Fireplace info/help

[Adamgeerdes]

Looking for some help or info on my fireplace. It is an older wood burning insert. It has an control knob on the wall near it, and when I turn it on I can hear a humming coming from being the insert. It sounds like a stuck fan, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to access it, and I can't find any info online about this particular brand other than that they are out of business. Has anyone else ever used one of these or worked on one? Can I just use it as a regular fireplace or is burning in it without having the fan or whatever is not working functional dangerous? I'd love to fix it if possible but I'm at a loss. Thanks in advance.

 

[begreen]

It looks like an old zero clearance fireplace. Is there an external access panel?

 

[Adamgeerdes]

Not that I can see anywhere. The insert looks to be mortared into the wall also so I can't get it out, and there are no visible screws or anything to remove

 

[begreen]

No rear or side access either? Seems nuts to bury a motor where it never can be serviced. There is a remote possibility that the motor is not the issue, but instead it's a bad wall control rheostat. A test would be to bypass that control with a switch.

 

[Adamgeerdes]

If there is rear access it's been sided over. The hum changes pitch to sound more strained, if that makes sense, as I crank the knob further

 

[Adamgeerdes]

So I've figured out how to access the fan. Had to do some tearing apart outside and remove some questionably routed duct work, but I've pinned it down to bad windings in the electric motor. New one is ordered and I'll have to do a little fab work but thanks for giving me the idea to look a little harder outside. Should be good and warm soon.

 

[begreen]

Well done. Happy heating.