Blower cycling

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

My blower seems to cycle. What is causing this? Anyone else have this happening?

 

[bholler]

Check to make sure the temp sensor called the snap switch is making contact with the stove body

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Thanks bholler. Different issue, I know because I figured this out the hard way at the beginning of the season. This time, it's not shutting off and then back on, it just seems to speed up and then slow.

 

[webby3650]

If it's doing this without touching it, it's the rheostate.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

If it's doing this without touching it, it's the rheostate.

Thanks webby. It's strange, sort of analogous to the variable pressure you get in the shower if someone else flushes or uses a faucet somewhere else in the house at the same time. I'm going to assume that no harm is being done and ignore it. It was annoying when it was turning off and on because I didn't have it seated correctly at the beginning of the season, but this I can ignore.

 

[mstoelton]

Blowers on both of my Clydesdales do the same thing. I suspect it is due to variations in the voltage coming into the house. I have no proof of this, just best guess. They speed-up and slow down all of the time. I ignore it as it does not have much real effect on anything.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Blowers on both of my Clydesdales do the same thing. I suspect it is due to variations in the voltage coming into the house. I have no proof of this, just best guess. They speed-up and slow down all of the time. I ignore it as it does not have much real effect on anything.

It seems to happen more for me when the stove is warming up, so I wonder if the rheostat needs to warm up as well, to let consistent voltage through. Modern electronics are like magic to me.

 

[Highbeam]

That particular device, the rheostat, is pretty old school electronics. Just a resistor with variable resistance as you turn the knob. We know that resistors have more resistance as they heat up so a cold resistor will usually allow more voltage/current through which should make low speed higher on a cold stove.

As the resistor heats and cools your fan speed can vary. Depending on design and temperature range, that could be noticeable.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

That particular device, the rheostat, is pretty old school electronics. Just a resistor with variable resistance as you turn the knob. We know that resistors have more resistance as they heat up so a cold resistor will usually allow more voltage/current through which should make low speed higher on a cold stove.

As the resistor heats and cools your fan speed can vary. Depending on design and temperature range, that could be noticeable.

Yep, sounds like magic to me, and old school is a relative term. ;-)

Evidence suggests that what you are describing is what I'm observing. I'm calling this mystery solved. Appreciate it, HB!

 

[Highbeam]

Yep, sounds like magic to me, and old school is a relative term. ;-)

Evidence suggests that what you are describing is what I'm observing. I'm calling this mystery solved. Appreciate it, HB!

There's always the chance that I'm just crazy though! Anything that lowers supply voltage will also lower the fan speed so if a toaster is on the same circuit and somebody turns it on then you can often hear the fan get slower. This scenario is probably more likely but both are possible.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

There's always the chance that I'm just crazy though! Anything that lowers supply voltage will also lower the fan speed so if a toaster is on the same circuit and somebody turns it on then you can often hear the fan get slower. This scenario is probably more likely but both are possible.

I always appreciate a little company in crazy town. They'll appreciate us as geniuses after we are gone.

I'll try to pay a little closer attention to see what else is running next time I have a cold start. Come to think of it, I noticed this most right after I plugged in and was running an air purifier on the same circuit for the first time. I've subsequently moved the purifier.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Update: Right at bedtime we tripped the breaker on the circuit that the blower is on. Thought it might have had something to do with the old socket, so I swapped it out for a new one. No dice. Looks like we might have a short on our hands in the old wiring in the house. We'll have to call the electrician tomorrow. In the meantime, the blower is running off an extension cord from another circuit.

 

[Beer Belly]

Ours has the same symptoms just before the switch takes a crap.....would this be a Travis Industries Blower ?.....we go thru switches seems like every other year. Speeds will vary, then the blower will just run on low......unless you go to turn it to the "off" position very very slowly, and catch it in the middle of the "click" to off, then it runs full bore....gotta have a light hand.....Wife can't do it, I can.

 

[begreen]

Wiper on the rheostat is probably failing or very dirty.