In order to reverse the direction of a 3-phase motor, you should

• A. Rotate the motor 180 degrees
• B. Interlock the forward and reverse contactors
• C. Swap T1 and T3
• D. Wire for high voltage

Answer: (C)

Three-phase motor direction is determined by the order in which the three phase voltages are applied to the windings. Reversing the rotation happens when you reverse that phase sequence, which is done by swapping two of the three phase conductors feeding the motor. Any two phases swapped will flip the magnetic field’s rotation, making the shaft spin in the opposite direction.

Rotating the motor physically doesn’t change the electrical sequence and won’t reliably reverse direction. Interlocking forward and reverse contactors is a safety measure to prevent both directions from energizing at once, not a method to change direction. Wiring for high voltage changes voltage magnitude, not the sequence, and is unsafe if attempted without proper control.

So, the way to reverse direction is to swap two of the three phase connections feeding the motor.