Pilar Drill Humming - more help needed.

[ellal]

The other topic seems to have been locked, so asking for more help here.

I've just received a new capacitor direct from HK!

The old capacitor had red and black cables, but the new one has 2 black cables. Is the polarity important, and if so how do I tell which is which?

The capacitor seems to be connected outside the main motor housing with crimp lugs, wrapped in what looks like a heat shrink and then a further heat braid.

Would it be ok to use insulation tape instead of the heat shrink, and would any bullet lug suffice?

Cheers

 

[Taylortwocities]

It is an AC circuit, there is no polarity!

DO NOT use insulation tape, it will come unstuck in a short period of time and that may cause another sort of short……. use sleeving.

 

[JohnW2]

It is an AC circuit, there is no polarity!

That is obviously true, functionally, and if the OP's capacitor has two black leads and no 'polarity' markings, then it is clearly the case that that it does not matter which way around it is connected.

However (for completeness), because of safety considerations, one sometimes does see capacitors intended for use in LV AC circuits having 'polarity' markings, so that they can be installed such that the internal parts closest to the surface (e.g. 'the outer foil') can be connected to N, rather than L, (if possible) in an LV application.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ellal]

Thanks for the replies.

A trip to Maplins this afternoon for some sleeving and then fingers crossed!

 

[ellal]

New capacitor fitted with shrink sleeving and it works a treat.

Thanks for the help here and in the original topic.

 

[ellal]

Spoke to soon...

Went to use it today and the humming has returned

And further ideas to try, or is it effectively caput?

 

[JohnW2]

Spoke to soon... Went to use it today and the humming has returned And further ideas to try, or is it effectively caput?

Was it working satisfactorily during the intervening few weeks since you fitted the new capacitor?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ellal]

Only used it a couple of times - probably no more than 10 holes drilled.

It started spinning today, and then 5 seconds later started humming again.

 

[JohnW2]

Only used it a couple of times - probably no more than 10 holes drilled. It started spinning today, and then 5 seconds later started humming again.

Do you mean that it started spinning and then stopped spinning (instead just humming)? If so, is that not different from your original problem, which I understood to be that it would not start spinning in the first place?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ellal]

I thought it was going to work fine, i.e. the chuck started spinning.

But then after those 5 seconds the humming started and the chuck stopped spinning.

On subsequent attempts to start the drill, I got the same as before - no spinning/humming and then the safety cut in.

 

[JohnW2]

I thought it was going to work fine, i.e. the chuck started spinning. But then after those 5 seconds the humming started and the chuck stopped spinning. On subsequent attempts to start the drill, I got the same as before - no spinning/humming and then the safety cut in.

What 'safety' was it that 'cut in'?

I suppose that perhaps the most 'obvious' explanation would be that the new capacitor has blown up - I'm not sure whether 5 weeks' life is good for one obtained from HK

Kind Regards, John

 

[ellal]

Not sure what safety it is, but when it cuts in the humming stops!

It could be a dodgy Cap of course, but I'm stumped as to what else I can do.

 

[JohnW2]

Not sure what safety it is, but when it cuts in the humming stops! ... It could be a dodgy Cap of course, but I'm stumped as to what else I can do.

Apart from trying replacing the capacitor again, I don't know what else to suggest. Hopefully others may have some ideas!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ellal]

cheers anyway.

 

[stillp]

Not sure what safety it is, but when it cuts in the humming stops!

Could you describe this "safety" in a bit more detail? Where is it, what does it look like, how do you reset it?