Compressor motor hums but will not run
by eddie billue
(cartersville, ga usa)
electric source is stable. Plug in compressor and I here humming . It will not engage the compressor.
Bill says...
Hello Eddie:
Your symptoms suggest one of two things.
If it's the motor that's humming, it either is, or has, failed, or it's not getting enough juice to turn it over.
If the motor's OK, and it's not getting enough power to start, that would suggest that your capacitor is or has failed. The capacitor gives the motor a boost when it goes to start, helping it get running without overloading the circuit.
Or, one more thing, have you other electrical devices drawing power from same circuit as the compressor? Electricity is like water in a hose in that regard. If you have too many taps open drawing water from the same hose, by the time the water gets to the end tap, there's only a trickle, and not enough to get any work done.
The work, in this case, is starting the compressor. If you only have a trickle of electricity getting to the compressor, it can't start, and it might just hum.
Cheers,
Bill
