Tom Bishop, PE
EASA Senior Technical Support Specialist

The tongue-in-cheek saying “If it’s in black and white, it must be right” is a helpful reminder that not everything we read (or hear) is accurate or complete. It’s always best to check sources and verify facts before accepting consequential statements as true. A similar adage underscores the importance of this advice in the digital age: “If it’s on the internet, it must be true.” With these things in mind, here’s a selection of common misconceptions about three-phase squirrel-cage motors and the facts that deny them.

• Soft-starting motors reduce utility demand charges
• Power factor correction capacitors can reduce motor energy consumption
• A motor can be loaded up to its service factor current
• Oversized motors, especially motors operating below 60% of rated load, are not efficient and should be replaced with appropriately sized premium efficiency (IE3) motors

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