Disconnect power at the panel and verify with a meter before wiring.
Control
Motor brand
Voltage
Reference details
AO Smith / Century · 220 / 230V · Remote box
The remote receiver sits between the panel and the motor. When you press UP or DOWN, the receiver closes the matching contactor, which sends power down the right pair of wires to spin the motor in that direction.
Right now: Idle — no wires energized.
What each wire means
L1 (hot)
Always-hot leg from the panel. Carries 110V or 120V to ground.
L2 (second hot)
Second hot leg, 180° out of phase with L1. Between L1 and L2 you get 220/230V.
T5 (start winding)
One end of the motor's start winding. Hot during UP in this diagram.
T8 (start winding)
Other end of the start winding. Hot during DOWN. Swapping T5 and T8 is what reverses rotation.
Ground
Bonds the motor frame and lift structure to ground. Always connected — never switched.
AO Smith / Century — motor notes
Standard motor on new Deco lift builds. From the factory the motor has NO preset up/down direction — it just spins whichever way the leads land. TEC II is a separate plug-and-play receiver; plug the motor in, give it power, and run the lift to spool cable. If the drum spools the wrong way, swap motor BK ↔ RD at the TEC (the two starred leads on TEC's AO Smith diagram). Never swap L1/L2.
- Single-phase reversible. Has a start winding and a run winding inside.
- Start capacitor (the round can on the side) helps get the motor moving. Common failure point.
- Reverse rotation by swapping the start-winding leads at the motor — never by swapping L1/L2.
- Check the nameplate for the dual-voltage jumpering before you change voltage.
220 / 230V wiring notes
- Two hot legs (L1 + L2) — both must be killed at the breaker to be safe.
- Uses a 2-pole breaker (two switches tied together).
- Motor jumpered for 230V — confirm on the nameplate before applying power.
- Pulls about half the amps of a 110V install — easier on long wire runs.
Common gotchas
- Mechanical interlock on the UP and DOWN contactors is required. If both ever close at once, the start winding shorts and the motor burns.
- Wrong direction on UP? Swap T5 ↔ T8 at the motor. Never swap L1/L2 — that won't fix it on a single-phase motor.
- Always bond the motor frame to the lift structure with the green ground. Salt water + ungrounded metal = corrosion and shock risk.
- De-energize before touching wires. Confirm dead with a meter — don't trust the breaker label.
Quick reference
| System voltage | 220 / 230V |
| Breaker pole | 2-pole (double) |
| Hot legs | L1 + L2 |
| To reverse | Swap motor T5 ↔ T8 |
| Control type | RF receiver + contactors |
| Motor | AO Smith / Century |
Pinch or use the zoom buttons. Drag to pan. Tap UP / DOWN to see the active wires light up.