Excessive Noise from fan/blower

[art100204]

I have a Castile Pellet Insert, installed in 2007. We clean it regularly (2 to 3 times per week).

Last night, the blower/fan started making excessive noise at a fairly high decibel level. It sounded like I put a baseball card on my bicycle spokes...but more of a metallic sound. I cleaned the stove, pulled it out and cleaned behind the auger (which was already stuffed with soot). Any help is much appreciated!

 

[JDenyer236]

Did you clean the exhaust blower fan and the room distribution fan? If not then start there.

 

[art100204]

Did you clean the exhaust blower fan and the room distribution fan? If not then start there.

Yes, cleaned everything, just like a service call.

 

[JDenyer236]

So I take it nothing was caught in either blower? Do you have any idea which blower is making the noise? If nothing sticks out like something in the blowers then you may have one going out on you.

 

[Dhosh]

If you pull the fan motor and housing, and spin it by hand (with the stove off and unplugged, of course) ... do you hear the noise? My room air blower has 2 fans (does look like it was replaced .. possibly with a non-kosher one from another stove) .... one that actually fits into the housing and moves the room air ... and the other is on the 'outboard' end of the motor...inside the motor housing .. apparently, to help keep the motor itself cool. You have probably already done it, but I would take compressed air to both sides of the fan. With the fan housing pulled you should be able to see/hear which end of the motor is causing the problem.

Do you have kids? Oft chance 'something' got stuck in there? Been there .. had that done to my stuff!

 

[art100204]

Nothing was caught in the blowers.

 

[art100204]

Yes, did spin it by hand. Never thought to use my air compressor. We do have kids, but they are good around the stoves....we're lucky

Will update you on the status as things transpire.

 

[Dhosh]

My exhaust/vent motor had a similar high speed tick-tick-tick ... it was one blade that was just slightly bent and was catching the housing.

 

[Pellet-King]

oil the motors if you can otherwise you need a need a new blower

 

[tjnamtiw]

You say you had a pile of soot below the auger tube, which indicates that you have an exhaust leak. (I also had one the first year, which resulted in a pile of ash). Since the convection blower is right in that area, it could very well have been loaded with the same soot and become unbalanced, which would cause it to vibrate. The fan assembly on mine is held in position for shipping with a thumbscrew, which the manual tells you to remove. It is then held in position only with a magnet! If it was unbalanced, that would be your noise maker.

 

[tjnamtiw]

oil the motors if you can otherwise you need a need a new blower

Oiling sealed bearings does nothing unless the bearing is frozen and the shaft is turning inside the inner race like a bushing or the entire bearing is spinning in the housing. Both of those situations will result in a LOT of damage.

 

[tjnamtiw]

If you pull the fan motor and housing, and spin it by hand (with the stove off and unplugged, of course) ... do you hear the noise? My room air blower has 2 fans (does look like it was replaced .. possibly with a non-kosher one from another stove) .... one that actually fits into the housing and moves the room air ... and the other is on the 'outboard' end of the motor...inside the motor housing .. apparently, to help keep the motor itself cool. You have probably already done it, but I would take compressed air to both sides of the fan. With the fan housing pulled you should be able to see/hear which end of the motor is causing the problem.

Do you have kids? Oft chance 'something' got stuck in there? Been there .. had that done to my stuff!

The Castile convection blower is a double ended squirrel cage blower and not the type on your stove.