I would almost guess that the peak hp of that motor is 3.5, but the continuous hp is around 1.5- 2.0. Which basically means, that if all the right conditions existed, that motor could put out 3.5 hp. Which, connected to a 20 amp 120 volt outlet won't happen. Convert it to 240 volt, and then it won't be a problem. It is a marketing ploy that a lot of treadmill manufactures use, they give you the peak hp of the motor. i have seen some treadmill motors now use PWM (pulse Width modulation), which means nothing to me, so I don't know how this effects HP of an electric motor. Or some electric motors actually run on D/C, and not A/C, again, I have no clue how that will effect HP of the motor, I know it makes the motor more energy efficient. To make things even more confusing, some treadmill manufactures rate their motor HP at the final drive, after all gear ratios and such. It is hard to compare them apples to apples. Michael _____
From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:blindhandy...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Edward Przybylek Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 7:48 AM To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] electric motor question Hi Dale, Pretty much, what you said is what I thought but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. How would I verify the horsepower of the motor? Both the manual and the label on the side of the motor claim it's 3.5 HP. My knowledge of electricity and motors is almost 0. Any information is greatly appreciated. Take care, Ed Przybylek From: blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com [mailto:blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dale Leavens Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 6:02 PM To: blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] electric motor question Well, it isn't the end of the world to trip a breaker so I wouldn't worry about it too much. I can however pretty well guarantee that motor isn't anything near 3.5 hp. regardless what they rate it at or tell you. Why would it have to be anyway, one horsepower is 550 foot pounds per second. Unless you are running an elephant or you have quite spectacular foot pounds you won't be taxing a motor anything like that hard. ----- Original Message ----- From: Edward Przybylek To: blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 3:11 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] electric motor question Hi all, I've been following this thread with much interest because we just purchased a new treadmill. The unit has a 3.5 horsepower motor, is capable of a 12% incline and has a top speed of 10 MPH. This discussion thread has concerned itself with motors 2.5 HP and lower and whether there needs to be a concern about breaker ratings. Given that this unit has a motor with 3.5 HP, are there concerns I should be addressing? We use the treadmill for power walking and I'm quite sure it will never see speeds much over 5 or 6 MPH. We've had the incline up to 8 percent and I'm sure we'll have it up to the 12% maximum before too long. We haven't popped a breaker yet but I just want to be sure that there isn't something I should be doing just as a precaution. Thanks. Take care, Ed Przybylek From: blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of Tom Fowle Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 1:43 PM To: blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] electric motor question David, One Horsepower is generally considered to require about 750 watts. so 2.25 HP will need a solid 1700 watts. This is probably a peak rating, but none th less it must be on a 20 amp circuit that isn't used much. If you have a coule 200 watt outside lights on at the same time, it will get very close to the max rating of a 20 amp circuit. tom [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
