for ddenny

carol_3

I contacted my big electricity guru Dale Watterson about your question about amperage on old equipment, and this is what he said,
1. 22 amps is too high and so is 10 amps running. Since it's "old" this may be a converted belt drive where the pulley is too big for the motor size, trying to get a 1/4hp motor to spin a 4" pulley is going to max the amps. I have seen shaded pole motors in really old furnaces, some mobile home product, these always pull more amps per hp that a comparable induction start. The other issue is the breaker, is it a HCAR type. If the old motor has a start capacitor that's going bad that could cause higher than normal amps. My bet is a bad motor, replace it with a 1/3hp cap. start and life is good.

2. If all the info is correct as to really getting 220 ( 240) at the breaker outlet then I think there is an open and its a fuse in the disconnect or incorrectly reading the load side of a single line break open contactor. The 120 reading comes from the path through the windings of the compressor. Reading to ground has caused many mistakes because of backfeed.
I see this all the time except it's usually through a dryer, stove or elect water heater element.