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U.S. ELECTRICAL MOTORS
INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE
III. STORAGE
1. When to put a Motor in Storage.
If a motor is not put into immediate service (one month or less), or if it is taken out of service for a prolonged
period, special storage precautions should be taken to prevent damage. The following schedule is recommended
as a guide to determine storage needs.
(A) Out of service or in storage less than one month - no special precautions except that space heaters, if
supplied, must be energized at any time the motor is not running.
(B) Out of service or in storage for more than one but less than six months - store per Items 2 A through 2F,
2H, 3 and 4.
(C) Out of service or in storage for six months or more - all recommendations.
2. Storage Preparation.
(A) Where possible, motors should be stored indoors in a clean, dry area.
(B) When indoor storage is not possible, the motors must be covered with a tarpaulin. This cover should
extend to the ground. Do not tightly wrap the motor as this will restrict air flow and result in surface
condensation. Care must also be taken to protect the motor from flood damage or from any harmful
chemical vapors.
(C) Whether indoors or out, the area of storage should be free from excessive vibration which can cause
bearing damage.
(D) Precautions should be taken to prevent rodents, snakes, birds, or other small animals from nesting
inside the motors. In areas where they are prevalent, precautions must also be taken to prevent insects,
such as mud dauber wasps, from gaining access to the interior of the motor.
(E) Inspect the rust preventative coating on all external machined surfaces, including shaft extensions. If
necessary, recoat the surfaces with a rust preventative material such as Rust Veto No. 342 (manufactured
by E. F. Houghton Co.) or an equivalent. The condition of the coating should be checked periodically and
surfaces recoated as needed.
(F) To prevent moisture accumulation, some form of heating must be utilized to prevent condensation. This
heating should maintain the winding temperature at a minimum of 5°C above ambient. If space heaters
are supplied, they should be energized. If none are available, single phase or "trickle" heating may be
utilized by energizing one phase of the motor winding with a low voltage. Request the required voltage
and transformer capacity from U.S. Electrical Motors. A third option is to use an auxiliary heat source
to keep the winding warm by either convection or blowing warm air into the motor.
(G) Bearing cavities must be completely filled with lubricant during long term storage. Remove the drain
plug and fill cavity with grease at the grease inlet until it begins to purge from the drain hole then replace
the drain plug. Refer to Section XI "Lubrication" for recommended greases. At approximately 2 month
intervals, a small quantity of grease should be injected into grease fitting with drain plug removed.
Exiting grease should be inspected for moisture and contamination. If moisture or contamination is
present, the motor bearings should be inspected and fresh grease installed.
Storage
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