Electric fan motors

We do something slightly similar to that. Each house has 4 exhaust fans. 1 fan in the front wall, 1 in the back wall, 2 on one side wall. While the chicks are young and we can run only 3 fans, we rotate the 2 side fans each cycle. While we're brooding, we have to run the end fans every cycle because we're a center brood house. We use petitions and curtains to shut off the front 25% and the back 25%. We have to run the end fans to keep air flow the same inside and outside of the brood area. I've had instances where we had a fan on the end quit while we were brooding and when we're pulling more air in the center and less on the ends the curtain will pull the petition over and the birds wind up going to the ends before they're ready. Doesn't happen often but when it does it's about like chasing greased pigs.

We also run "stir" fans. They are 18" fans mounted in the peak of the ceiling. When the exhaust fans shut off these fans run until the exhaust fans come on again. The air constantly moving inside the house keeps the litter almost too dry.

We could try running 1,2,3 then 2,3,4 then 3,4,1 then 4,1,2 after we "whole house", meaning after we take up the petition and let them have the ends. Don't know what the integrator will think but might try it and see.

Going back to the variable speed fans, the problem we run into is the integrators really like to listen to certain professors at certain universities that do research for the poultry industry. Now when you're doing research you want to prove your results. When you plug a variable speed fan into your research, you introduce a massive variable and it makes the results harder to replicate. From what I've been told, this is the reason why "research" shows we're better using standard 1725rpm motors instead of variable speed. It's BS but that's what I've been told. There are integrators that will allow and some even promote variable speed but ours isn't one of them

thendrix wrote: Capacitor specs: Run capacitor C107558440048 15.0uF 370VAC/B 50/60Hz I searched for this number and it didn't come up. Got a close number but the last 4 digits were wrong Start capacitor C103237310113 189-227uF 125VAC 60Hz Found several matches with this number in different sizes. I'll measure mine and see which one fits. I think I've got the start/run thing right. Seems kinda strange to me that the run capacitor has a higher voltage rating than the start capacity though

Are these motors able be to oiled? If so, there is special ‘electric motor’ oil that should be used. Not just run of the mill motor oil, or 3-in-1 oil.

Edited by Lars(wi) - 29 Feb 2024 at 5:03pm

Thanks fellas. Definitely going to buy more than 1. I need 3 as we speak and have 36 exhaust fans on the farm so I'll probably buy 3 to start then after I'm sure they'll work I'll probably buy 10 at a time

Edited by jaybmiller - 29 Feb 2024 at 8:48am

Capacitor specs:

Run capacitor C107558440048
15.0uF 370VAC/B 50/60Hz

I searched for this number and it didn't come up. Got a close number but the last 4 digits were wrong

Start capacitor C103237310113
189-227uF 125VAC 60Hz

Found several matches with this number in different sizes. I'll measure mine and see which one fits. I think I've got the start/run thing right. Seems kinda strange to me that the run capacitor has a higher voltage rating than the start capacity though


Edited by thendrix - 29 Feb 2024 at 8:28am

Steve, I think I may have found a replacement that didn't show up the last time we looked. I'll have to measure the OD and be length to make sure it'll fit. And yeah we're looking into solar at the moment

Tyler.. it sounds like you need MORE GOVT rules and regulations..... Have they looked into BATTERY and SOLAR POWER ???    

Got the capacitors out this morning. Unless I'm mistaken, the start capacitor is the one with a resistor soldered to the lugs?

I would not be starting a fan every 5 minutes and run for 30 seconds...Way too many startups. I would run ONE fan constant and keep the cycling down. If your running for 30 seconds you pulling way too much air.. Use 1/3 as many fans, or reduce the speed so they run for a few minutes... Would be nice to run ONE fan constant, and have a couple more kick in every 20 minutes and run for 5 minutes... etc.

Edited by steve(ill) - 28 Feb 2024 at 12:24pm

jaybmiller wrote: curious about the '5 minute ' timers... Are you saying the fans 'cycle' is on for 5 minutes, then off for 5 minutes, 24 /7  ? Trying to figure out how many starts and often you have ? The start switch wasn't made for a zillion cycles.Well water pump switches  fail this way. Just curious if another solution might be more reliable ?

Yes and no. One cycle is 5 minutes. We set the fan run time according to the amount of ammonia in the air. For example, the first 2 days we run 3 exhaust fans 30 to 35 seconds every 5 minutes. By the end of the flock it'll be 4 fans and 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on

Thanks again everybody. I'll see if I can get time to get a capacitor out today.

Dave, that's quite a detailed explanation. It's not my farm that motors have gone from 10 years to 2 just farms in general. At my in-laws farm, before it shut down, we were replacing motors in 2017 that were put into service in 1995. I certainly agree with you on dust. We wash fans after every flock just for this reason and each bearing gets a shot or two of grease after washing. My biggest issue with losing start capacitors is with the fans running on 5 minute timers and it taking 10 seconds to start rather than 2, we lose 8 seconds of ventilation every cycle which is 96 seconds per hour or approximately 38.5 minutes per day. Losing ventilation time can cause excessive ammonia and the wet floors like they show in the documentaries that make us look less than human.

Edited by DaveKamp - 27 Feb 2024 at 7:12am

I belong to a group that builds blacksmiths power hammers.
The Leeson motors seem to hold up best as far as I’ve read.
Have you looked at surplus center for capacitors and motors?