On Tue, 06 Feb 2007 14:24:39 -0600, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

On Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:57:44 -0500, mm
wrote:

On Mon, 05 Feb 2007 13:37:44 -0500, LayPerson Tom
wrote:

On Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:19:09 -0500, BCDrums
wrote:

We have a treadmill so that we can exercise during the cold months in
the Northeast (current temperature is 13 degrees). The motor in the
treadmill failed and was replaced under warrantee.

The manufacturer recommends a dedicated 15 amp circuit for the
treadmill. We have it on a circuit with our TV and stereo. The
technician who replaced the motor said that it may have failed because
we didn't have a dedicated circuit. Might this be true?

I would have guessed that if the circuit was overladed the breaker would
blow.

Thanks for your comments.

BC

imho:

I've heard of this, but not on motors, but electronics. It's called

Low voltage will burn out a motor if the motor stalls because the
voltage is too low. In that case, instead of turning the electcity
into motion and some heat, it turns all of the current into heat.
(although I think the current flow lessens because of induced reverse
voltages, or whatever they are called.

I remember it being called "back EMF", and it is generated when the
motor is moving.

When the motor is stalled, i
think it doesn't use as much current, but all the current it does use
is turned into heat.)


A stalled motor draws MORE current, similar to a prolonged startup.

Thanks to both of you for correcting me. I got the sitution right but
the reason wrong.


AFAIk in practice this usually happens with compressors, but any kind
of motor which stalls is capable of doing this.