I guess it finally had to happen.
Fall weather and the need for heat is finally here, so I fired the Little Whitfield Prodigy up and let it run the other night.
Got up around 2 am to hit the head and hear this gawd awful noise emanating from the living room
A quick trip out there revealed the real truth, ahhhh, the draft fan was losing a bearing and really sounded like it was eating the stove up
Ooooook
Today I ripped into the beast and went after the problem.
Tore the entire upper casting and draft fan housing off.
Got the old fan out.
I had purchased a replacement a couple years ago from one of the great vendors that advertise here at the forum
The original unit was riveted into the venturi housing and the rivets needed to be drilled out.
I replaced the rivets with button headed Allen screws with Nylock nuts.
Got the new motor (Bigger, deeper and heavier with a 5/16 shaft rather than the 1/4 that was there) all in and tight.
The remaining work was just re-installing the fan casting back into the unit and sliding the stove back against the short through wall vent.
Quicky upgrade on the snap switch wires with new crimp connectors and some new connectors on the draft fan motor wires.
All sweeeeeeeeeeeet and dandy.
Tossed in a few pellets to light the fire and hit them with the propane torch.
Flipped on the auger to feed shells and it's off to the rodeo, AGAIN.
The little whit has never ran this quiet, EVER
All I hear now is the sound of Air blowing out the vent with the occasional tiny buzz of the feed motor.
Almost as good as a new stove.
The replacement draft fan motor for these stoves is a real good upgrade, with a larger shaft and far beefier fan too.
If I am not mistaken the motor runs a tad faster, maybe just my imagination, or the old one was just SHOT
The Prodigy must have a good draft fan to function with a direct vent system, so this upgrade was worth every penny and the time spent.
Fire is burning happily along and the house is warm.
Keep the home fires burning troops
Snowy
Fall weather and the need for heat is finally here, so I fired the Little Whitfield Prodigy up and let it run the other night.
Got up around 2 am to hit the head and hear this gawd awful noise emanating from the living room
A quick trip out there revealed the real truth, ahhhh, the draft fan was losing a bearing and really sounded like it was eating the stove up
Ooooook
Today I ripped into the beast and went after the problem.
Tore the entire upper casting and draft fan housing off.
Got the old fan out.
I had purchased a replacement a couple years ago from one of the great vendors that advertise here at the forum
The original unit was riveted into the venturi housing and the rivets needed to be drilled out.
I replaced the rivets with button headed Allen screws with Nylock nuts.
Got the new motor (Bigger, deeper and heavier with a 5/16 shaft rather than the 1/4 that was there) all in and tight.
The remaining work was just re-installing the fan casting back into the unit and sliding the stove back against the short through wall vent.
Quicky upgrade on the snap switch wires with new crimp connectors and some new connectors on the draft fan motor wires.
All sweeeeeeeeeeeet and dandy.
Tossed in a few pellets to light the fire and hit them with the propane torch.
Flipped on the auger to feed shells and it's off to the rodeo, AGAIN.
The little whit has never ran this quiet, EVER
All I hear now is the sound of Air blowing out the vent with the occasional tiny buzz of the feed motor.
Almost as good as a new stove.
The replacement draft fan motor for these stoves is a real good upgrade, with a larger shaft and far beefier fan too.
If I am not mistaken the motor runs a tad faster, maybe just my imagination, or the old one was just SHOT
The Prodigy must have a good draft fan to function with a direct vent system, so this upgrade was worth every penny and the time spent.
Fire is burning happily along and the house is warm.
Keep the home fires burning troops
Snowy
