Floor Buffer Tripping Breaker

bmartin

A friend of mine bought a new floor buffer for cleaning concrete floors for staining. The problem is it trips a 20 amp breaker about half the time that you use it and almost always if you use an extension cord. I don't have the motor rating but it does have a 15 amp plug end on it. Machine is brand new and has done this from day 1. Also will trip the reset button on their 5500 watt generator. Once running it works fine, it always blows at start up. Any help would be appreciated.

mdshunk

Something might be too tight on that motor. Bearings, belts, gears, whatever....

If you start it with it tipped back on the back wheels, will it still trip the breaker?

Motors draw a heck of a lot on startup. A properly designed floor buffer should not be drawing so much that it trips a breaker, however. That's what makes me think this thing has troubles with something being tight. I'm just guessing, mainly. If I had the buffer in front of me, I could tell you in about 2 minutes what the trouble is, but I'm just not all that famaliar with floor buffers to be able to pin it down further. I've fixed cords on a few, but that's about it.

bmartin

still trips when started on it's wheels. Why would it trip more if it's on a properly rated extension cord?

mdshunk

Voltage drop, brother. The longer the cord, the less the voltage at the motor. Less voltage equals more amps drawn equals breaker tripping easier. Buffers almost always have 50' of #14 cord, although #12 would provide better service. If you want to add another 50' extension cord, it better be at least #12 or better yet #10.

I don't want to cloud the issue though. I'm nearly certain that your problem has nothing to do with the cord, unless it happens to also be sorely undersized from the factory.

Speedy Petey

Don't forget the "grip" the female end of an extension cord has. Also, the receptacle in the wall.
When they get weak and lose their grip it causes higher resistance and they get hot. This can also cause tripping.

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Double-A

I hate it when I trip 'cause she lost her grip.

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