New Tool Electrical Question

[Andrew Kertesz]

Okay, so I am totally clueless when it comes to electrical stuff. I am in the process of putting the Jet 16/32 Plus sander I bought a couple of weeks ago back together. When I bought it the conveyor drive motor seemed to function fine. Upon putting the housing back together the conveyor motor does not turn. The drum motor functions fine. I have NOT dropped the conveyor motor, banged it with anything or done anything I would consider damaging. Any suggestions or know how on how to test the motor or repair it? Kind of lost at this point.

[John K Jordan]

The typical way to debug something like this is to get a volt meter and check for voltage at the motor (with the belt drive switch turned on.) If no voltage there, start working backwards until you find the problem. I have a Performax 22/44 and I don't remember seeing anything that could cause this on mine that wasn't obvious. If yours is like the Performax wiring should be very simple: cord, speed control, motor.

Caution: If you are not comfortable working with 110v wiring that could kill you if you touch the wrong thing you might ask someone else to check it.

JKJ

[Andrew Kertesz]

I have a volt meter but would have to find it. Then I would be unsure how to use it and which wires to check.

[Jim Dwight]

Well let's start with the precautions. 110V can kill you but it takes enough current across your chest. That is unlikely but can happen if you are grounded effectively (standing in water is a bad idea). Current will only go across your chest if you have a hot wire in one hand and the neutral or ground in the other. Reaching into the breaker panel to do something with one hand is relatively safe. Putting both hands in there increases risk, in other words.

For this, you want to touch one multimeter probe to the hot wire - red or black in most cases - and the other to the ground or neutral. The latter doesn't have to be in the device or the same portion of the device. You can attach the ground side (usually black multimeter probe but bare or green in the extension cord or house wiring) with a short cord with alligator clips and then probe with the red side of the multimeter. The whole metallic surface of the tool should be grounded so you could just clip to any bare metal. If you alligator the ground up and then probe with the red lead of the multimeter you are only working on one side of the possible circuit at a time and will be relatively safe.

Touching the hot wire, only, with your hand or with an uninsulated tool in your hand will result in an unpleasant experience but not death (it tingles quite noticeably). Unfortunately I know this from experience (multiple occasions). Touching the hot wire with an insulated tool has no impact on your or anything else. That is why the part you handle of the multimeter probe is insulated.

[Charles Lent]

I would first disconnect the motor from the belt and see if the motor runs without a load. Something in the belt mechanism might be preventing the motor from turning. If so, it would be easier to diagnose and fix.

Charley

[Andrew Kertesz]

No load as I have not installed the conveyor belt yet. I don't understand what happened. When I went to look at it and turned it on the conveyor motor ran fine. Now after reassembly it doesn't move.

[Von Bickley]

Touching the hot wire, only, with your hand or with an uninsulated tool in your hand will result in an unpleasant experience but not death (it tingles quite noticeably). Unfortunately I know this from experience (multiple occasions). Touching the hot wire with an insulated tool has no impact on your or anything else. That is why the part you handle of the multimeter probe is insulated.

I disagree. More people are killed with 110 volts than any of the rest.

Retired electrician......

[Lee Schierer]

The typical way to debug something like this is to get a volt meter and check for voltage at the motor (with the belt drive switch turned on.) If no voltage there, start working backwards until you find the problem.

Why not use a voltage detector.
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They are a lot safer as you don't touch bare contacts with anything metal.

[Mike Heidrick]

You turn the speed up?

[John K Jordan]

>Why not use a voltage detector.

In general, this will detect the presence of AC voltage but not the level. I've seen cases where a detectors would detect voltage but the voltage would not be enough to make the circuit/motor/etc work. Another thing about the detectors is they can get confused when contacts or wires are very close together (i.e., the thing might beep but the power might be on the wrong conductor.) Some are better for this than others.

I use these detectors both before and after disconnecting power to verify that the power is off but use a meter and look at the actual voltage when debugging. To be safe, remember to test the detector with a known hot source before EVERY use.

BTW, I keep three different detectors in my kit but my favorite is a Fluke.

JKJ

[Jim Bowers]

I totally agree with Mike. Speed control would be first thing I would check. It that does not fix problem call Jet Tools.

[Andrew Kertesz]

I have tried adjusting the speed control from 0 - 100 while under power and no load. Did not make any difference. I did buy a voltage detector and it seems to show no power to the motor from the controller. I'm a little unsure about using my multi-meter as it says for circuits under 10A. Don't want to kill it or myself...

[Andrew Kertesz]

If I use my multi-meter; Should I use AC or the DC setting? At what point does it go from AC into DC? Does that happen in the motor itself?

[David L Morse]

According to the Jet manual the conveyor motor operates on 90VDC so you should use the DC setting on your meter. The speed controller should provide a variable DC voltage to the motor ranging from 0 in the "off" position to somewhere around 90V when set for maximum. Note that the type of voltage detector pictured only senses AC and is not very useful for DC testing.

The 10A rating on your multimeter applies to current measurements so you'll be ok measuring voltage.

[Myk Rian]

If someone knows nothing about electrical circuits, I tell them to find a person that does.
Andrew, get help before you kill yourself, or burn the house down.