Cyclical fan blower noise.

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Trouthead

Member
Oct 29, 2010
68
Wyoming
I have a Hearthstone Santa Fe (no longer in the catalog) this is the third season, and the blower is making a cyclical noise (vibration?) when I use the rheostat to run it slowly. It didn't do this at first, and it is hard to hear when you turn the fan speed up higher, (but I think it is still there). It is driving my sound sensitive wife crazy, in turn which is then driving me crazy (know what I mean) the warrenty is only a year on the fan, and I'd like to avoid a service call.

Is there a oil port for the fan bushings? Is there any service schematics that might help me figure it out? The Hearthstone website has nothing for trouble shooting or service info. Hoping that someone else had this problem and fixed it short of putting in a new fan.

Love the stove, love the Skytech Remote I added, love the gas bill vs the wood bill, but need to fix the noise. Help!
 
I checked thru the Hearthstone technical info & the only thing on the Santa Fe blower is the installation instructions.
I can post a copy of that if you'd like, tho I doubt it will help to solve your issues. I think you should make sure that the axle shafts are free of dust, dog hair & whatever else gets sucked into the unit & get wrapped around those shafts as they turn. You may find one or more oiling ports, but I doubt it, as most of those have sealed bearings...
 
Headed out for what might be the last golf of the season here in Wyoming. When I get back I will check every possible shaft for dirt dust and dog hair (we have 2 dogs), Might even try some Kroil to see if the shaft will suck that in and make things quieter. Why do fans seem to be such an after thought. Thanks. I will post the results.
 
the fans were dirty, but there is no real way that I could see to acces the motor shaft that runs them. I did vacum up all the dust and dog hair possible and maybe it runs a bit smoother now, but Iwould like to be able to access the shaft from the electric motor that runs both fans.

Daksy if you could post the install directions I might get an idea from that. Would it be reasonable to unmount the entire fan unit and clean it that way? Since the stove sits close to a wall it is hard to get in there and do much. With the fan off the stove it might be more obvious what to do if anything. It appears that there is an electric motor with shaft that fun the fans on each side of the stove. One motor, two shafts and two fans, all in a sheet metal unit.
 
Here it is. If it helps you at all, glad to do it...
 

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Thanks a lot Daksy. You were right the install instruction are not much help. Not ready to take the fan off just yet. Going to think about it for a while.
 
Just a thought...Maybe the sound you're hearing is a harmonic caused by vibrations from the blower. Maybe if you put a couple of rubber washers on the mounting screws, some of that could be eliminated...
 
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