Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Sewing Machine Pedal Repair

By David Trumble

When you press down on your foot control with your foot, it controls the flow of electricity to the sewing machine.

Beautiful things are created when your foot control powers your creative machine.

There are many different pedal, but we can generally group them into Resistance, Electronic, or Pressure types.

A resistance foot pedal uses a Bakelite or other resistance material and slides a connector over it from less to greater resistance. The typical problems associated with resistance foot controls include cracks in the Bakelite, shorts in the connective wires, and wear of mechanical parts in the foot pedal.

Integrated circuits, capacitors, and resistors are used in electronic foot pedals to control voltage to the sewing machine. Typical problems can involve electrical contact, shorts, and surges causing the electronic devices to fail.

Some sewing machines use pressure sensitive switches in combination with electronics and an air ballast foot pedal to control the flow of electricity. Potential problems include ballast leaks, electronic failures, and electrical contacts.

When the foot pedal fails to work, you should first check to make sure the machine is plugged in, turned on, electrical connections are in tact, and electricity if flowing properly.

How do you fix The Sewing Machine foot control?

Identify the root cause of the pedal failure by looking for the most obvious problems first.

Is there any sound at all from my foot control or from my sewing machine? If there is no sound, that is good. If I hear a popping or crackling sound, unplug it immediately. If you shake my sewing machine pedal, do I hear anything rattling inside?

If you hear a hum, then the problem is probably not in my sewing machine foot control. If there is no movement and no sound from the sewing machine, my sewing machine foot control is suspect. Try pressing it down and letting up several times. Hold it down for a few seconds. If I still hear nothing and the sewing machine is motionless, it is either the cord or my sewing machine foot pedal.

Remove the pedal from the sewing machine and open the foot control. Resistance and electronic foot pedal open by sliding the back off or remove a few screws. Pressure based foot control do not usually open up.

Now you need a tester. There are a few different types that will work. A TVOM, Continuity Tester, Circuit Tester, or Resistance Testeris now needed. Set the tester to test Resistance in Ohms. Place one probe on one wire going to the sewing machine pedal. Place the other probe on the other wire going to my sewing machine pedal. When you press down on the sewing machine pedal, what happens on the meter?

If there is no needle action, I have a broken circuit either in my wire or in my sewing machine pedal.

Double check the power cord and cord leading to the foot control. Any cracks or faulty contacts can make the foot control fail. The electrical contacts inside the foot pedal are also critical.

Visually inspect for broken pieces, chips, loose parts, and burn spots. If you find loose wires or other problems, make these minor repairs. Some parts can be replaced, others cannot. If you discover, no obvious problems after visual inspection and testing, just replace the foot control. It is often less cost effective to replace the foot pedal than replace expensive parts inside the foot pedal.

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3 comments:

Elizabeth J. Neal said...

Identify the root cause of the pedal failure by looking for the most obvious problems first. this blog

James Gerber said...

Sewing machines require constant repair and maintenance services to keep them running properly and for a long time. So, wise up and take good care of your machines to get the full worth of your money. my blog

Unknown said...

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