# Wiring Motor for 110v Please Help!



## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

I need to convert my new jointer motor from 220v to 110v for now since I don't have 220v.

I am having a hard time understanding the wiring diagram, as simple as it looks.

Here is the "wiring diagram" I found under the wire cover on the motor:










This is a drawing I made of the way I found it (wired for 220v)... and by the way I know it works because I saw it run on 220v before I picked it up:

*220v:*









The next drawing is how I tried wiring it. This is what I assumed the "wiring diagram" meant but nothing happened when I plugged it in to 110v:

*APPARENTLY NOT 110v:*









Could somebody please explain to me how to actually read that diagram? What is the correct wiring sequence?

Thanks!


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

Blake,

I notice that your "line cord" in the second drawing uses a red and a black wire. Are you still using the original plug that came with the jointer? With 120v, one of the power lines is neutral and grounded at the panel box. So in effect, your green wire and one of the other wires should be connected together. At your 120v receptacle, the WHITE wire is the neutral (grounded) wire, the BLACK wire is the hot. If the plug you are using is the 220v plug, you may not be getting a neutral/ground for the motor.

I am not an electrician and I don't even play one on TV- so I am sure someone can explain this better than I can.


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

That may be part of the problem. I was still using the original cord. Thanks… just the fact that you noticed that is already a big help because I wouldn't have even thought about it.

What else am I doing wrong?

Do you think you could make a quick sketch in "paint" of the correct wiring?


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## RWR (Jul 16, 2008)

According to the picture of your motor plate you do have it wired correctly, except you should not have a red wire in a 110 volt cord….should have a black, white and green wire inside the sheatihing. ie: again according to the picture you should wire black and yellow together with the black wire in your cord, and the red and gray wires together with the white wire in your cord. Should work unless you have a short somewhere in the 110 motor circuit. Good luck.


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

Hmmm… ok. I'll try it again with a new power chord I guess. Thanks. Is it possible that it could work in 220 but not in 110?


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

Blake,

Here is what I think it should look like:


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

The yellow and black in the motor should be attacheded to one side of your power cord.
The red and grey in the motor should be hooked up to the other wire in your power cord.

Your picture seems to be correct,


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## Davesfunwoodworking (Oct 16, 2007)

After looking at the way the wiring diagram is I would say that Lew has it right. The Black and yellow wires go together and to the black wire of the cord. This is your hot side. Your neutral side would be the white wire on your cord. The red and grey wire goes together and to the neutral. Now If there was a problem in the 110volt side of the moter or if you have it wired up wrong two things will happen one it will smoke very fast. This is not good as you have burnt the windings. Two the motor will not run but will hum and start to get very hot. Let me ask you this Blake is there a capacitor on top the motor? Also you can check to see if the motor windings are open. If they are open and the motor is cold then you have a bad motor. If you have a ohm meter or miltimeter with ohms you can check the motor windings. All you do is take the wires put them together just as if you were going to wire it up without the cord. Take your test leads and touch one to the black and the other to the red side. If you get any reading your motor windings or closed. If you get zero your motor windings are open. If they are open then you have a bad motor. 
Now after looking at the diagram a little more Blake, I would say this is the right way to wire it up. Now if your motor has a capacitor the capacitor may be bad. Its the round thing on top the motor. You could check it if your meter has a capacitor tester on it. If it says 5MFD / 370volt when you test it it should be withen 10% +/- of the 5mfd. But I would say that there could be a problem with the motor windings on the 110volt side of the motor. Blake do you have a main panel or a sub panel in your shop? If so, you could take a 20amp 2 pole breaker and put it in this will give you 220volt. Its not that hard to do. You put the breaker in and then you drop the nuetral or white wire you put the red wire to one side and the black wire to the other side. Then run some wire to a new 220 volt plug. Then your set for 220 volt. How ever I will say that your motor will run on 220volt but wont last to long with the motor windings that are bad already. I would start looking for a new motor. I hope this helps. If you need more help you can email me and I will send you my phone number.


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## DaveHerron (Jan 21, 2008)

Or you can contact the support line for the manufacturer and they can talk you through the re-wiring procedure.


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## EEngineer (Jul 4, 2008)

Fact 1: You saw the motor run on 220V - correct? That pretty much rules out any open windings since the wiring for 220 V has them in series. If either was open, no current flow, no run.

Fact 2: the original wiring as you show it corresponds to the wiring diagram on the plate exactly - i.e. Red + yellow connected together; one side of 220 to black, the other side of 220 to grey.

Fact 3: the wiring diagram you show for connection to 110 is exactly what is on the motor plate - i.e. one side of 110 V to black + yellow together, the other side of 110V to red + grey together. This should work!

This is similar to many other motors that can be wired for 110 or 220 that I have reconfigured. Check your wiring carefully and test again. This is not rocket science, people.

1. rule out open windings from fact 1 above.

2. If the windings were connected for 110 but with phase for one reversed - i.e. black + grey together and red + yellow together, then the motor will hum very loudly, probably trip the breaker but the shaft will not turn.

3. If the windings are connected shorted - i.e. black + red connected together and yellow + grey connected together, then no current will flow and absolutely nothing will happen. From your description, this is most likely what happened. Are you sure that you have correctly identified black and grey? From my experience with old motors after many years black and grey tend to look a lot alike. Do NOT just switch black and grey. Try the ohmeter approach; you should see continuity between black and red and continuity between yellow and grey. There should be no continuity with any other combo unless the windings are shorted together, but then the motor wouldn't run under 220 and that contradicts fact 1 above.


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## EEngineer (Jul 4, 2008)

Blake -

I just went back and looked at the pictures of your jointer that you posted when you got it. Prominent on the front of your new jointer is what looks like a magnetic safety switch. Is that what it is?
picture
If that is a magnetic safety switch, then be advised that these are usually voltage specific; i.e. a 220 volt mag switch will not work on 110. The problem may not be your motor at all. Try bypassing this switch while testing.


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## Dadoo (Jun 23, 2007)

I'll go call the local Fire Dept and put them on standby for ya.


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## snowdog (Jul 1, 2007)

Dadoo, that is funny ( I hope)


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## EEngineer (Jul 4, 2008)

In general, the only thing a magnetic safety switch does is keep a tool from repowering if the fuse blows. With a regular switch, as soon as power from a blown fuse or circuit breaker is restored, the machine that was on will power up again. I am not suggesting anything that is dangerous.

That being said, Blake, you DO have a fire extinguisher in your shop, right?


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

Dadoo, I am the local fire dept, remember?!

Yes I have a fire extinguisher… actually several.

Thanks for the detailed advice. I will go back and try it again. I know that the mag switch is 220v only and removed it before anything else.


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## jrm (Mar 20, 2007)

What you have is two coils(in the motor) that are connected in series for 240 v and in parallel for 120 V. The same as any other dual voltage motor,

Regards

Jerry


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

You sure can rewire the motor for 110? without replacing the hold motor?


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## Woodchuck1957 (Feb 4, 2008)

Personally I think you would be alot better off to run a 220V line if at all possible. I'm guessing that if you switch that thing over to 110V your going to just plug it into any 110V outlet you have in your shop, probably not a good idea, especially if your going to use a extension cord also. Out of curiosity, how many amps does the motor draw at 110V ?


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