OFF OFF OFF ...title...

InspectAPedia TM

Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice
InspectAPedia
Home
| Air
Conditioning
| Electrical | Environment | Exteriors | Heating | Home
Inspection
| Insulate
Ventilate
| Interiors | Mold
Inspect/Test
| Plumbing
Water
Septic
| Roofing | Structure | Contact Us
New Directory of Professionals to Inspect or Test a Building New


AIR CONDITIONING CONTROLS & SWITCHES
BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES
ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH
FURNACE CONTROLS & SWITCHES
OIL BURNERS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES

More Information

Mobile Phone/PDA website viewMobile View
InspectAPedia TM Home & Site Map
Air Conditioning
InspectAPedia Bookstore
Electrical
Environment
Exteriors
Heating
Home Inspection
Insulate Ventilate
Interiors
Mold Inspect/Test
Plumbing Water Septic
Roofing
Structure
Accuracy & Bias Pledge
Contact Us


Photograph of the overload reset button on an electric motor

How to Find & Reset the Thermal Overload Switch on Electric motors
InspectAPedia TM

Google
 
  • How to find and reset the thermal overload switch found on many electric motors
  • How to reset the motor switch on a furnace or air conditioner blower fan unit
  • How to reset the motor switch on water pumps and well pumps
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at inspect-ny.com/appointment.htm.

The page top photo was taken of of an oil burner electric motor not an air conditioning blower fan motor or pump motor, but you'll see that all of these electric motors look a lot alike. Sometimes the reset button on an electric motor is hard to find, and sometimes there is no reset button!. But this photo shows the red reset button most clearly.

© Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

How to Find and Reset a Heating System or Air Conditioning Electric Motor

Electric motor overload reset buttons: Photograph of the overload reset button on an electric motor An electric motor used in lots of equipment may include overload reset button on the motor body. If the motor is overloaded or if it overheats, this button will pop "out" indicating that an internal electric safety device has tripped,shutting the motor off.

Once the motor has cooled sufficiently it can be re-started, usually by pushing the popped-out reset switch back down.

If the motor turns off again on re-set you should not keep running it as it may be damaged and the system may be unsafe.

 

 

 

Tips for Finding the Motor Reset Button

Find the electric motor that operates the device that has been shut down. For example on a warm air heating system or central air conditioning system look in the air handler/blower compartment.

On the blower motor itself, look for a red or yellow button which is normally flat with the motor surface but which will pop up to show that the motor has been shut off by its internal overload protection circuit.

If the installer rotated the motor so that the button is facing away from you and impossible to see, feel around on the bottom and back side of the motor for the button's presence. Especially if the motor's internal protection has tripped, it should be easy to feel the button since it'll be sticking up about 1/2".

When and How to Reset the Electric Motor on a Heating Blower, Air Conditioner Blower, or Water Pump

When the air conditioner fan or blower motor has cooled sufficiently this button can usually be simply pressed back down to "reset" the switch. If the motor overload switch won't reset (stay depressed) either the motor is still too hot (wait) or there is another failure that needs diagnosis. Sometimes the reset button is present but hard to find, depending on the position in which the motor was bolted in place.

What the Reset Button Looks Like When it has Not Tripped

You can see that in this picture the button is flush with the motor surface. Sometimes these buttons are hard to find but they are usually present on heating and air conditioning system electric motors for fans and blowers.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

AIR CONDITIONING CONTROLS & SWITCHES
BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES
ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH
FURNACE CONTROLS & SWITCHES
OIL BURNERS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES

Technical Reviewers & References

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

  • Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia TM Website
  • Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
  • Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.

Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

More expert information on this topic


AIR CONDITIONING CONTROLS & SWITCHES
BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES
ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH
FURNACE CONTROLS & SWITCHES
OIL BURNERS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
More Information

InspectAPedia TM Home & Site Map
Air Conditioning
InspectAPedia Bookstore
Electrical
Environment
Exteriors
Heating
Home Inspection
Insulate Ventilate
Interiors
Mold Inspect/Test
Plumbing Water Septic
Roofing
Structure
Accuracy & Bias Pledge
Contact Us

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

    ...

goto InspectAPedia.com - authoritative, in-depth Building Diagnostic and Repair Information for building buyers, owners, inspectorsInspectAPedia.com TM  - Home Page - Building Inspection, Diagnosis, & Repair, Environmental Inspection & Testing - Research Website

GO TO the MOLD and INDOOR ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION CENTER for in-depth advice on avoiding testing for or cleaning up mold and other indoor environmental hazards, odors, gases, contaminantsThe Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

GO TO MOLD TEST KITS: This expert-recommended mold test kit is cheap and yet top performing *IF* you use a competent analysis laboratory!Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

GO TO IAQ/MOLD-TEST LAB SERVICES: Mold, Pollen, indoor air quality, field and laboratory services by an expert.Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.

GO TO our PRE PURCHASE BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES: Authoritative information for home buyers and home owners is included with your inspection.Home Inspection Construction Consulting Services & advice for home buyers

CONTACT Daniel Friedman - Dan is a senior ASHI home inspector, nationally recognized expert on building inspection, building failures, and sick building investigationContact Daniel Friedman for website content suggestions or for fee-paid consulting

Google
 

07/18/2008 - 05/22/1988 - www.inspect-ny.com/aircond/Motor_Reset_Button.htm - © 2008 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved