50Hz motor on 60Hz power

Another question regarding the 220V 50Hz silent compressor I mentioned in my other post about Step-Up transformers:

I have received conflicting answers on this question so I thought I would ask her also. From what I have researched it seems that a 50Hz electric motor will run allright on 60Hz power here in the U.S. but vice versa will damage the motor quickly. Would you concur with that?

I called the U.S. branch office of the company that sells this compressor and asked the technician if I could run it on 60Hz power. He said he would have to check and then came back to the phone and told me that it "should be OK to run on 60Hz."

I am wondering if that is the truth or if he just asked someone who may or may not have known?

I also called another company that makes compressors almost exactly the same as these and the technician there told me that running it at 60Hz will work but that it will probably only last a year or so.

So now I am wondering who is right and who is wrong?

I appreciate any input you may have.

Thanks

Mike

 

I think you got the right answer from both of them.

 

The frequency change will affect the RPMs of the motor. You should see a 20% increase in speed. That may (probably) afect the lifetime of the motor.

 

Here's my thoughts.
I will run. It will run faster. If it is belt drive you should consider a pulley change to keep the compressor speed back to normal. It might not last as long as if it was on 50Hz. Are you going to buy a new motor? What will you do with the old one. Probably can't rid of it. With this in mind I say run it as is and see how long it lasts. In the mean time keep an eye out for a deal on a new motor or wait until it blows and buy one then. It might last a long time.

 

Thanks everyone for the input.

Since this motor is only rated at 2.9 amps at 220V would that make any difference to the life of the motor since it is such a low amperage?

One other thing: Why are some motors rated for 50/60Hz?

Do these motors rated for both frequencies last longer at one frequency then they do the other?


Joed,

It is not belt-driven. It is a sealed, oil-filled compressor made in Denmark.
I am not going to buy a replacement for this thing as they are very expensive. Just the 1/2 hp motor/compressor head unit is over $800 new. Here is a link to them if you are curious as to what they are:

Jun-Air compressor

Mike

 

Why are some motors rated for 50/60Hz?

They are either a universal type motor (like in a portable
power tool), or their design is optomised to work on both
frequencies.