5 Maintenance Tips to Avoid Motor Failure

Electric motors are the backbone of modern industry. From HVAC systems in hospitals and schools, to pumps in water treatment facilities, to production lines in manufacturing, motors keep critical systems running.

Yet, even the best motors from trusted brands like Baldor, Leeson, Marathon, Century, Lincoln, and Elektrim, can fail prematurely without proper care. The result? Lost production, emergency repairs, and thousands of dollars in downtime.

At Square One Electric Motors & Pumps, we’ve seen it all. The good news: with a proactive maintenance plan, most failures are preventable.

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📏 1. Keep It Straight: Precision Shaft Alignment

Proper shaft alignment is one of the most overlooked steps in motor installation and maintenance. Misalignment accelerates bearing wear, causes excessive vibration, and wastes energy.

Why Alignment Matters:

Ensures smooth power transfer between motor and driven equipment.
Prevents premature bearing and coupling failures.
Improves energy efficiency and reduces vibration.

Common Alignment Challenges:

Thermal Growth: Motors like the Baldor EM3218T or Marathon Blue Chip Severe Duty Motors can expand slightly under heat. Alignment must account for this.
Dynamic Forces: Pumps and blowers may shift under load, changing shaft position.
Soft Foot Issues: If all mounting feet don’t sit flat, frames twist as bolts are tightened, creating hidden misalignment.

Alignment Methods:

Straight Edge & Calipers (Fair): Simple but prone to inaccuracy.
Dial Indicator – Rim & Face (Better): Provides angular and parallel misalignment measurements.
Laser Alignment (Best): Industry standard for accuracy. Leading facilities using Leeson motors rely on laser alignment to cut vibration levels and extend bearing life.

👉 Pro Tip: Never assume a new motor—whether Century farm duty or Lincoln industrial three-phase—is aligned correctly from the factory. Always check alignment at installation.

🛢️ 2. Lubrication Done Right

Lubrication is both the lifeline and Achilles’ heel of electric motors. Improper lubrication causes up to 80% of bearing failures.

Lubrication Best Practices:

Choose Correct Grease or Oil: Motors vary—Baldor severe duty motors may require high-temperature grease, while Century HVAC motors need low-noise, long-life lubricants. Always check manufacturer specs.
Avoid Over-Greasing: Too much grease can blow out seals, trap heat, and destroy bearings. Standardize grease guns and mark equipment with fill levels.
Don’t Mix Incompatible Lubricants: Synthetic blends, different thickeners, or viscosities can clump and fail. Clean bearings before switching.
Match to Application: A Lincoln pump motor in a damp environment may need water-resistant grease, while a Marathon high-efficiency motor in food processing may require food-grade options.
Color Doesn’t Equal Performance: Ignore color (red, blue, white). Match viscosity, temperature, and load requirements.

👉 Tech Tip: Reach out to Square One Electric for help choosing lubricants for specific brands like Marathon or Leeson.

🔧 3. Torquing with Precision

Torquing is another maintenance area where “more” isn’t better. Excess torque damages seals, flanges, and housings.

Best Torquing Practices:

Always Follow Manufacturer Specs: For example, Baldor and Marathon publish detailed torque values for their flanges and couplings.
Flanges: Over-tightening can distort surfaces, making leaks worse.
Mechanical Seals: Even a millionth of an inch distortion can cause failure.
Packaging Systems: Some leakage is normal; excessive tightening accelerates wear.

👉 Remember: using a calibrated torque wrench is essential. Guessing or “hand-tight” isn’t enough when working with precision equipment like inverter duty motors or pool pump motors.

🎓 4. Training, Documentation, and Long-Term Commitment

The best maintenance strategy fails if technicians aren’t trained consistently.

Building an Effective Training Program:

Develop a formal training schedule with refreshers every quarter.
Emphasize safety first when working with rotating equipment.
Document training sessions and maintain a logbook.
Partner with vendors and manufacturers—Leeson and Baldor often provide training resources free of charge.
Most importantly, commit long-term. A one-time training session isn’t enough to maintain reliability.

⚙️ 5. Preventative vs Predictive Maintenance

A complete program blends preventative maintenance (PM) with predictive maintenance (PdM).

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Preventative Maintenance (PM) Defined:

Scheduled inspections based on manufacturer guidelines.
Helps extend the life of motors like Lincoln three-phase or Marathon severe duty units.
Builds baseline performance data.

Predictive Maintenance (PdM) Defined:

Uses real-time monitoring tools (vibration analysis, infrared thermography, current monitoring).
Identifies early warning signs before failures occur.
Especially useful for high-cost, high-duty motors like Baldor industrial motors or Elektrim IEC metric motors.

Common Preventative Maintenance Procedures for Electric Motors:

Vibration analysis & monitoring
Lubricant and bearing analysis
Performance monitoring
Infrared thermography
Current analysis
Visual inspection with sight, sound, and touch

👉 Facilities with limited budgets can outsource PdM to specialists. Larger plants with fleets of Leeson or Baldor motors often invest in in-house PdM programs for faster ROI.

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📊 Electric Motor Maintenance by Brand

Brand	Key Applications	Maintenance Priorities	Best Practices
Baldor (ABB)	Severe duty, industrial manufacturing, conveyors, pumps	Strict alignment tolerances, high-heat lubrication	Use laser alignment tools, apply high-temp grease, follow ABB torque specs
Leeson	OEM equipment, packaging, material handling, general industry	VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) compatibility, cooling	Match inverter-duty motors with correct VFD settings, keep airways clear
Marathon	Harsh environments, petrochemical, aggregate, mills	Shock/vibration resistance, bearing inspections	Schedule vibration analysis, use synthetic lubricants for severe duty
Century	HVAC, pool & spa, agricultural, light commercial	Environmental sealing, consistent lubrication	Use moisture-resistant grease, inspect seals regularly
Lincoln	Industrial pumps, fans, conveyors, compressors	Shaft alignment, torquing	Use dial indicator/laser alignment, torque flanges per spec
Elektrim	IEC metric motors, global manufacturing, OEM export	IEC frame sizing, consistent lubrication	Train staff on IEC standards, document lubricant schedules

🔌 How Motor Brands Impact Maintenance

At Square One, we work with many major motor brands, and while maintenance fundamentals are the same, each brand has unique considerations:

Baldor (ABB): Heavy-duty and high-efficiency motors, often used in demanding industrial settings. Known for strict alignment and lubrication tolerances.
Leeson: Popular in manufacturing and OEM applications. Their inverter duty motors require careful VFD-matching for long life.
Marathon: Known for severe duty and Blue Chip lines. Maintenance must account for higher vibration loads.
Century: Specializes in HVAC, pool, and farm duty motors. Correct lubrication and environmental protection are key.
Lincoln: Durable three-phase motors for industrial facilities. Often benefit most from precise shaft alignment.
Elektrim: IEC metric motors widely used in global facilities. Maintenance teams must be familiar with IEC frame sizes and standards.

👉 Browse our Master Product Search to explore specifications and product details.

📚 Related Blog Posts You May Find Helpful

Want to dive deeper into motor care, troubleshooting, and efficiency? Check out these detailed guides from the Square One Electric Motors & Pumps Blog:

🔌Draft Inducer Motor Failures & Troubleshooting

🛢️ Pool Pump Maintenance Guide

🏭 Guide to Facility Maintenance for Motors, Pumps, and Drives

📞 Square One: Your Partner in Reliability

At Square One Electric Motors & Pumps, we don’t just sell motors—we help you keep them running.

Brand-new motors with fast shipping from the nearest warehouse.
Authorized service center for repairs with a one-year warranty.
Technical expertise across all brands—whether it’s Baldor, Leeson, Marathon, Century, Lincoln, or Elektrim.

👉 Contact Us Today for free assistance with maintenance planning, lubrication guidance, or help choosing a replacement motor.

✅ Preparation is Key

Electric motor failures are preventable. With proper shaft alignment, lubrication discipline, correct torquing, structured training, and a balanced PM/PdM program, your facility can reduce downtime, increase safety, and maximize ROI on your motor investments.

Whether you’re running Century HVAC motors, Lincoln industrial pumps, or Baldor severe duty equipment, proactive maintenance is the difference between costly breakdowns and smooth, efficient operations.

Square One Electric is here to help you keep your motors turning—day after day, year after year.