Whining Convection Blower

[BillM2]

My Englander 25 PDVC is less than two months old and the convection blower motor is whining. It's intermittent. If I turn down the speed for a bit, it will quiet down. What's the problem? I'm fanatical about cleaning -- everyday clean the burn pot, twice a week vacuum it out. This unit's also had a vibration issue from too much air getting into through OAK. What's next?

 

[UncleAnthony]

Hey Bill,

If your stove is only two months old, is is still under warranty ?

There are a few threads here about lube of the convection blower of englander 25pdvc.
Sounds like that is the problem.
Here is one of the threads.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/59286/#674040

 

[pelletizer]

I had a similar issue on my 25PDVC now 3 years old on both motors.
Convection motor would "resonate" sort of like a whine,
The Exhaust motor would vibrate or hum.
Englander took care of me and I received two new motors no problem under warranty.

 

[CJ-SR4ever]

I know the stove is like new but make sure that blower didnt suck in any dust bunnies which could throw the blower cage a little off balance and it could make some noise. If it is clean contact your dealer. It may need to be replaced.

 

[pelletizer]

I have found one can stick a straw in the lower right side of the stove vent slot on an angle and easily blow air on the vanes of the convection stove squirrel cage.
Do it when convection motor first starts up so stove does not melt the straw and you will be amazed at the amount of dust that puffs out of the convection air exhaust.

 

[arnash]

Have you read what the owner's manual or service manual say about the problem? If it says something about your blower needing to be oiled at some interval, then you probably could save yourself the trouble of removal and replacement by applying some turbine oil to the blower. I "saved" my 1988 combustion blower by getting enough oil into it when it whined something terrible. Now it's as quiet as new.

"This unit’s also had a vibration issue from too much air getting into through OAK." Too much air through the OAK isn't possible, but if your blower isn't perfectly balanced, then when it spins full-speed, it would vibrate, but by restricting the air flow through the OAK there is a speed-reducing stress put on the blower and the lower speed results in less vibration. Sounds like a logical theory, worth considering. I'd check the squirrel cage as suggested, to see if there is something stuck in it, throwing off its balance.

 

[pete324rocket]

I had this problem and it is caused by a build-up of gunk on the blades. On my blower,there is also a small fan blade that keeps the motor cool,so just cleaning the main blades does not solve the problem completely. I had to take the blower assembly out of the stove and rig up a power cord to it (110 volts) and while spraying cleaning agents on the blades,turned the power on at intervals,like a car wash. The set screw on the fan was super tight,otherwise I might have just taken that off. The motor is brushless with sealed bearings. I thought that was the problem...the bearings ,but just build-up. Oh,and getting the blower out was a real challenge, really tight to work in a small space.

 

[tjnamtiw]

My Englander 25 PDVC is less than two months old and the convection blower motor is whining. It's intermittent. If I turn down the speed for a bit, it will quiet down. What's the problem? I'm fanatical about cleaning -- everyday clean the burn pot, twice a week vacuum it out. This unit's also had a vibration issue from too much air getting into through OAK. What's next?

With all the whining, it sounds like my wife crawled in there! Darn, I'm glad she doesn't read this forum %-P

 

[pelletizer]

Garrr, :lol: I am with ya on that.
My problem was with both motors on a new stove and started whining about 2 months into the season.
Both motors were the same Fasco models and from China,
The replacements I received were Fasco but but made in Mexico and stove has not whined since.
oh ya bearings are sealed.

 

[heat seeker]

I have a new Fasco in my St Croix, put in by the dealer before I bought it (used). What a piece of junk it is. It's noisy, mainly because it's very cheaply constructed, made in China. The cover keeps loosening up and rattles, and I've tried everything I can think of to quiet it. I will be talking to the dealer soon. He warranted all electrical parts for one year, but I'm wondering if the labor is covered. The motor is easy to get in and out, I've done it twice in an effort to quiet it. It's time to talk to the dealer. (It's the combustion motor.)

 

[arnash]

I sounds like the motors made in China didn't get lubricated before the bearings were sealed. I assume that Mexican factories that make American products have quality-control oversight that's lacking in China. The US buyers have a direct influence in Mexico and it's a lot easier to find people who speak English and Spanish than English and Chinese.

 

[pelletizer]

Could be lack of lurication on those China made Fasco's as I have run stove for the past two seasons without the whine returning,
I do have a problem like Heat Seaker with the exaust motor cover loosening up and rattleling.
I have to stick a screw driver in between the motor cage and side of stove to stop the rattle.
At my last total clean out a few weeks ago with new gasket I thought it was just the 3 nuts that hold the motor to the fan assy but after cleaning and tightening them up and running the stove I found the motor cage was loose so back to the screw driver deal and will fix in summer.
Appears that the point the motor cage is crimped on just needs to be re-crimped.

 

[heat seeker]

I have re-crimped mine twice now, and it still rattles. The quiet lasts only a day or two. It seems that the steel cover has a different expansion rate than the alloy it's crimped to, so after a few heat/cool cycles, it's loose again. Right now I have a bungie cord pulling on the housing to quiet it (I know, it's flammable). I'm thinking that if the dealer doesn't want to warranty it, I'll try to figure a way to screw it down. Since I've already tampered with it, I can't blame him if he won't warranty it.
I also need to get a better balanced blade assembly. The vibration is audible both in the basement and upstairs at that end of the house. My only complaint with this St Croix is the noise it makes. There is a lot of air noise from the air passing through the heat exchanger, too, but that's tolerable to me.
I'll shut up now, and apologize for hijacking the thread. :-S

 

[PerfectaDude]

Regardless of where the Fasco motors were made did they not have a warranty?

 

[heat seeker]

Yeah, for one year on my used stove. Labor not included, so I'll change it myself when I can't stand it any more, and keep the old one as a spare.