Avalon Olympic Blower Control Help

[kevin85]

Last night, my fan was kicking on and off while I was burning. The connections were loose on the snap disk and I didn't have a chance before my wife started the stove to tighten them up. It has happened in the past, and I usually just tap the snap disk a little and it kicks back on. Well, last night when I tapped it, it sparked and blew the wires off the snap disk, destroying it. Crap So I come here and research and find out I can just wire nut the 2 wires together going to the snap disk and run the fan manually. Great, I think. So I set it up and hit the switch and...nothing. Today, I removed the fan from the back of the stove, cleaned it and checked everything over. The blades still move easily so thankfully the motor isn't seized. All wires and connectors are solid. I was on my way to my dealer to have them look at it and I stopped at my neighbor's house. He is an electrician. He tested it out and found that power is not getting past the black blower control box(rheostat??). Ok, so now we are getting somewhere. My dealer says I cannot buy this item....they say unfortunately I have to replace the whole fan. I refuse to believe this. Can anyone point me in the right direction in replacing this part? Can I buy this part somewhere or is there another option? I just can't afford to buy a whole new fan. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. I really appreciate it.

 

[sticks]

I will see if I can get the part # tomorrow unless somecomes up with it tonight.

 

[Beer Belly]

I have an Avalon Ranier that almost on a yearly basis, needs to replace the Blower Switch, mine does not look like yours, and is mounted within the blower....just the knob sticks out, not the entire unit. When it does go bad, I just jump out the switch and let it run full bore, and unplug it from the wall to shut it off, until the new switch can be had from the Stove Dealer......try jumping out the switch till you get a new one

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

I would do what Beer Belly said, well, if you have no electrical skills. I would get your electrician buddy to do it safely. Should be very simple!

 

[kevin85]

My neighbor just called and suggested the same thing. I did it quick and re-mounted the fan. Got a fire ripping. Plugged it in. Fan sounds great...not much heat coming though... Gave it some time and started looking around to see what's going on. I mounted the damn fan backwards! Picture an "L". I mounted the fan with the leg of the L towards the back of my firebox(it's recessed in the fireplace, but sticks out further than an insert) instead of the leg of the L going under the stove. Rookie mistake. I was so damn happy the fan was running I rushed it and didn't think. Now the stove is too hot to get back there. I will fix it tomorrow. I still need to put a switch in the line, but this will do. Thanks for helping.

 

[bob95065]

I have a Rainier that I put in our new to us home this past August. The stovedoesn't have a fan and the best price I can find is $250. Is there a cheaper place to buy the fan?

 

[Beer Belly]

I have a Rainier that I put in our new to us home this past August. The stovedoesn't have a fan and the best price I can find is $250. Is there a cheaper place to buy the fan?

Mine was closer to the $300 mark.....it was a worthwhile investment. My Ranier is an insert that sits flat (no legs).....need to lift the front of the stove slightly to slide the blower in correctly so the tabs on the bottom of it catch the stove. Every once in a while, the brass trim along the front shelf vibrates and makes a God awful buzz

 

[kevin85]

I picked up a fan controller at Home Depot this morning. I got the 5 amp model. I really don't care how it looks, as it is hidden for the most part. Will this work if I wire it in where the other controller was??
http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-FS-5FH-DK-Electronics-Fan-Speed-Control/dp/B000BPHJDU

Thanks again for any help that anyone can give me. Ideally, I would just like to order the stock controller for the stove. But, I would like to try to make the speed variable if I can in the meantime. I just don't want to ruin the fan motor, etc.
Thanks again!

 

[bob95065]

I had a front blower in the Rainier stove at the last house. The stove was an insert in a masonry fireplace. I'll never do that again. There was no decent mechanical connection, just a couple of spring clips. Th fan rattled like crazy if we didn't shim it with folded paper. I agree it is worthwhile especially with an insert.

The Rainier stove we have now is freestanding. It throws out a lot of heat but I know it would be better with a fan. This time I am going with a rear blower. It uses three bolts to attach to the stove. I hope there isn't vibration with a solid mechanical connection.

 

[kevin85]

I installed that fan controller I picked up this morning and the fan is fully functional & fully adjustable. It was actually not bad that this happened. My fan was filthy and needed a thorough cleaning, which I did. It is running so well now.

 

[webby3650]

For what it's worth, here is the part you need. It's about $20.

 

[Heatsource]

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/W/AE_wood_stove_fan_control.html
this is how we used to rig old earthstove blowers, should work if Avalon doesn't support the old parts

or the ole dial-a-temp
(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/fireplace-hearth/fireplace-accessories/fans-blowers/dial-a-temp-rheostat-4008.html)

 

[kevin85]

Thanks again for all the help. I appreciate the part #'s and ideas!