Englander Heat exchangers

[CJ03]

Has anyone ever cleaned the Englander heat tubes from the outside in? I'm thinking a small brush to clean the holes from the outside of the PDV version. Sees as though the top of my stove is hotter than usual and its not as hot air blowing. I can't seem to get a good clean from behind the baffle plate, so thinking outside of the box. Any input would be great!

 

[mjbrown]

cj,

i am not an englander tech but ...how old is your stove, how long has it been since you cleaned the blowers? if you have pets, the shedding fur (cat/dog hair will accumulate in the blowers. take out the room air blower and clean the fins in the squirrel cage inside...a toothbrush works good for this.

just a suggestion

mike

 

[mjbrown]

cj,

i am not an englander tech but ...how old is your stove, how long has it been since you cleaned the blowers? if you have pets, the shedding fur (cat/dog hair will accumulate in the blowers. take out the room air blower and clean the fins in the squirrel cage inside...a toothbrush works good for this.

just a suggestion

mike

forgot to add...be careful not to bend those fins, as it willmess the cage up. if this cage is gummed up with hair and dust , it will affect the amount of air being blown to the room.

mike

 

[CJ03]

I bought the stove at the end of 06 heating season. So just over 2 yrs. I have not pulled the blowers at all...so maybe that should be my first step. I have vac'd them while still attached, and did the whole air compressor to the stove while outside this summer...but I think that was more for the exhaust blower. How long do you think it would take to remove/clean the room blower?

 

[mjbrown]

shouldnt take to long. i just did a dual auger mototr, bearing blocks and gaskets on my neighbors englander and it took maybe 3 hrs in all...back up and running like a top. that one blower is just 4 screws i believe, and unplug the wires...you should be able to get housing and all out in maybe 20 minutes.

it takes me a little longer because i am of the healthy proportions, and have hands the size of baseball mitts LOL.

mike

 

[mjbrown]

also, it is a good idea to pop those blowers out at the end of or beginning of every heating season, and make sure they are good and clean

mike

 

[drizler]

I find cleaning out my Countryside is really easy. Just fill a portable air tank from my big compressor and put the air chuck to all the innards. All the dust inside comes right out. If you haven't got one of those you might be able to use one of those small tire inflator pumps with a battery or inverter for power. There is nothing manual that cleans out those nooks and crannies like air pressure. Try it once and you will fall in love. An electric leaf blower should work too.
Since mine breaks right open on both sides easily I made a couple intake filters by cutting up a cheap furnace filter. It's just wedged in there and sprayed with a coating of PAM cooking spray. It doesn't by any means start to get it all but surely traps the bigger gritty stuff.

 

[MCPO]

Assuming all stove room blowers have a squirrel cage type impeller held onto the motor shaft with a hex screw so it can be taken off for a detailed cleaning or replacement if necessary to restore it to original operating condition.
It`s so much easier to clean when removed.