Ceiling Fan Capacitor Help
Ceiling Fan Capacitor Help
Ceiling Fan Capacitor Help
Most ceiling fans use a type of motor known as a "permanent split capacitor motor". These motors have two coils, a "start" and a "run" winding. A capacitor is connected in series with the start winding to insert a phase shift, but once the motor is up to speed it becomes an auxiliary winding. In order to reverse the motor, the capacitor is applied to the "run" winding which then becomes the "start" winding. In some cases the windings may have taps to provide different speeds, in others the value of the start/run capacitor is lowered to provide lower speeds. Yet other designs will have additional capacitors wired in series with the motor as a whole to regulate speeds.
Schematic of a capacitor start motor. A capacitor start motor is a split-phase induction motor with a starting capacitor inserted in series with the startup winding, creating an LC circuit which is capable of a much greater phase shift (and so, a much greater starting torque). The capacitor naturally adds expense to such motors.
resistance-inductance (referred to as inductive reactance and expressed as XL) to cause the current to lag the line voltage by about 45 (because XL about equals R). The currents in each winding are therefore 90 out of phase - so are the magnetic fields that are generated. The effect is that the two windings act like a two-phase stator and produce the rotating field required to start the motor. When nearly full speed is obtained, a centrifugal device (the starting switch) cuts out the starting winding. The motor then runs as a plain single-phase induction motor. Since the auxiliary winding is only a light winding, the motor does not develop sufficient torque to start heavy loads. Split-phase motors, therefore, come only in small sizes.