Thread: Some days you get the bear........

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.......and some days he gets you. All day Friday and part of yesterday my Son Dan spent getting the final sanding done on his rpu body so we could shoot it in primer yesterday afternoon. I ran to the store and when I came back he told me our air compressor had stopped working. We checked the obvious things, it is getting 220 volts to the motor, but still nothing. The motor was very hot from the da-ing he had been doing.

This is the second motor we have had from Eaton Compressors in 4 years. They were very generous and replaced both the motor and, a year before, the complete compressor unit. That had also failed and was making noise. I am going to call them tomorrow and try to find out why these things are not holding up. I see testimonials on their website about how people have had theirs in use 24-7 for 20 years, and no problems. I really like the unit and I like Eaton's responses to our previous issues........they even paid the truck freight in both times. I just need some answers and to buy a new motor as this one is 2.5 years old and the warranty is only 2 years.

Obviously, Dan is not real happy with being a hot rodder right now and feels like pushing his car into a corner and covering it up. Don and I won't let that happen though, we just need to get this latest hurdle crossed.

Isn't building a car FUN!!!!!!!!!!

Don

i have an ingersal /rand compressor .. 1200 bucks .. since day one it will not re-start when the pressure drops .. i have to hit the reset button every time

I checked that and also with a voltmeter right to the motor........250 volts going in. I think windings or something are opening up from the heat. This thing throws off lots of heat when running and Florida in July doesn't help.

Don

Don,

Have you tried setting up a fan to blow on the motor while you are using the compressor. Also, Where is the compressor located in relation to ventilation? It might be setting in a place where it basically is like setting in an oven.

I know mine gets real hot sitting in its corner and it is right next to the roll up door.

If you can maybe put some kind of exhaust fan in the wall where your compressor is.

Bug

We've had the same thoughts on it getting overheated. I have it under a plywood box that I built, there are screened openings in two ends for airflow and we have a boxfan blowing air through there, but maybe not enough. I am going to eliminate the solid front panel and put in a screened one this time around and add one more fan, one to blow air in and one to remove it.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

We've had the same thoughts on it getting overheated. I have it under a plywood box that I built, there are screened openings in two ends for airflow and we have a boxfan blowing air through there, but maybe not enough. I am going to eliminate the solid front panel and put in a screened one this time around and add one more fan, one to blow air in and one to remove it.

Don

The heat is probably the biggest issue Don...If you can open up that box and maybe put a hole in the wall behind it,so it can suck fresh air,you will find that it will last longer..I have my Ingersoll Rand 17cfm under the bench,and even though it doesnt get used every day,it gets hot reasonably quickly,even now,in the winter..I am going to build a compressor shed behind the workshop,with plenty of ventilation..

That has to be it. There are two capacitor looking things inside a squarish box on the front of the motor and I suspected one or both of those failed, but voltage seems to be coming in and out of both. I also considered having the two motors looked at by an electrical shop but I hear that might be more than buying a new motor and take longer too.

Don

Wow, I am blown away! I just got off the phone with Eaton Compressors and they are sending a new, different motor at no charge, freight prepaid!! I wasn't even asking for that, I fully expected to buy one as my original purchase was probably 4 years ago, but he never hesitated and said they have had some winding issues with that particular motor and have gone to a different one.

It is so refreshing to see that there are still some companies who want to make good products and stand behind them well beyond the warranty periods. It would have been so easy for them to blow me off but they certainly have renewed my faith in American family owned businesses.

Obviously, I would recommend them to anyone considering buying a new air compressor.

Don

Hey Pops, what's the data/mfr/I.D. on your old motor? I thought we got ours close to the same time, but more than 4 years ago. I haven't had any trouble with the motor, but it would be nice to check it out.

As for the box, don't forget, it's not just the cooling intake volume, it has to exhaust well too.

I wired a fan to mine that comes on whenever the compressor runs, just a 12" wall mounted fan, but it does help keep the temp down.

Bob, mine is a 5hp model EC1-184-005. It says Eaton Compressors on it, the newer ones are some other brand. It is the biggest 5 hp motor I have ever seen, all 95 lbs of it.

Dave, I am going to exactly what you have done and add one more fan to the mix.

Don

Bob, I was thinking about your motor. I don't know how much you use it but ours gets a real workout. Dan is the biggest consumer, he is constantly grinding or sanding something and some days it goes 10-12 hours. We use it so much I have to change the oil in the compressor every 3-4 months because it gets black.

If yours is moderately used I bet you will never have a problem.

Don

Yeah Pops, compared to yours I'm very light use. Thanks for the motor info, when I get back up north I'll check it out.

Over the years the biggest demands have been body work and bead blasting. I've purposely set myself up to keep body work to a minimum these days, so running the blast cabinet is the most air consuming thing this unit has seen. On occasion some painting projects have eaten lots of air, but not too often. Also, mine is not enclosed so cooling air flows easily, but being a single stage, high volume it doesn't make quite as much heat as some I've had in years gone by. I do miss the Kaeser I had at the shop, but a high volume screw unit like that would be WAAAYYYY overkill for home.

Bob, I think you and I have agreed that for the money these Eaton units are a good buy. I really have liked ours and it keeps up with everything we hobbyists have thrown at it. Sometimes two of us are running stuff at a time which causes it to run a lot, but it has gotten the job done.

At least with Eatons promise of fast replacement Dan should still be able to start priming his car this coming weekend.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Bob, I think you and I have agreed that for the money these Eaton units are a good buy. .

Don

Amen......