Hello welcome to Enots engineering I'm Alan
Hello welcome to Enots engineering I'm Alan

In today's video I have a problem with my air compressor in the workshop
In today's video I have a problem with my air compressor in the workshop

and we'll be looking at how you diagnose what the problem is
and we'll be looking at how you diagnose what the problem is

and how to repair it
and how to repair it

some people won't know that there is a hidden switch on the compressor
some people won't know that there is a hidden switch on the compressor

that cuts the motor off when it overheats
that cuts the motor off when it overheats

and if this has switched itself off and the compressor won't work and you may think that the motors failed
and if this has switched itself off and the compressor won't work and you may think that the motors failed

but once you switch the switch you'll come back to life
but once you switch the switch you'll come back to life

so let's go into the workshop and see how we do it
so let's go into the workshop and see how we do it

I have a problem with my compressor
I have a problem with my compressor

I've got the power on
I've got the power on

nothing happens what happened initially there was some compressed air in there
nothing happens what happened initially there was some compressed air in there

I switched the power on the motor tried to start and stopped and since then it's not work
I switched the power on the motor tried to start and stopped and since then it's not work

so I've drained the air out of it to see whether the motor would start
so I've drained the air out of it to see whether the motor would start

but it's dead so the first thing to do is check whether the fuse in the plug has blown
but it's dead so the first thing to do is check whether the fuse in the plug has blown

I have this screwdriver that has an LED in there and if I touch the end
I have this screwdriver that has an LED in there and if I touch the end

The LED will light up see if you can see that
The LED will light up see if you can see that

so when I'm touching both ends the LED lights up here's the fuse
so when I'm touching both ends the LED lights up here's the fuse

I'll touch the one side hold the screwdriver on there you can see the light
I'll touch the one side hold the screwdriver on there you can see the light

light up so I know the fuse has a connection it's not the fuse
light up so I know the fuse has a connection it's not the fuse

so let's go straight into the switch to see if there's anything wrong on that
so let's go straight into the switch to see if there's anything wrong on that

this is a switch unit a screw in the middle
this is a switch unit a screw in the middle

take the cover off
take the cover off

just check the earth
just check the earth

If it's earthed you will see the light just comes on
If it's earthed you will see the light just comes on

so I know that the earth was connected to the earth
so I know that the earth was connected to the earth

turn this around
turn this around

the connections are on this side so the mains in is this one
the connections are on this side so the mains in is this one

so by touching the negative wire you see it lights up
so by touching the negative wire you see it lights up

Thats the positive negative so they are connected
Thats the positive negative so they are connected

then we go when the switch operates it press this down
then we go when the switch operates it press this down

according to the cover it's off when its down
according to the cover it's off when its down

which is there and when its up it's on
which is there and when its up it's on

so that should be on
so that should be on

plug it in switch it on nothing
plug it in switch it on nothing

so I don't think it's a switch but lets get my other test out
so I don't think it's a switch but lets get my other test out

switch it on ohms
switch it on ohms

so if I short this zero
so if I short this zero

when it's open circuit it will read read one
when it's open circuit it will read read one

zero
zero

If I work the switch it should go back to one
If I work the switch it should go back to one

the which is working on the negative
the which is working on the negative

and the positive
and the positive

switch is working
switch is working

So that switch is sending the electric through to the motor down here
So that switch is sending the electric through to the motor down here

we've got also another cable I can't see what that does
we've got also another cable I can't see what that does

it's some sort of sensor for the compressed air
it's some sort of sensor for the compressed air

I don't know what this does here
I don't know what this does here

I think that's okay the switch so I'll put the cover back on
I think that's okay the switch so I'll put the cover back on

what we'll do is concentrate on the motor
what we'll do is concentrate on the motor

I've got a little adapter that goes in there
I've got a little adapter that goes in there

the socket will fit on the on the end
the socket will fit on the on the end

Put this on slow
Put this on slow

Take the plastic cover off on this side
Take the plastic cover off on this side

Lets have a look what we have
Lets have a look what we have

A switch in there that might be it
A switch in there that might be it

8 amp that was switched off
8 amp that was switched off

remember this is not plugged in here's the plug
remember this is not plugged in here's the plug

so what I'm doing is I'm just doing a probe in each of these wires
so what I'm doing is I'm just doing a probe in each of these wires

that's saying it's on
that's saying it's on

that's on now before it was off
that's on now before it was off

it may have just activated that switch hopefully
it may have just activated that switch hopefully

so this side we've got the motor this end is the compressor and the piston
so this side we've got the motor this end is the compressor and the piston

this isthe inlet filter
this isthe inlet filter

air is sucked in through here
air is sucked in through here

then compressed and I think he comes
then compressed and I think he comes

down this pipe along down this pipe into the tank
down this pipe along down this pipe into the tank

and this on the end here is some sort of pressure switch
and this on the end here is some sort of pressure switch

so it looks as if this cutout has operated to save the motor
so it looks as if this cutout has operated to save the motor

this is the switch that switches off when it overheats
this is the switch that switches off when it overheats

so what's happening now when I switch it on it's trying to go
so what's happening now when I switch it on it's trying to go

But there's something wrong
But there's something wrong

I can turn that round by hand
I can turn that round by hand

that's okay obviously the motor seems to be okay
that's okay obviously the motor seems to be okay

so I wonder if the capacitor gone
so I wonder if the capacitor gone

it's just blown the switch again that's the thermal protection I think
it's just blown the switch again that's the thermal protection I think

so what else could it be capacitor it could be
so what else could it be capacitor it could be

I'll check this valve on the end first I don't think it's this
I'll check this valve on the end first I don't think it's this

that works okay
that works okay

so it's something to do with this
so it's something to do with this

I don't know wether the valve was stuck and wasn't letting the air through
I don't know wether the valve was stuck and wasn't letting the air through

grease and dirt on there so I'll put that back in
grease and dirt on there so I'll put that back in

I've just turned it around this is the pipe that goes to the tank
I've just turned it around this is the pipe that goes to the tank

so now I'll switch that switch back on the cut out switch
so now I'll switch that switch back on the cut out switch

let's plug it in and see if it will run
let's plug it in and see if it will run

There we go
There we go

so what had happened was switching it on somehow the motor got jammed
so what had happened was switching it on somehow the motor got jammed

and the cut out switch was activated to stop the power going to the motor
and the cut out switch was activated to stop the power going to the motor

to prevent the motor burning out
to prevent the motor burning out

but in the instructions for this it doesn't mention the cut out switch at all
but in the instructions for this it doesn't mention the cut out switch at all

so I wonder how many of these have been thrown down the scrap heap
so I wonder how many of these have been thrown down the scrap heap

people thinking it's burnt out packed up you go get a new one
people thinking it's burnt out packed up you go get a new one

the oil tank is on the end
the oil tank is on the end

here is where the oils filled
here is where the oils filled

on this end there's a dipstick
on this end there's a dipstick

check the oil level it's ok
check the oil level it's ok

this was made in 1997
this was made in 1997

It's a one and a half horsepower motor and it holds 25litres of compressed air
It's a one and a half horsepower motor and it holds 25litres of compressed air

That's all the screws back
That's all the screws back

See if we can get some compression
See if we can get some compression

It doesn't seem to want to work
It doesn't seem to want to work

ok I think this is the problem this capacitor
ok I think this is the problem this capacitor

it's 30uf 450 volts
it's 30uf 450 volts

I've ordered one on ebay cost £5.88 including postage
I've ordered one on ebay cost £5.88 including postage

I can't do anything else with that until I get the new capacitor
I can't do anything else with that until I get the new capacitor

just a quick point if just tried starting something with the with the capacitor and he doesn't work
just a quick point if just tried starting something with the with the capacitor and he doesn't work

do not touch the terminals because this stores a high voltage
do not touch the terminals because this stores a high voltage

and you could get a shock
and you could get a shock

what I've done with this one I've just shorted it out
what I've done with this one I've just shorted it out

so the voltage in there is very low
so the voltage in there is very low

let me see what there is in there
let me see what there is in there

If I touch the wire to the meter no voltage
If I touch the wire to the meter no voltage

so that's supposed to hold the charge
so that's supposed to hold the charge

I'm hoping it that
I'm hoping it that

if it's that we would will be back up and running
if it's that we would will be back up and running

well I know that capacitors don't last a long time
well I know that capacitors don't last a long time

The capacitors arrived
The capacitors arrived

That's the new one
That's the new one

30uf 450 volts so exactly the same as the old one
30uf 450 volts so exactly the same as the old one

the only difference I can see is this has got four terminals
the only difference I can see is this has got four terminals

This has just got two
This has just got two

Right time to try it again
Right time to try it again

Thats working
Thats working

Put the cover back on
Put the cover back on

Screw there
Screw there

one in there
one in there

Turn it around
Turn it around

OK
OK

See what pressure it can get up to
See what pressure it can get up to

Thats working ok now
Thats working ok now

So I will put that back in it's position
So I will put that back in it's position

and connect the air line to it
and connect the air line to it

well that's it for today
well that's it for today

I hope that was useful and we'll see you next time
I hope that was useful and we'll see you next time

On Enots engineering
On Enots engineering