rate is held artifically very low, and because industry reinvests in high volume machinery not because the workers are paid peanuts

Now Indian factories, that is a different matter but China has very strict OH & S laws which are getting tighter by the minute and " the party " will happily line the entire management up against a wall and shoot them if they ignore notices .
This happened to Gem Make Batteries between my first & second order.
Most Chinese factories are part owned by the parts or a party loyalist
Big factories are of course 49% foreign owned . 

[limeyrob]

The problem now with Chinese stuff is that some is very poor quality and deliberately faked to make it look better. So cables are aluminum made to look like tinned copper (this caught me last week after wondering why I couldn't get a solder joint) and motors wound with copper plated steel wire.  There have even been cases of overload trips that were fake, just a plastic box.  My preference now is to buy used UK or US kit and keep it going.  Unfortunately for me other people have reached the same conclusion and used stuff is going up in price.  If it has to be Chinese then I buy from a UK company with a quality mark and guarantee. Its costs more up front but saves in the long run.

[sean]

  My troubles this week are comparatively minor compared to the rest of what's going on.

 My faithful compressor started tripping the circuit breaker. It's a 3HP  induction motor direct drive V 14cuft/min pump Chinese jobbie, and a quick test shows one field winding with a direct to earth connection, (where it's a bit burnt deep down inside) so the motor is effectively toast.  A new motor costs more than a replacement brand new compressor. I know how that's the way our crazy economic model screws the planet but I hate dumping stuff.

 Swarfy.

put an A10 motor on it 

[Swarfcut]

 Now I was thinking a little along those lines, as a source of power from what's to hand...I have a Suffolk Colt mower engine, 4 stroke petrol. As the original compressor electric motor is scrap, I can butcher it to support the compressor unit, being direct drive. Then we come onto some lash up for control and at the end of the day there are more pressing conundrums requiring attention.

 Plus I'd need a box to stand on to reach the kicker along with the waste of a good A10 motor.

 Swarfy.

[sean]

I am debating whether to buy a gas engine compressor more portable bit more money for the motor but more portability..... seems to be about 10 db difference in sound depending on the motor but , electric motors run mostly 1725 rpm and a gas motor can run what ever its set to with in its capability so you can easily double the speed of the driver and double the out put of your compressor pump within reason, as these things wont last long at high speeds .
most of my air tools I need between 10 -15 cfm .....easily achievable with a gas motor drive ......if you want to build one there are lots of parts available like unloaders to set the motor back to idle when set pressure achieved .....good luck

[limeyrob]

Some years back I tried to use a mower engine to power a compressor.  its was a total fail.  The compressor motor is cutting in and out and getting the engine torque curve to fit the load was near impossible.  Got an old A/C motor, electric motor was 1 hp and did fine, mower engine was 3hp and stalled.  The compressor would lug the engine down out of its power band and stall it.

[sean]

Honda gx 160 seems to be the motor of choice for smaller gas compressors here …. Lot of roofing contractors use them they are 5 hp

[Macbeth]

Good idea Musky, I won't dump it just yet. Had a look on YouTube at how they make these Chinese motors. Absolutely amazing, with highly mechanised coil winding and automated machinery producing the stator assembly....

 Swarfy.

I wound them by hand as a young fella. They were very labour intensive but I had an old military chief Scotsman teaching me .. quite a language gap