Maintenance of Electrical Motors 1.4

Maintenance of Electrical
Motors and Associated

Apparatus
Motor Installation
Location. An electric motor should be installed in a location consistent with
the type of protection that is indicated by the motor enclosure. Care should
be taken to allow enough space around the motor to permit the free flow of
ventilating air. If dust, moisture and splashing liquids can be avoided in
areas where open motors are installed, reduced motor maintenance and
increased life will be achieved. Further, electric machinery should never be
placed in a room with a hazardous process, or where flammable gases or
combustible material may be present unless it is specifically designed for
this type of service.
Bases. All bases, except those meant to be “self-supporting” are usually

designed to act only as a spacer between the foundation and the machine
and must not be trusted to carry any weight when they are unevenly
supported. Care should be taken during handling and lifting to prevent
warping or distortion of the base.
Mounting. Motors should be mounted on machined sole plates or pads on

fabricated bases or skids. These in turn should be bolted to a firm foundation
and grouted according to guidelines described in our section on grouting

procedures. Sole or bed plates, bases, skids, or platforms must be rigid
1
enough to prevent any vibrations of the unit and also prevent transfer of
vibrations from other sources. These structures must not impose bending or
twisting strains on the housing. When mounting, we recommend the use of
slotted shims as it may be necessary to remove or add shims during the
alignment procedure. The use of proper shims under each mounting foot will
prevent distortion of the housing when the mounting bolts are tightened.
The following procedure is recommended when mounting a motor:
1. Add shims under the lowest mounting foot and tighten mounting foot bolt.
2. Insert feeler gauge under the other mounting feet to determine the amount
of shims required.
3. Insert required shim under each mounting foot and tighten mounting bolt.
4. Use the smallest number of shims possible.
5. Measure the alignment between motor and driven machine shaft.
Pre-Installation Checks. The following precautionary steps should be

taken before finishing an electric motor installation:
1. If dampness in a standard insulated motor is suspected as the result of

shipment and/or storage conditions, the insulation resistance of the
windings should be measured as mentioned earlier. The value of the
insulation resistance should not be less than shown in Table 2 If the
insulation resistance is lower than shown, the windings should be
dried out by heating in a well-ventilated area.
Table 2 Insulation Resistance Values for Electric Motors
2
2. Check that the motor shaft turns freely by hand. Motor antifriction
bearings are usually greased at the factory and need no attention prior
to operation. Sleeve bearing equipped motors are usually shipped
with their oil wells drained. Before filling with oil, it is advisable to
flush the bearing thoroughly with a suitable flushing material in order
to remove any foreign matter. Turning the motor shaft by hand should
be repeated after the motor is coupled to the load to make sure the
entire drive train is mechanically free before applying power.
3. Check that the voltage and frequency stamped on the motor and
control nameplates correspond with those of the power supply.
4. Totally enclosed motors for nonhazardous locations are equipped

with plugged vent holes. To achieve self-venting of these motors
when they are operated under severe moisture conditions, the plugs
should be removed.
5. Standard practice dictates that the conduit box be located on the right
hand side of the motor when viewed from the opposite-to drive end.
The conduit box may be generally changed to the opposite side by
removing the end shields and rotor and turning the stator frame
around. Relocating the position of the secondary leads on wound-rotor
3
motors may require drilling and threading of the end shields at the
desired point.
Pre-Operational and Operational Checks. Before coupling up to the

driven machine it would be advisable to start up the motor for a “solo” run.
The following checks should be performed prior to start-up:
1. Motor and control wiring, overload protection and grounding should

be in accordance with national electrical codes and local
requirements.
2. In excessive moisture conditions the conduit system must be provided

with adequate drains so that water will not accumulate in the motor
conduit box.
3. On wound-rotor motors, the brushes should be positioned on the slip

rings before starting.
4. Motors with more than three leads should be connected in accordance

with the diagram furnished with the motor.
5. Direction of rotation should be checked immediately after start-up. To

reverse the rotation of three-phase motors, interchange any two line
leads. Note that some large high speed motors are designed for
rotation in one direction only, which is indicated by an arrow on the
directional nameplate.
6. Check location of magnetic center and verify the manufacturer’s

magnetic center pointer location on sleeve-bearing motors during
“solo” run.
Connecting the Motor to Its Load. There are several variations of motor to
load connections. Direct connection by way of a flexible coupling should
4
always be considered, but in a large number of applications, belt and chain
drives, for instance have to be used. Flexible couplings are preferred because
they allow for a slight amount of misalignment between the motor and the
driven machine and prevent transmission of thrust to the motor bearings in
many cases. Belt, chain and certain gear drives must be carefully selected
and installed to ensure that motor bearing loads are within their design
capacities.
Coupling Sleeve Bearing Motors. Motor sleeve bearings are in most cases
not designed to carry axial thrust loads. If the driven machine exerts thrust it
must be equipped with its own thrust bearings. Motor sleeve bearings have a
specified end play as indicated in table 3
Table 3. Electric Motor Rotor End Float and Coupling End Float
During operation the motor rotor will seek its magnetic center which will
fall between the end play limits established in the manufacture of the motor.
Additionally, the magnetic center and the limits of end play are scribed on
the shaft at the factory.
In order to prevent thrust from being transmitted to the bearings, a limited

end float coupling should be used. The limited end float coupling is
designed to have less end play than the total end play of the motor. Thrust
that tends to separate the coupling is restrained by lips or coupling
5
shoulders. Thrust that tends to push the coupling together is restrained by
buttons on the shaft ends or by Micarta discs in the gap between shaft ends.
The difference between the motor end play and the limited end float of the
coupling represents the allowable tolerance in setting the motor. A motor
built with 1/2 in. end play requires that the end float be limited to 3/16 in.
Medium size motors having 1/4 in. nominal end play require that free
floating type couplings have their end play limited to 3/32 in. Small motors
having 1/4 in. end play or less seldom require limited end float couplings.

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Maintenance of Electrical

Motors and Associated

Bases. All bases, except those meant to be “self-supporting” are usually

Mounting. Motors should be mounted on machined sole plates or pads on

and grouted according to guidelines described in our section on grouting

4. Use the smallest number of shims possible.

5. Measure the alignment between motor and driven machine shaft.

Pre-Installation Checks. The following precautionary steps should be

1. If dampness in a standard insulated motor is suspected as the result of

Table 2 Insulation Resistance Values for Electric Motors

4. Totally enclosed motors for nonhazardous locations are equipped

Pre-Operational and Operational Checks. Before coupling up to the

1. Motor and control wiring, overload protection and grounding should

2. In excessive moisture conditions the conduit system must be provided

3. On wound-rotor motors, the brushes should be positioned on the slip

4. Motors with more than three leads should be connected in accordance

5. Direction of rotation should be checked immediately after start-up. To

6. Check location of magnetic center and verify the manufacturer’s

In order to prevent thrust from being transmitted to the bearings, a limited

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