Fume and Workplace Safety · 0:47
Have you ever visited a workshop where the welders didn't realise their extraction wasn't working?
Nathan — The Guy Who Fixes It Yes. One of the most common issues I find is with fixed three-phase extraction systems that have been wired incorrectly. The fan still runs, so the system appears to be working, but if it's rotating the wrong way, performance can be reduced significantly. It's a simple issue that's easy to fix—just check the arrow on the motor to make sure the fan is turning in the correct direction.
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Hey there everyone, Nathan from Extractability here. " This wasn't actually to do with a welding machine, but one thing that often gets overlooked is when you initially get a fixed system wired in. If it's three-phase, it's possible for those phases to be wired incorrectly and for your system to still work.
Centrifugal fans still work if they're wired backwards, just at about half as much performance. You'd be surprised—about 50% of the fixed extraction systems I visit are not performing correctly, and it's as simple as the electrician wiring the phases incorrectly, so the fan is going around the wrong way. So it's just a simple case of checking the arrow on your motor and making sure it's going the right way around.
