The Brand Story
U.S. MOTORS: A Los Angeles Motor Maker Now Turning Pool Pumps
Every pool pump hides a quiet workhorse: the electric motor bolted to its back, spinning for hours a day in heat, humidity and the occasional splash. It is the part nobody thinks about until it fails. U.S. MOTORS has been building motors since 1908, when it began in Los Angeles, and today its pool motors are made by Nidec Motor Corporation, part of Japan's Nidec group. Its engineers spend their time on the unglamorous enemy of every pool motor, moisture.
Chapter 1 · 1908
The U.S. Electrical Manufacturing Company
The company began in January 1908 in Los Angeles as the U.S. Electrical Manufacturing Company. Over the decades the business became best known simply as U.S. Motors, a name that stuck on nameplates across American industry.
Chapter 2 · 1962 to 2010
From Emerson to Nidec
In August 1962 the company became the U.S. Electrical Motors division of Emerson Electric. It stayed within Emerson for nearly half a century, and in April 2000 U.S. Motors formed the Commercial Industrial Motor Group inside Emerson Motor Company. In September 2010 Emerson sold U.S. Motors to Nidec of Kyoto, Japan, creating Nidec Motor Corporation, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The U.S. MOTORS name lives on as one of Nidec's best-known brands.
Chapter 3 · 2014 to today
Keeping water out
Pool motors live in a hard place. Water and debris can find their way inside and damage the windings or bearings. In November 2014 Nidec introduced the Aqua-Shield 56 frame pool motor at the International Pool, Spa and Patio Expo in Orlando. Its signature feature was an internal bearing cover protecting the drive-end bearing from moisture inside the motor, along with improved internal airflow to keep the motor cooler and limit condensation. All U.S. MOTORS pool motors share double-sealed ball bearings, a lip seal and a water slinger.
The family has kept growing. Aqua-Shield Pro was designed with service technicians in mind, with a top-mounted conduit box, a simple voltage switch for 115 or 208 to 230 volts and a finned aluminum, totally enclosed fan-cooled body. Nidec also offers the Neptune variable-speed pool motor, which can be added to new or existing pumps and works with time clocks and automation. Nidec sells its pool motors through pool industry professionals and distributors.
The Lineup
What U.S. MOTORS builds today
U.S. MOTORS builds motors for many kinds of equipment. HVAC365 carries its pool pump motors:
- Aqua-Shield replacement motors: single-phase motors such as a 1.25 hp 48Y square-flange model and a 1.5 hp 56J C-flange model, for swapping out a failed motor on an existing pool pump. The frame and flange code matters as much as horsepower: a square-flange motor and a C-flange motor bolt to the pump in different ways, so the replacement has to match the original.
- Commercial three-phase motors: totally enclosed fan-cooled motors up to 10 hp in 215JMZ frame, built as replacements for large commercial pumps such as the Pentair EQ series.
At a Glance
U.S. MOTORS at a glance
- Founded
- January 1908, Los Angeles
- Original name
- U.S. Electrical Manufacturing Company
- Emerson era
- 1962 to 2010
- Current maker
- Nidec Motor Corporation, since 2010
- Headquarters
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Ultimate parent
- Nidec Corporation, Kyoto, Japan
- Pool motor families
- Aqua-Shield, Aqua-Shield Pro, Neptune
Questions
Frequently asked questions about U.S. MOTORS
Who makes U.S. MOTORS pool pump motors?
U.S. MOTORS motors are made by Nidec Motor Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri, part of Japan's Nidec Corporation, which bought the business from Emerson Electric in 2010.
Is U.S. Motors still part of Emerson?
No. U.S. Motors was an Emerson Electric division from 1962 until September 2010, when it was sold to Nidec.
When was U.S. Motors founded?
The company was founded in January 1908 in Los Angeles as the U.S. Electrical Manufacturing Company.
What is an Aqua-Shield motor?
Aqua-Shield is the U.S. MOTORS pool motor family introduced by Nidec in 2014, designed to resist moisture inside the motor with an internal bearing cover and improved internal airflow.
Can a U.S. MOTORS motor replace the motor on an existing pool pump?
Yes, provided the horsepower, voltage, phase and frame or flange type, such as 48Y square flange or 56J C-flange, match the pump.
