What You Need to Know About Manufacturer Warranty

Most items come with a manufacturer warranty. There are laws and regulations on warranties, what they cover, and the documentation's allowable language. In this article, we'll go over warranty basics, how to keep them valid, common user errors, and how to find your warranty documents here at eMotors Direct.

What is a Warranty?

When you give a large sum of money to a company for a specific product, you want some sort of guarantee that the product will work as advertised and will last a reasonable amount of time. Think of the car you drive or the electronics you use; it would be hard to make such large purchases without the reassurance that the product is worth the value. Thus, manufacturers have been offering implied, expressed, and extended warranties on their products since around the 1960s, eventually culminating in the Canadian provinces adopting their Sale of Goods Acts in the early 1990s.

A warranty is a written or verbal guarantee to the purchaser of a product that assures the replacement or repair of the product should it breakdown due to flaws or defects in the factory-installed components, usually within a specified time frame. The average warranty for your electric motor and related accessories will also include specifics on what could invalidate your coverage.

Common User Errors

Years of user errors causing costly repairs and replacements resulted in new technology to mitigate issues and warranty terms and conditions that specify different actions (or inaction) that could result in a voided warranty.

Here is a list of common user errors that may void your electric motor warranty:

• Improper storage, handling, or installation.
• Application to equipment for which the motor or part was not intended.
• Repairs or modifications not completed by an authorized service agent.
• Operation outside of rated capacities indicated on motor nameplate or otherwise.
• A lack of required or necessary maintenance practices.
• Any misuse of equipment.

Within eMotors Direct's Terms and Conditions document, you'll find the below list of user errors which resulting damages are not covered under warranty:

• Power supply failure due to a blown fuse, open contractor, broken power line, or broken connection.
• Insulation damage caused by contaminants, abrasion, vibration, or voltage surge.
• Windings shorted turn-to-turn caused by contaminants, abrasion, vibration, or voltage surge.
• Windings with shorted coil caused by contaminants, abrasion, vibration, or voltage surge.
• Phase damage due to unbalanced voltage caused by unbalanced loads on the power source, a poor connection at the motor terminal, or a high resistance contact (weak spring).
• Winding damage due to overload.
• Under-voltage, or over-voltage (exceeding NEMA standards).
• Excessive starts or reversals.

Keeping Your Warranty Valid

Although the list mentioned above may seem brooding, there are a few key areas you can focus on to easily keep your electric motor and related parts within the scope of your warranty.

Regular Maintenance

We can't stress enough how important it is to have a preventive maintenance schedule in place. Regular quality checks and electrical tests can help you discover slight variances in vibration, heat, or voltages that lead to critical failures so you can complete the required maintenance tasks or repairs. Clearing away contaminants like dust or ice helps your motor off-put heat efficiently. Topping up or replacing lubricants such as grease or oil helps keep your motor running as smooth as possible and helps improve motor and bearing life span.

A step-by-step motor lubrication tutorial can be found here:

Understanding Your Motor Nameplate

Learning to read and understand your motor's nameplate and relate this information to your intended application is paramount in running your motor within proper conditions. Knowing the output torque, maximum allowable ambient temperature, and RPM at the rated load will help you find the correct motor for your intended job and location. Knowing the rated voltage, time rating, and service factor will help you avoid overworking your motor so you can prevent critical damage from overloading or overheating.

Leave it to the Experts

Looking to the experts like certified electricians or authorized service locations for installation, maintenance, or repairs will help avoid simple errors like misalignment or incorrect parts and avoid significant issues like incorrect voltage or excessive current draw. You may void your warranty if repairs or modifications are not completed by a certified electrician at an authorized location. Someone with specific training and up to date knowledge on the latest technologies will be able to detect and adjust any faults before they become failures, saving you time and money in the long run and helping you to stay within the scope of your warranty.

How to Find Warranty Information

On the eMotors Direct Website, you'll find warranty information in two locations. You can navigate to the warranty tab under the "Support" dropdown at the top of every page for details on what warranty covers, warranty length, and how to make a warranty claim. Alternatively, you can find a downloadable PDF warranty document on the product page. Navigate to your specific product by entering the catalogue number into the Smart Search. Once you've found the correct product page, scroll down to see the "Downloads" section.

Click on "Warranty Policy," and your download will begin.

How to Make a Warranty Claim

Making a warranty claim can be quite simple, much more simple yet if you ordered your electric motor or part through your eMotors Direct account. We'll keep track of your orders so that you can find them anytime to reorder or submit warranty claims. To initiate your warranty claim, follow these steps:

1. If not already logged in, log into your account by clicking ‘sign in / register’ at the top of the page.
2. If you are logged in, click on ‘My Account’ to navigate to your account page.
3. If you have forgotten your password, click the ‘forgot password’ link.
4. Once in your account, click ‘Purchases’ and then ‘Purchase History’ on the left menu.
5. Select the order number relating to your warranty claim.
6. On the order page, select ‘Request Warranty’.
7. Fill out the form and submit your warranty claim.
8. Your warranty claim has now been initiated. Our team will email you with the next steps.
9. Keep all products and pieces relating to your warranty until you've been advised on next steps.
10. To review your warranty status, log into your account, click ‘Purchases’ and then ‘Warranty’. Click on your warranty claim. All case details will be listed on this screen.

Alternatively, you can begin your claim process by getting in contact with our motor experts.

Summary

The purpose of a manufacturer's warranty is to protect your valuable equipment, and therefore your business, from costly breakdowns due to factory defects in material or labour quality. And the terms and conditions of that warranty protect the manufacturer from having to complete expensive repairs or replacements on equipment that hasn't been handled appropriately. Taking the time to properly understand your equipment's limitations and your intended application's requirements will help you operate your electric motor within the warranty's scope and avoid common user errors that could void your coverage. And when all else fails, consult the experts who can help install, maintain, and repair your motor and related equipment, all while staying within proper warranty practices.