The Ametek Lamb 116472-00 is a two-stage, 5.7-inch tangential bypass motor on 120 volts, built on a skeleton frame with double ball bearings and rated to a maximum of 11.7 amps at speeds up to 20,350 RPM. It is an OEM and service replacement for central vacuums, industrial vacuums and blower equipment, and the tangential discharge is what machine builders specify when the motor sits in a tight cabinet and the exhaust has to go somewhere particular.
Built for these use cases
- Central vacuum and industrial vacuum motor replacement on 120-volt supply
- Wet recovery machines that require bypass construction
- Compact commercial machines where exhaust is ducted out one side
- Blower applications built around a two-stage 5.7-inch motor
- OEM service work across the 116472 family
A bypass motor carries a separate cooling fan, so the air that cools the armature and field never mixes with the air being pulled through the machine. That separation is the whole reason bypass motors are specified for wet recovery work such as carpet extraction and autoscrubber recovery, where the airstream is carrying water, foam and cleaning solution. It also means the motor is not being cooled by whatever the operator happens to be picking up.
Tangential discharge routes cooling air out through a single side port, which lets the machine builder aim the exhaust deliberately - into a muffler, a sound baffle, or straight out of the cabinet. On extractors and compact commercial machines where the motor sits in a tight enclosure, that directed exhaust is often the difference between a motor that runs cool and one that heat-soaks.
Double ball bearings and a skeleton frame are the construction details that matter for service life. Ball bearings at both ends handle the sustained loading of continuous running better than a bearing-and-bushing arrangement, and the skeleton frame keeps the assembly light and open for cooling. Both are reasons this motor turns up in machines expected to run for a full shift rather than in short household bursts.
The one symptom that is not a brush job is a burning smell. Field advice from home-improvement and trade forums is consistent and worth repeating: a scorched odor means the armature has overheated where the brushes ride, and the machine should be shut off at once rather than run to the end of the job. A motor that has cooked its armature is a replacement, not a repair.
A word on the numbers we are not printing. Several aggregator listings show 116472-00 with airflow, sealed-lift and air-watt figures identical to those published for the 116471-00 - a different motor with a different discharge configuration. That looks like copied data rather than measurement, so we are listing only what named distributor sources publish for this part: 120 volts, two stages, tangential discharge, 11.7 maximum amps and 20,350 RPM. Ask us if you need verified airflow figures before ordering.
Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 116472-00
- Frame diameter: 5.7 inches
- Blower stages: 2
- Cooling: Bypass
- Discharge: Tangential
- Voltage: 120 V, 50/60 Hz
- Speeds: 1
- Maximum current: 11.7 A
- Maximum speed: 20,350 RPM
- Bearings: Double ball bearing
- Frame: Skeleton frame
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no CFM figure on this listing?
Because the airflow and air-watt numbers circulating for 116472-00 are identical to those published for the 116471-00, a different motor. Rather than repeat data that looks copied, we list only what named distributors publish for this part number.
What is the difference between the 116471 and the 116472?
Discharge configuration. The 116471 is peripheral bypass, exhausting around the housing; the 116472 is tangential bypass, exhausting through a single side port. Match whichever your machine was built for.
Can it handle wet pickup?
Yes. It is a bypass motor, so the cooling air path is separate from the recovery airstream - the configuration wet machines require.
What does the double ball bearing construction buy me?
Better tolerance of sustained running than a bearing-and-bushing arrangement, which is why this motor shows up in machines expected to work a full shift.
How do I confirm this is the right part?
Read the part number off the motor you are removing where possible, and otherwise match frame diameter, two stages, tangential bypass discharge and 120-volt supply.
Discount Cleaning Products is an authorized dealer for Ametek Lamb vacuum motors and stocks the matching carbon brush kits, gaskets and mounting hardware alongside them. Our US-based team works with these motors every day across central vacuum systems, extractors, autoscrubbers and shop equipment, and can help you confirm frame size, stage count, discharge style and voltage against the motor already in your machine before you order.