Sort of OT Washing Machine Motor

Perhaps a long shot here, but....

Got rid of an old washing machine, but I pulled the motor out thinking it might be useful somewhere. It says 1/2 hp, GE, 1725 or 1140 rpm. Also says 5KH41LT28S Code N 338M

Too late I realize I have no wiring diagram and I do not understand the wires.

I am not positive of the model of washing machine, but it was a Speed Queen. A parts diagram for WA4721 (and similar) matches. The motor is 27772 on the parts diagram and stickered on the motor itself. But I cannot find a wiring diagram.

Any pointers? Either which wires to connect to make it go, or how to discern. Thanks.

At the risk of just sending you off elsewhere rather than answering your question, I've found the following site to be pretty useful for appliance-related repairs. I'm linking the Speed Queen page direct, but there's other sections of the site that deal specifically with motors and wiring that may also have info.
appliance repair

I have used similar motors on small tools, figured them out just by trial and error, just don't let the smoke leak out! Most do not have an internal start switch, but it looks like yours might have one attached to the outside.

Did the same thing for a motor from a Maytag washing machine about five years ago. The motor is still on my work bench. Looks a lot like yours except has a capacitor. Could not find an exact wiring diagram to match my motor wire colors. It is a 120 Volt two-speed motor. On mine the following wire colors were used: Green = ground, White = connect to neutral wire, Blue = connect to 120 Volt (hot wire) for high speed, Orange = connect to 120 Volt (hot wire) for low speed. Yours seems to have a connector which you might have to cut off in order to make the wiring connections. Good luck!

Years ago I took a wash machine motor apart, used
ohmmeter and a battery charger to determine which
wires were the start and which were the run
wires.

1750 rpm = 4 field poles

1140 rpm = 6 poles

then have fun figuring out which are the start
wires.

After using ohmmeter to determine which wires
were connected together, use an old manual
battery charger to determine how many magnetic
fields you have.

There is no easy answer. The end switch is the
black device you see with all the wires. If the
motor is used on a clothes dryer, some of the
switches are no open. So when motor is running,
then power can be applied to heating elements.

Good luck figuring how to wire it. It took me a
lot to head scratching.

George

Motor in my recently deceased over worked 13yr old Sears front loader was three phase. Used a flat belt to drive the wash drum.

Most likely the motor also reverses for the spin cycle. It could well be two speed in each direction.

Wow.....I fixed one of those up back in the sixties
to power a compressor that came off an old milk
cooler. It was easy to build a base using some small
angle iron off those protruding bolts.
It wasn't much of an air compressor but I used it
for years until I could afford a better one.
I just "toyed around" with the wires 'til I found
the high speed. I think they are pretty good motors
once you get past the looks. LOL

Thanks for your help, and the help from the others as well.

It's the "don't let the smoke out" advice that has me a tad worried.

I disconnected the black switch (the purpose of which I'm not entirely clear). Of the six wires that enter the motor, my meter shows continuity between the red and black and then also between any combination of the other four.

My knowledge of electric motors is highly limited. Short of a brainstorm I guess I'll play around and see what happens. Worst case I guess I lose a motor I didn't buy.

(quoted from post at 04:17:21 11/24/14) Thanks for your help, and the help from the others as well.

It's the "don't let the smoke out" advice that has me a tad worried.

I disconnected the black switch (the purpose of which I'm not entirely clear). Of the six wires that enter the motor, my meter shows continuity between the red and black and then also between any combination of the other four.

My knowledge of electric motors is highly limited. Short of a brainstorm I guess I'll play around and see what happens. Worst case I guess I lose a motor I didn't buy.

Click to expand...

While you are 'playing around with the wires and sticking volts into them, may I suggest that you use a 'powerbar' that has a built in 15amp circuit breaker and an on/off switch. That way you can turn the powerbar off, do the wire thing and turn it on with your fingers well away from what might be an electric explosion. The circuit breaker might kick in or rather out if the wires are not in the correct places. Just an idea.

Switchie

Jeremy,
The black switch is an external end switch that
disconnects the start windings. It may also be
used to power other things up after the motor has
come up to full speed.

It takes 2 wires for start windings, 2 wires for
hi run and 2 more for low speed. If this motor is
reversalbe, then someplace the 2 start wires are
reversed.

Take the motor apart. Get a small compass and a
1.5 v dc battery. Connect two of the wires to
battery. Put compass inside motor next to fields.
Move it around and count the number of poles you
have. Hi speed will be have 4 poles, 2 N and 2 S.
Low spees should have 6 poles, 3 N and 3 S. Good
chance the statt windings will have smaller wires
than the run and it also a good chance it will be
4 poles.

Now do your homework and post back the color of
wires and number of poles. Which terminals on the
end switch are NO and which are NC. If these
instructions are above your pay grade, send motor
to recycler. Guessing which wires go where will
most likely not end well.
George

(quoted from post at 21:47:25 11/25/14)
Now do your homework and post back the color of
wires and number of poles. Which terminals on the
end switch are NO and which are NC. If these
instructions are above your pay grade, send motor
to recycler. Guessing which wires go where will
most likely not end well.
George

Click to expand...

George,

I have attempted "to do my homework". I cannot get the motor apart. It does not come apart like other motors I have disassembled. There are spot weld where it would need to separate. You can just barely see them in one picture. (on the sides)

That said, maybe the following info is useless. I put a model train transformer (DC) on various combinations of the wires. With the compass I was able to find clear "poles" on the outside that were reversed by reversing the transformer.

While-Blue; White-Pink; Blue-Yellow seemed to all show four clear poles.

Red-Brown and Yellow-Pink didn't show six (instead more like three), They wouldn't show four. But what poles I found were reversible by reversing the current.

White-Yellow; Pink-Blue showed no magnetic influence at all.

Red-Brown and White-Pink were switched off by manually flipping the external start switch. Tripping that switch showed no influence on any other wire combinations.

The start switch shows that 9 (brown) and S are closed and then switched open. A (pink) and C are also closed and switch open. A (pink) and B are open but switched closed. (Letters and Numbers are the ones printed on the top.)

I cannot decipher anything from this. Perhaps it is meaningless info. Thank you for your attempts to help.

I was afraid it was welded. Sorry there is little I
can do without having some clue what's what.
Can use as a boat anchor or recycle at $.10/#

(quoted from post at 21:41:37 11/26/14) I was afraid it was welded. Sorry there is little I
can do without having some clue what's what.
Can use as a boat anchor or recycle at $.10/#

Click to expand...

usually try to find a schematic for the washing machine.