A customer in Phoenix said my diagnostic method was too slow and it stuck with me

I used to always start with a full voltage check on every motor, but a guy last month said I was adding 20 minutes to the job for no reason when a simple spin test would tell me the same thing. Now I listen for hum and try to turn the rotor by hand first, saving the meter for when I really need it. Do you think skipping straight to hands-on checks is a bad habit to get into?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaelrodriguez1mo ago

Listen for hum and try to turn the rotor" is smart, but skipping the meter entirely is risky. A motor can spin free but still have a bad winding. I'd still do a quick voltage check after the hands-on test, just to be sure.

faithb741mo ago

Fair point, but how often does a winding actually go bad if it's humming and spins okay? Seems like extra steps most of the time.