Anyone else using old washing machine motors for a DIY wind turbine?

Been down this rabbit hole for about 18 months now with my shepherd's hut build and it's genuinely one of the more satisfying DIY projects I've tackled.

The key thing most people get wrong early on is expecting usable voltage at low RPM straight out of the machine. These motors need rewinding or at minimum some serious permanent magnet work before they'll cut in at sensible wind speeds. I pulled a Bosch drum motor from a skip and spent a weekend remagnetising with neodymium strips — made a massive difference to cut-in speed, got it down to around 8mph which is actually usable in the UK where we're rarely seeing sustained 15mph+.

A few things worth noting if you're going this route:

• 3-phase output needs a proper rectifier bridge before hitting your battery bank — don't just wire it straight in
• Blade pitch matters enormously — I'm running carved timber blades at about 7° and the difference vs flat blades was night and day
• Dump loads are non-negotiable, especially if you're also running solar into the same Victron MPPT setup

The main limitation I've found is that these motors aren't really designed for the axial loads a turbine puts on the bearings. Mine needed new bearings after about 8 months. Cheap fix but worth knowing.

Anyone else managed to get consistent output figures they're happy with? Curious whether others have gone three-blade or experimented with five-blade configurations for lower wind speed sites.

EllaPalmer | 847 posts | ⭐ Trusted Member

@Bomber78 ooh yes, been there! One thing I'd add that catches people out — the rewinding is only half the battle. Getting the blade pitch right for your actual wind conditions is where most builds either sing or disappoint. I spent an embarrassing amount of time optimising my rewound motor only to realise my blades were all wrong for the relatively low average winds we get here in the Borders.

Have you looked into the Hugh Piggott design community at all? Loads of crossover with what you're describing and some very sensible folk who've done proper testing rather than just YouTube heroics.

What output are you actually getting on a decent day? I'm curious whether your shepherd's hut setup is realistic for running anything beyond lighting and phone charging.

SuffolkCruiser | 1,203 posts | ⭐ Trusted Member

Done this exact thing for my garden office setup. The washing machine motor route is genuinely viable but the rectifier stage is where most builds fall apart — you need a decent 3-phase bridge rectifier rated well above your peak current expectations, not the cheapest eBay unit you can find.

Couple of things worth mentioning that haven't been covered:

• Cogging torque is brutal on direct-drive builds at low wind speeds — rewinding the stator with fewer, heavier gauge windings helps significantly
• A dump load controller is non-negotiable before connecting to any battery bank (I use a Victron BMV-712 to monitor what's actually happening)
• Cut-in wind speed matters enormously for UK conditions — we're rarely seeing sustained 8m/s here in East Anglia, so optimise for 3-5m/s

What motor spec are you running @Bomber78? Pole count makes a massive difference to your output curve.

VanAnne | 312 posts | 🔧 Member

Love this thread! Been eyeing up this exact project for my van build but space is obviously the limiting factor for me 😅

One thing nobody's mentioned yet — how are you all handling the rectifier side of things? The raw AC output from these motors can be pretty unpredictable in gusty conditions and I've heard of people frying cheap bridge rectifiers.

Also @Bomber78 what are you using for charge control? Curious whether a standard Victron MPPT handles the input okay or if you've gone with a dedicated wind controller. I know some lads on here have bodged Renogy solar controllers into it with mixed results.

The shepherd's hut setting is ideal for this — proper exposed spot I'd imagine. My van spots are rarely consistent enough for wind to be worth it, more's the pity!

GoldenTrekker | 2,156 posts | ⭐⭐ Senior Member

Worth flagging the rectifier situation for anyone jumping in — these motors produce raw three-phase AC, so you'll need a proper bridge rectifier rated well above your peak current before anything goes near your battery bank. I fried a cheap unit within a week before switching to a 50A rated module.

Also, once you've got DC out, don't skip a proper charge controller. I ran mine into a Victron SmartSolar via a dump load resistor arrangement rather than direct-to-battery. The dump load is non-negotiable — stall the turbine with no load path and you'll either wreck the controller or cook your wiring.

@VanAnne for van use I'd genuinely question the weight and mounting complexity versus just adding another Fogstar Drift 100Ah and extra solar. Wind on a moving vehicle is rarely consistent enough to justify it.

SunnyFisher | 847 posts | 🔧 Member

Right, so here's my burning question before I go raiding every charity shop and skip within a 10-mile radius — does this actually make sense on a narrowboat? 🛶

Mast height is obviously limited by bridges, so I'm wondering whether the whole enterprise is a bit pointless unless I'm moored up for extended periods. My emergency backup setup currently limps along on a couple of Renogy panels, which is fine until we hit a gloomy February fortnight.

@GoldenTrekker — on the rectifier point, are we talking a standard 3-phase bridge rectifier here, or something more exotic?

Also genuinely asking: has anyone done the maths on whether the turbine output at typical canal-side wind speeds (not exactly the Orkneys round here) actually justifies the faff? Or is this one of those projects where the making is really the point? 😄