What does a motor stall look like?

Motor Stalls can be observed in the Power Meter by looking for abnormal spikes in the energy signature as a motor starts up. These spikes indicate that the motor is not able to turn over upon starting or something is not running correctly.

Note: In most homes, the stalls that Sense detects belong to the internal motor of an AC, but it could also belong to other 240V motors.

Normal Motor

The motor below is functioning correctly. You’ll notice a quick spike as the motor starts up, followed by a steady energy signature as the motor runs.

learn_motor-stalls_normal (1)
Stalling Motor

This motor is stalling as it attempts to start up. You can see the repeated spikes leading up to the “on” pattern. In this case the motor turns on after several attempts, but over time this can lead to failure.

learn_motor-stalls_stalling (1)

Reminder: You can pinch to zoom in and out or change the scale of the Power Meter. →