Smoking Henry component

[reb78]

In the middle of sweeping the chimney yesterday, Henry was switched off at his on off switch but plugged in.

He started making a fizzing noise and then black smoke. I pulled the plug out of the socket.

Looking today, it looks and smells like this component was the culprit. See pics. Anyone know what its called and where I can get one?

Also, why might it have done this i.e. is there a fault elsewhere? The motor spins freely.

 

[premmington]

Where are you in the UK...?

 

[Seadog]

It's an electrical noise suppressor capacitor.
Not essential for working but cheap to replace.
Something like this will do

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Agroshield]

As above, the machine will work fine without it but may interfere with your AM radio.

Note that the Henrys have a discharge resistor across the suppressor (shown in the picture).

 

[brightspark]

just take it out and bin it. its only a suppressor

 

[reb78]

Cut the suppressor and capacitr out as a number of you have advised and normal service is resumed!

A cheap fix for a change!

 

[fizzy]

I know that capacitor VERY well. 3 went pop in my Powcon welder!
Rifa capacitors.
They are great - but only last about 20 or 30 years

Be quick - last one! £4.59

Numatic James Henry Hoover Repair Capacitor 0.15uF 150nF 275Vac Class X2 RIFA | eBay UK

Capacitance: 150nF / 0.15uF.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[reb78]

I know that capacitor VERY well. 3 went pop in my Powcon welder!
Rifa capacitors.
They are great - but only last about 20 or 30 years

Be quick - last one! £4.59

Numatic James Henry Hoover Repair Capacitor 0.15uF 150nF 275Vac Class X2 RIFA | eBay UK

Capacitance: 150nF / 0.15uF.

www.ebay.co.uk

There doesnt seem any point Fizzy. Its one less thing to fail now its gone and in the brief test this morning it didnt seem to affect anything else by not being there.

 

[ajlelectronics]

There doesnt seem any point Fizzy. Its one less thing to fail now its gone and in the brief test this morning it didnt seem to affect anything else by not being there.

There is a lot of point, manufacturers don't fit components if they can possibly get away with it.

 

[fizzy]

There is a lot of point, manufacturers don't fit components if they can possibly get away with it.

I mean a 20 year lifespan isn't so bad after all

 

[reb78]

There is a lot of point, manufacturers don't fit components if they can possibly get away with it.

If the only thing it does is help with AM radio reception then I'm good for now. That's the main thing mentioned when I asked what it's purpose is...

 

[voipio]

That capacitor also helps to prolong brush and commutator life, by reducing the amount of arcing which occurs during use.

 

[ajlelectronics]

If the only thing it does is help with AM radio reception then I'm good for now. That's the main thing mentioned when I asked what it's purpose is...

That is not all it does by a long chalk but even if that were the case, just because you may have no interest in radio reception, it doesn't mean that nobody else does either.

 

[reb78]

That is not all it does by a long chalk but even if that were the case, just because you may have no interest in radio reception, it doesn't mean that nobody else does either.

I live in the middle of nowhere. I doubt I'm upsetting anyone when I clean.

What else does it do?

 

[ajlelectronics]

I live in the middle of nowhere. I doubt I'm upsetting anyone when I clean.

What else does it do?

@voipio said above...
"That capacitor also helps to prolong brush and commutator life, by reducing the amount of arcing which occurs during use." For one. ie it stops the commutator burning and erratic operation with pitted brushes.

 

[sako243]

If the only thing it does is help with AM radio reception then I'm good for now. That's the main thing mentioned when I asked what it's purpose is...

Noise suppression going back on the electrical lines (which can be picked up by radios as it's all electromagnetic radiation).

Things are built to conform to standards because everything else is. Chances are everything else will be fine but the point is electric motors are bloody noisy (electrically) and noise has energy. The capacitors on the Henry will be specced to suppress that noise and dissipate that energy. Other electronics (such as laptops, phone chargers etc.,) whilst hopefully able to pass relevant standards may not have components specced to handle the unfiltered noise generated from an electric motor, that should have been suppressed by the device generating it.

Killing every known source of noise under the sun is bloody hard work (I know, I've had to design stuff to work in horrible environments and with really ****ty supplies) and the short version is if everything does a bit towards cleaning up electrical noise everything is easier to design as the source kills what it's making and thus is best suited to kill the noise rather than having to install broadband suppression on everything.

So things will probably be fine but don't come crying if something somewhere eventually dies because of it (although you'll unlikely narrow it's cause down to Henry). For the sake of a few pence any X2 cap with the same or better voltage rating and same capacitance will likely suffice and clean things up.

 

[brightspark]

the capacitor stops interference and the resistor discharges ant residual current hanging around when you unplug it. the interference is negligible