So my big shop compressor has two problems.
First, when it starts, it starts suddenly. Enough to startle whoever's
in the shop, which is not just annoying but dangerous.
Second, when it starts, it's now making a squeak sound for a moment as
well as the expected noises. I mean, a LOUD squeak, like it's trying to
rip the pulleys off. (oil level is fine)
So I might as well address both problems at the same time.
The usual litany of questions follows...
Has anyone experienced a loud squeak at compressor startup? I assume
I'll be disassembling the whole drive chain and inspecting everything,
but I might as well have something to look for.
Has anyone tried to soft-start a compressor? I've added hard-start kits
to motors before to avoid current spikes, but nothing designed to ramp
up the speed itself. Is switching to three phase and adding a VFD to
ramp up the speed overkill, or even possible?
YES! I thought it was more like a bird chirp.
Another thought, 240 volt motors tend to start with a jolt if properly
wired, because of less voltage drop. Have you recently changed the
voltage for the motor?
Leon <lcb11211@swbell.net> writes:
YES! I thought it was more like a bird chirp.
I feel for the bird's pain then...
https://www.delorie.com/tmp/compressor-squeek.mp4
I cut out most of the middle parts, but it includes the startup and shutdown.
Another thought, 240 volt motors tend to start with a jolt if properly
wired, because of less voltage drop. Have you recently changed the
voltage for the motor?
Nope, it's been 240 since I installed it ages ago.
Have you changed the belt?
Any upgrade to any aspect of your electrical supply leading from the
entrance of your stricture to the motor.
This sudden jolt start was/is common with many 3+ hp 240 volt cabinet
saws because of little resistance of mechanical parts.
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