General Rules of Thumb for Electric Motor Rewinding

General Rules of Thumb for Electric Motor Rewinding

For those of you without much experience in electric motor rewinding, the whole process might seem quite overwhelming. This doesn’t have to be case – rewinding is actually quite a simple yet effective procedure that is carried out on motors of all ages and applications. There are, however, some general rules of thumb that should be kept in mind whenever undertaking such a process. We have outlined these in the list below for your convenience.

1.       Always use a qualified rewind shop

Quality rewinding can actually help to maintain the motor’s original efficiency, but this is only possible if you have chosen a suitably qualified shop to undertake the process for you. If the shop is careless with the work, it can actually result in further damage and significant losses for your company. Likewise, a reputable shop will be able to quickly determine whether the core has been damaged, which makes the unit unsuitable for rewinding in the first place.

2.       Replace models older than 15 years

When dealing with motors that are less than 100 horsepower (hp) in size and that are more than 15 years old, it is usually best to replace them instead of undertaking a rewind. This is because they often have efficiencies that are significantly lower than current models, so you would be better off upgrading. This rule is especially true if the unit has already gone through rewinding – in all reality, they can only undergo this process so many times before it becomes redundant.

3.       Buy a new model if costs exceed 65%

If electric motor rewinding is going to cost you more than 65% of what it would cost to invest in a new, energy efficient unit, it is usually best to just purchase the new one. The increased reliability and efficiency of the newer model should quickly help you to recover the price premium of its initial investment. Think about it – why would you spend so much money on having an older, damaged motor repaired when you could invest a little more and leave with a brand new one?

 4.       Energy efficient models are worthwhile

If your energy costs average somewhere around $0.03 kilowatts per hour (kWh) or more and the motor is operated for at least 4000 hours each year, you will find that an energy efficient model is certainly a worthwhile investment. The higher purchase price will usually be repaid through your energy savings within 2 years, which means that savings experienced after this time are all profit. There is no point paying exorbitant bills when there’s a cheaper alternative.

 In the future, we hope that you will employ each of the above general rules of thumb when it comes to electric motor rewinding. These rules are not here to make your life more difficult, to make the process more expensive or to discourage you from rewinding all together – in actual fact, they are here to help ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. If you have any other questions, ensure that you speak with an expert before proceeding.