Reversing an electric motor?

Ultradog MN · May 3, 2022

I did some remodeling for a woman a few years ago and removed this attic fan.
I saved it for, well, ahhh, because I'm a junkie.
It works good, is 2 speed, rather quiet and moves a lot of air.
There is a window in my garage where it would fit nicely.
Be nice to be able to reverse it tho.
Is that possible without changing the motor?
If not, I'll contrive a way to easily turn it around.
Thanks

Red Dave · May 3, 2022

Put the make and model number of the motor into an internet search engine and see if you can find a connection diagram for that motor. Sometimes the connections can be changed to reverse direction.

Chuckles46 · May 3, 2022

If that is a PSC motor take it apart and turn the field around the other way

Dean · May 3, 2022

Almost certainly a non-reversible induction motor.

Dean

Gambles · May 3, 2022

I also think the motor can't easily be reversed. If so, could you find a fan with the opposite blade pitch?

504 · May 3, 2022

Mine is on a home made pallet, I just spin it around.

Determined · May 3, 2022

If you set it up so it is blowing air out the window it will serve you well to remove smoke from welding, fumes from paint etc.

If you are after a breeze to cool things down open up a window or door on the opposite wall if you have one and let it pull a nice cool draft through.

dr sportster · May 3, 2022

The leads probably won't be long enough .

Richard G. · May 3, 2022

Had a 4 foot fan set up at the end of a sawmill shed to make it easier to work in the summer.
Moved almost no air.
The blades have to be turned correctly in relation to the funnel shape of the shroud.

guido · May 3, 2022

Ultradog MI,

Can't be that hard to reverse it as needed,

Guido.

Steve@Advance · May 3, 2022

Doesn't appear to be reversible externally. That's a really slow speed motor, might be hard to find a replacement if something went wrong.

Probably be easier, and more efficient to turn the whole thing around.

Geo-TH,In · May 3, 2022

I think your motor is called a shaded pole motor.
I have reversed the rotation by reversing the rotor.
In your case, the output shaft will be on the opposite end of the motor.
I'm not sure the fan blade will work in the reverse direction..

I have reversed shaded pole motors.

Good luck. Let us know if reversing the rotor works..

Like others said, it's easier to reverse the entire fan..

DMartin9N-2N · May 3, 2022

Good afternoon, Ultra: I am not an expert, but I would wonder what type thrust bearing that motor has. It may be made to only take the thrust as built, and may fail if thrust pushes the other way. Just me thinking....

Dennis M. in W. Tenn.

Geo-TH,In · May 3, 2022

No thrust bearing needed.
The rotor magnetically centers itself.

Ultradog MN · May 3, 2022

I figured it wouldn't reverse.
So I will reverse the fan instead of the motor.
Thanks to all of you.

Janicholson · May 3, 2022

You will be surprised that reversing the fan will do nothing. It will be less efficient, but blow the same way. A 1/2 inch nut doesn't become a left hand thread when upside down!! Jim

Ultradog MN · May 3, 2022

Yes,
I agree that reversing the blade will do nothing.
I will make a bracket of some sort - probably hang it from the ceiling - so I can flip the whole fan and shroud upside down to reverse the air flow. Just plug it in to run it.

guido · May 4, 2022

Ultradog MN,

NOPE, it won't work. Take your right hand and face the open palm to your left. Not twist your wrist, and face the palm up.

Look at the way the individual find lean, and try to visualize the fan reversed.

When you reverse the fan, you will see that it is still the same way, and will of course push less air,

Guido.

Russ from MN · May 5, 2022

My father used to have a JD 350 crawler he used for logging, he had a winter fan to blow the engine heat back to the operator, and a summer fan to blow the heat out through the radiator. Turning a fan around only makes them less efficient. I acquired an water pump motor once that I wanted to reverse, not electrically possible because the impeller screws on, and they have to be idiot proof! A smarter than average co-worker said why don't you turn the stator around. That worked great, it's been running my air compressor for 25 years!

Ultradog MN · May 5, 2022

Perhaps I did not make myself clear.
I agree with Janicholson that reversing the fan BLADE on the motor will not reverse the air flow.
I intend to reverse the fan HOUSING - by flipping it over.

guido · May 5, 2022

Ultradog MN,

I did not see all of the replies, my bad.

Guido.

Reversing an electric motor?

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