Despite their usual low power ratings of single phase induction motors, they consume a considerable part of total motors energy consumption due to their large and ever-increasing quantity. The recent rising of oil prices and environmental crises has fortified the idea of energy saving practices in all applications; particularly in single phase induction motors due to their typical low efficiency. An essential requirement for this practice is the modeling and analysis of machine electrical losses under variable frequency operation. In this paper an improved steady state model of single phase induction motors is derived to investigate major motor characteristics like torque-speed, input power, output power, etc. A special emphasis is placed on accurately representing core losses at variable frequency. The winding currents phase difference is reintroduced as a fundamental motor variable to determine motor performances including losses and efficiency. An advanced computerized motor test setup is designed and built for on-line measurement of motor characteristics at different supply and operating conditions. The extensive experimental results, in good agreement with the simulation results based on the mentioned analysis, confirm the validity of the proposed model. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.