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

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

I would think it would be more likely to damage the TV or even more
likely to cause interference with the TV.

I assume you are not running it off an extension cord. If so that could
have been the cause as it may have been reducing the available voltage.

I have three circuits in the converted bed room where I have mine. One
for the A/C one for the treadmill and one for the rest of the room including
TV. Mine is a heavy duty DC job.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

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

I agree with you.

--
bud--

On Feb 5, 8:19 am, 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

Break out the cross-country skis? 13 degrees is a good waxing
temperature. Tom

"BCDrums" wrote in message
...
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.

Well... unless you had a very long circuit it would not matter. And, as
someone said, it would affect the TV more; assuming you had both on at the
same time. If you don't have the TV on, it is a dedicated circuit.

If you had a very long circuit (opposite corner of the house from the panel,
3 stories apart...) you could have had excessive voltage drop, and that
might have caused the motor to fail. It is most unlikely, but if you want
to test it, turn the treadmill on while watching the voltage with a volt
meter. If it dips significantly, you might need a heavier cable.

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
soemthing like 'voltage frequency quality'? It's where the componets
are designed for a perfect sin wave at a specfic voltage quality. As
you deviate from this, you lessen the life span of the equipment.

As for the breaker, you hope that if the circuit is overloaded it
would trip. crossed fingers

Just a guess....


tom @ www.FreeCreditCheckGuide.com

Toller wrote:


Well... unless you had a very long circuit it would not matter. And, as
someone said, it would affect the TV more; assuming you had both on at the
same time. If you don't have the TV on, it is a dedicated circuit.

It's about a 35' run from the panel to the treadmill. And I ALWAYS have
the TV and stereo on when I'm using the treadmill- it is a tedious way
to exercise!


If you had a very long circuit (opposite corner of the house from the panel,
3 stories apart...) you could have had excessive voltage drop, and that
might have caused the motor to fail. It is most unlikely, but if you want
to test it, turn the treadmill on while watching the voltage with a volt
meter. If it dips significantly, you might need a heavier cable.


I put the probes of a multimeter into the outlet into which the
treadmill is plugged, which is downstream of the TV/Stereo. The meter
didn't move when the TV and stereo powered up. Then I turned on the
treadmill and took it up to our usual speed. Again, the meter did not
move. Is this a valid test for voltage drop?

Thanks for the help.
BC

"BCDrums" wrote in message
. ..
Toller wrote:


Well... unless you had a very long circuit it would not matter. And, as
someone said, it would affect the TV more; assuming you had both on at
the same time. If you don't have the TV on, it is a dedicated circuit.

It's about a 35' run from the panel to the treadmill. And I ALWAYS have
the TV and stereo on when I'm using the treadmill- it is a tedious way to
exercise!


If you had a very long circuit (opposite corner of the house from the
panel, 3 stories apart...) you could have had excessive voltage drop, and
that might have caused the motor to fail. It is most unlikely, but if
you want to test it, turn the treadmill on while watching the voltage
with a volt meter. If it dips significantly, you might need a heavier
cable.
I put the probes of a multimeter into the outlet into which the treadmill
is plugged, which is downstream of the TV/Stereo. The meter didn't move
when the TV and stereo powered up. Then I turned on the treadmill and took
it up to our usual speed. Again, the meter did not move. Is this a valid
test for voltage drop?

If it showed 120v and didn't drop when you turned the machine on, you are in
good shape.
35' is certainly too short a distance to have substantial voltage drop
anyhow.

Many treadmills have DC motors and don't have starting spikes. Your test
suggests you have one like that.
Like someone else said, the tech was crazy.

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

The answer is NO. The suggestion of using a
dedicated circuit is for the purpose of protecting
other appliances from voltage changes when the
motor starts or shifts power.

BCDrums wrote:
....
The
technician who replaced the motor said that it may have failed because
we didn't have a dedicated circuit. Might this be true?

No, it's not true. Furthermore, that "tech" needs to be reported for giving
out false information on a whim and not backed by any evidence to the
contrary. Whether it's a dedicated ckt or not in your case, it's totally
irrelevant. I'd send them a nastygram about their phoney tech. He has no
business making such statements off the top of his head and without knowing
it to be at least likely from his observations. In other words, he's a
pompous idiot.

From reading your post, including your responses about monitoring the
voltage with a meter, it's NOT a problem.

George E. Cawthon wrote:
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

The answer is NO. The suggestion of using a dedicated circuit is for
the purpose of protecting other appliances from voltage changes when the
motor starts or shifts power.

Thanks to all for setting me straight on this!

BC

On Mon, 05 Feb 2007 13:39:01 -0500, BCDrums
wrote:

Toller wrote:


Well... unless you had a very long circuit it would not matter. And, as
someone said, it would affect the TV more; assuming you had both on at the
same time. If you don't have the TV on, it is a dedicated circuit.

It's about a 35' run from the panel to the treadmill. And I ALWAYS have
the TV and stereo on when I'm using the treadmill- it is a tedious way
to exercise!


If you had a very long circuit (opposite corner of the house from the panel,
3 stories apart...) you could have had excessive voltage drop, and that
might have caused the motor to fail. It is most unlikely, but if you want
to test it, turn the treadmill on while watching the voltage with a volt
meter. If it dips significantly, you might need a heavier cable.


I put the probes of a multimeter into the outlet into which the
treadmill is plugged, which is downstream of the TV/Stereo. The meter
didn't move when the TV and stereo powered up. Then I turned on the
treadmill and took it up to our usual speed. Again, the meter did not
move. Is this a valid test for voltage drop?

Thanks for the help.
BC

I would do the test again with you on the treadmill and someone else
watching the meter.

Although you can't do that because the motor isn't strong enough to
work the thing now, iirc, right?

Then do it after you get the new motor.

BTW, does the plug get hot after you're on the treadmill. It
shouldn't, and I suppose if it does it is reducing the voltage. I had
a 40 year old receptacle and a 15 amp space heater in my bedroom, and
woke up in the morning to find a 1 to 1 1/2 inch flame coming from the
plug. The plug got hot, and I don't know if it reduced any voltage but
it ignited itself. Fortunately the flame went out after I pulled the
plug out. I don't quite know why.

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. 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.)

AFAIk in practice this usually happens with compressors, but any kind
of motor which stalls is capable of doing this. I'm lucky the little
fan in my refrigerator didn't burn out when a mouse got stuck in it,
and the blades didn't turn, for about 3 weeks, but maybe even the
extra heat wasn't enough to melt anything.

A tread mill motor is going to be a lot different from my little fan.



soemthing like 'voltage frequency quality'? It's where the componets
are designed for a perfect sin wave at a specfic voltage quality. As
you deviate from this, you lessen the life span of the equipment.

As for the breaker, you hope that if the circuit is overloaded it
would trip. crossed fingers

Just a guess....


tom @ www.FreeCreditCheckGuide.com

BCDrums wrote:
Toller wrote:


Well... unless you had a very long circuit it would not matter. And,
as someone said, it would affect the TV more; assuming you had both on
at the same time. If you don't have the TV on, it is a dedicated
circuit.


It's about a 35' run from the panel to the treadmill. And I ALWAYS have
the TV and stereo on when I'm using the treadmill- it is a tedious way
to exercise!
¤Ç¤Ñ¤Ñ

If you had a very long circuit (opposite corner of the house from the
panel, 3 stories apart...) you could have had excessive voltage drop,
and that might have caused the motor to fail. It is most unlikely,
but if you want to test it, turn the treadmill on while watching the
voltage with a volt meter. If it dips significantly, you might need a
heavier cable.

I put the probes of a multimeter into the outlet into which the
treadmill is plugged, which is downstream of the TV/Stereo. The meter
didn't move when the TV and stereo powered up. Then I turned on the
treadmill and took it up to our usual speed. Again, the meter did not
move. Is this a valid test for voltage drop?

Thanks for the help.
BC

Hmmm,
Analog or Digital meter? What is the display rare of the meter? Maybe
too slow to show the fluctuation. If motor is under powered it'll rowl a
lot and it won't run at normal efficiency. Isn't TV screen flicker when
motor is turned on?

mm wrote:


I put the probes of a multimeter into the outlet into which the
treadmill is plugged, which is downstream of the TV/Stereo. The meter
didn't move when the TV and stereo powered up. Then I turned on the
treadmill and took it up to our usual speed. Again, the meter did not
move. Is this a valid test for voltage drop?

Thanks for the help.
BC

I would do the test again with you on the treadmill and someone else
watching the meter.

Although you can't do that because the motor isn't strong enough to
work the thing now, iirc, right?

The tech was there to put in the new motor, so we are up & running,
literally!



BTW, does the plug get hot after you're on the treadmill.

Will check.

BC

mm wrote:


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. 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.)


It took two years of wintertime-only use for the treadmill motor to
quit, and it never stalled in the sense of being on but unable to turn.
It just quit one day. Had been making a squeaking sound for quite some
time before that.

BC

Tony Hwang wrote:
BCDrums wrote:
Toller wrote:

Well... unless you had a very long circuit it would not matter. And,
as someone said, it would affect the TV more; assuming you had both on
at the same time. If you don't have the TV on, it is a dedicated
circuit.

It's about a 35' run from the panel to the treadmill. And I ALWAYS have
the TV and stereo on when I'm using the treadmill- it is a tedious way
to exercise!
¤Ç¤Ñ¤Ñ
If you had a very long circuit (opposite corner of the house from the
panel, 3 stories apart...) you could have had excessive voltage drop,
and that might have caused the motor to fail. It is most unlikely,
but if you want to test it, turn the treadmill on while watching the
voltage with a volt meter. If it dips significantly, you might need a
heavier cable.

I put the probes of a multimeter into the outlet into which the
treadmill is plugged, which is downstream of the TV/Stereo. The meter
didn't move when the TV and stereo powered up. Then I turned on the
treadmill and took it up to our usual speed. Again, the meter did not
move. Is this a valid test for voltage drop?

Thanks for the help.
BC

Hmmm,
Analog or Digital meter? What is the display rare of the meter? Maybe
too slow to show the fluctuation. If motor is under powered it'll rowl a
lot and it won't run at normal efficiency. Isn't TV screen flicker when
motor is turned on?

It's a cheesy old Radio sHack analog multimeter. I couldn't even figure
out which of the many scales I was supposed to use, but the needle did
not budge as I turned on the TV, big stereo, and finally the treadmill.
The TV has never reacted when the treadmill starts or runs.

mm writes:

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. 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.)

No, it's the other way around. A stalled motor draws *more* current
than one operating at full load at normal speed, and that (combined with
no cooling) is what burns it out. The induced reverse voltage is what
reduces current when the motor is running.

AFAIk in practice this usually happens with compressors, but any kind
of motor which stalls is capable of doing this. I'm lucky the little
fan in my refrigerator didn't burn out when a mouse got stuck in it,
and the blades didn't turn, for about 3 weeks, but maybe even the
extra heat wasn't enough to melt anything.

On the other hand, the fan motor in your refrigerator is probably a
shaded-pole motor. These are pretty inefficient even when running, and
are often deliberately designed so they can be stalled without burning up.

Dave

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.

AFAIk in practice this usually happens with compressors, but any kind
of motor which stalls is capable of doing this. I'm lucky the little
fan in my refrigerator didn't burn out when a mouse got stuck in it,
and the blades didn't turn, for about 3 weeks, but maybe even the
extra heat wasn't enough to melt anything.

A tread mill motor is going to be a lot different from my little fan.



soemthing like 'voltage frequency quality'? It's where the componets
are designed for a perfect sin wave at a specfic voltage quality. As
you deviate from this, you lessen the life span of the equipment.

As for the breaker, you hope that if the circuit is overloaded it
would trip. crossed fingers

Just a guess....


tom @ www.FreeCreditCheckGuide.com


--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Unlike biological evolution. 'intelligent design' is
not a genuine scientific theory and, therefore, has
no place in the curriculum of our nation's public
school classes." -- Ted Kennedy

On Tue, 06 Feb 2007 09:02:04 -0500, BCDrums
wrote:


It's a cheesy old Radio sHack analog multimeter. I couldn't even figure
out which of the many scales I was supposed to use,

That's how they separated those with electronics aptitude from the
others. I don't know how they do that now.

but the needle did
not budge as I turned on the TV, big stereo, and finally the treadmill.
The TV has never reacted when the treadmill starts or runs.

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.