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Motor, fan or pump hums, runs hot or keeps burning out.

A qualified electrician should take live readings and open control boxes.

Customers put it like this

  • the fan hums but will not spin
  • the well pump keeps burning out
  • the motor runs really hot
  • the garage opener stopped
Prepare this job in ForeBotFind another guide

Stop first if

  • A motor smokes or gives off a burning smell.Shut off only if it can be done without risk. Leave and call emergency services if it spreads.
  • The work would touch capacitors.Stop. Capacitors hold charge, so leave them to a qualified person.
  • A motor has sat idle and damp for a long time.Do not energize it until a licensed electrician runs an insulation test.
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. What does the motor drive, and how old is it?
  2. Does it hum, run hot, trip something or stop on its own?
  3. How many motors has this spot gone through?
  4. Is there a wall control, and was it meant for a fan?
  5. If it is a well pump, is the control box in a hot or sunny spot?
  6. Did it start after an outage, service work or a long idle period?
02

Bring

5
  • Rated multimeter
  • True-RMS clamp meter
  • Insulation-resistance tester
  • Flashlight
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

6
  1. Look outside the motor first. Note belts, bearings, binding and blocked air.
  2. Record nameplate, branch device, overload setting and wall control. A lighting dimmer on a fan is a finding by itself.
  3. At start and run, a qualified person reads voltage at the motor terminals and at the panel together.
  4. On three-phase motors, check all legs and note backward rotation after service. A motor that loses a phase can keep running and overheat.
  5. On a well pump, read the control box before anyone pulls the pump. Note heat, tilt and added capacitors.
  6. Do not downsize the branch breaker. It does not protect the windings.
04

Keep on the record

5
  • Nameplate photo
  • Overload setting and branch device size
  • Voltage at motor and panel at start and run
  • Control box location and condition
  • History of earlier motor replacements

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.