Wiring a 220V Single Phase Motor With 5 Wires to a 6-Terminal Rotary Drum Switch

I posted this on a machinist forum and couldn't get a straight answer, perhaps I was just asking the wrong folks.


 a "hypothetical" situation to solve. 

Lets say ya have a wall that has 220v single phase power, then sitting on the ground under the 220v outlet plug on that wall, there is a new rotary drum switch and a 220v single phase motor.  You also have a roll of the correct gauge wire sitting there with it along with the necessary hand tools and wire terminals and you want to make this motor turn using the power from the wall

How does one make this happen? 
we know that 3 wires with a plug on one end (one white 110v, one black 110v and a green ground wire will be supplying the power. That's Line IN.

We know that the motor has 5 wires proceeding from it as follows

they are labeled

PE = green/yellow (ground)

U1 = black

U2 = brown

Z1 = black

Z2 = blue

We know that the drum switch has 6 terminals that wires can be connected to (plus a threaded hole for a ground wire.
  Attached to the drum switch is this wiring diagram


What wires need to be attached to where to make this motor turn forward and backwards? 
if the forum doesn't generate a reply email, you can email me direct. Thanks


pigstye13(_at_)aol.com

OK...the 5 wires from the motor are probably earth (ground) and two windings, a start winding and a run winding. it would seem both have a black wire so I would first check with an ohmmeter if the blacks are connected together,  or indeed if any connection exists between the U winding and the Z winding.  If there is, that motor probably can't reverse, but the fact that there are 4 wires, not 3, is hopeful.That done, you make the motor run one way by wiring (eg)Mains Black > U1 & Z1     Mains White > U2 and Z2to make it run the other way you connectMains Black > U1 & Z2     Mains White > U2 and Z1
BUT you have not said whether this is a capacitive start motor, if it is you need to connect the capacitor in series with either (Probably) Z1 or Z2 before it goes to the switch.Does your hypothetical motor have any name plate with any details?Oh, and does your drum switch have a centre-off position?  It's not good to suddenly put a motor in reverse.Please comment on the above and I'll work out your switch wiring....

yes sir, this motor is made to go in forward and reverse modes. no continuity between  U1 black and z1 blackIt is cap start / cap run   Standard Dayton  2x441 forward -off-reverse  drum switch. off position
forward position
reverse position
Data on motor

Charles, thanks for the reply and pics.  Not so hypothetical!  My first comment has to be, this is a big motor and any error could cause catastrophic failure, so get a qualified electrician to assist you here.  This is a far bigger motor than I have ever played with.The pics don't show whether the capacitors are already on the motor and wired in, if not another reason to get someone who knows exactly what he is doing to assist you.I would assume that the contacts at the bottom of the switch (5 and 6) are closed in the fwd and rev positions and open in the off position.  (Check with an ohmmeter.) In that case you can put them in series with the mains live to switch the motor off.You would then wireMains live - switch 5, take switched live from switch 6Switched Live (from switch 6) - switch 1 and motor U1Neutral - switch 4 and motor U2Z1 - switch 2Z2 - Switch 3This will switch the Z winding polarity relative to the U winding.But again - please get some professional assistance with this.  

the problem is I can find no one in my area that knows any thing about this.  The caps are wired already in the motor. The motor has ran for many years just fine, until the  forward off reverse switch took a dump and it is obsolete since 2008, so I have to fend for myself

Charles - I can appreciate your dilemma but really unless you know exactly what you are doing you should not touch something like this.  Can you not contact the maker of the machine which has the motor on it for advice?   I've tried to get someone else on the forum to comment but we're also a bit short on power guys....IF you have no alternative for some reason, you could wire the switch as I have suggested, but feed it from an appropriate circuit breaker some distance away (given the motor specifies 8A at 220V, use a 10 or maybe 15/16A breaker (a 10 might trip on start-up).  An Ammeter in the live line would also be good.  If you can get some kind of electrician to check your connections that would be good.  I have worked as an electrician but only on much lower power stuff than this and I would certainly seek better qualified help for something like this.With the breaker OFF and the drum switch in the OFF position, switch the breaker on and nothing should happen, no current draw.Switch the breaker OFF again, change the drum switch to Forward, and put the breaker on, the motor should run forward.Switch the breaker OFF again, wait for the motor to STOP, change the drum switch to Reverse, and put the breaker on, the motor should run reverse.
If all this goes ok you're in business.  If not, the breaker should trip if anything is wrong.The object of this is to keep you away from the drum switch if something is wrong, a breaker is far safer for you to be near, they are designed for faults.If the motor runs in the wrong direction, reverse Z1 and Z2:Z1 - switch 3Z2 - Switch 2Do let us know what happens and how you go.But try and get someone with experience on something like this.  Mines / air conditioning companies / industrial plants will have such people, see if you can borrow one after hours.A crate of beer or two will do wonders (Not to be consumed while testing

I have contacted the maker. Worst customer service ever. Incompetent people for sure.   They have very little knowledge about their own products.So let me get this right.  you're saying here that example Z1 wire coming out of the motor will connect to terminal #2 on my drum switch, Z2 wire coming out of the motor will connect to terminal  #3 on the drum switch,  U2  coming out of motor  connects to terminal #4, U1 coming out of motor will connect to terminal #1 on the drum switch, but what wire is the mains that connects to terminal 5? I understand about the breaker and safety, no problem there
Mains live - switch 5, take switched live from switch 6Switched Live (from switch 6) - switch 1 and motor U1Neutral - switch 4 and motor U2Z1 - switch 2Z2 - Switch 3This will switch the Z winding polarity relative to the U winding.

Charles.... "but what wire is the mains that connects to terminal 5?"If you don't understand the concept of Mains Live it only adds to my feelings that you need help with this.  Mains Live is the live or active wire of your mains feed, in this case from your circuit breaker.   I have done a diagram below to assist.
The Supply is your 3 wires (Live/Active, Neutral and Earth) coming from your switchboard / Breaker.I would imagine that the U winding is your Run winding and the Z winding is your Start winding.You should be able to verify this with a meter, the Run winding will have a lower resistance, but your start winding may have a capacitor in series so you may not be able to measure it.  The above will work even if the U winding is only the start winding, but it is preferable to switch the start winding, not the run winding.Please take great care with this and try and find someone to help you with this.

we ended up going with this

Charles - that is more or less the same as I had, but it looks like you have switched the  neutral with 5/6 instead of the live, bad practice, but it works.  Good outcome and thanks for the feedback.

where in this drawing would you put it?

Charles I think maybe you missed a wire in your diagram as the Z2 connection is not shown connected to anything.  But the main think is it is working and you're still with us to tell the tale.  Nice work

Z2 U2 and V1 are connected with a buss bar from the factory

Charles - "Z2 U2 and V1 are connected with a buss bar from the factory"Which confirms that my understanding of the windings was not altogether correct.As I say, good on you for getting it working successfully.Cheers / David

 Thanks, I was so happy to get rid of all those pesky contactors and such !!!!

Charles - that is more or less the same as I had, but it looks like you have switched the  neutral with 5/6 instead of the live, bad practice, but it works.  Good outcome and thanks for the feedback.

Any suggestion ?? 9apps

@John sam my suggesting to find way to hardware and repair 9app

Im waiting for update as well