How long do stove blowers last?

[ControlFreak]

Hi,

I'm wondering about blowers in stoves. Most inserts and some free standing stoves include blowers to circulate air around the firebox to improve heat transfer to the room air. Most of these blowers use sleeve bearings and have a limited lifetime.

I'm wondering how long these blowers run before needing to be replaced.

So, if you wouldn't mind:

1. Do you burn 24x7?
2. How many years of run time do you have on your blower(s)?
3. Do your blowers ever squeak or make rattling noise?

Thanks!

Dan

 

[WoodMann]

I have a Regency(free standing) and it came without a blower, actually it came with the house. I got a blower for it thinking that it's gonna change everything short of rewriting the laws of physics. That was B4 I learned about optimum burning and hardly use the blower at all as the heat radiates by itself. So the blower is still like new for all itents and purposes, don't know if this helps but if ya have an insert you'd best be advised to go with a blower.............

 

[BrotherBart]

I really don't know how long they last. My old insert had a blower fan on each side. They ran all winter long from the winter of 1985-1986 until mid-winter 2005-2006 and were still fine when I hauled the stove out back that year.

The one in my Englander either has a vibration in it or a bearing going bad. I suspect the bearing.

 

[ControlFreak]

The one in my Englander either has a vibration in it or a bearing going bad. I suspect the bearing.

So the blower in the Englander was new in 2006?

 

[BrotherBart]

The one in my Englander either has a vibration in it or a bearing going bad. I suspect the bearing.

So the blower in the Englander was new in 2006?

Yep. It periodically made the sound from day one. Like a dummy I didn't warranty it. I kept trying to convince myself it was a vibration but my ex-aviation mechanic ears knew better all along.

If I knew what the motor is in it I would lay in a spare for when it finally craps out. Don't see the need of spending two hundred bucks for housing, squirrel cages and all just for a motor.

 

[Gomez]

Hi,

I'm wondering about blowers in stoves. Most inserts and some free standing stoves include blowers to circulate air around the firebox to improve heat transfer to the room air. Most of these blowers use sleeve bearings and have a limited lifetime.

I'm wondering how long these blowers run before needing to be replaced.

So, if you wouldn't mind:

1. Do you burn 24x7?

Yes, when necessary.

2. How many years of run time do you have on your blower(s)?

8

3. Do your blowers ever squeak or make rattling noise?

Yes and yes. A quick cleaning with the air hose and lube usually cures these.
I'm wondering how many more years I'll get. I keep thinking about getting
a replacement, but I'd hate to spend the couple hundred $ for something I
should be able to get for much less.

Thanks!

Dan

 

[BrotherBart]

It may have happened and I missed it, but I do not recall anyone in the last three years saying anything here about a blower on their wood stove or or wood insert failing.

 

[rona]

On a Bixby corn-stove the convection fan can go bad after a couple of seasons of burning 24-7 all winter. They use greased sealed bearings. SKF is the brand name and they cost about 5.00 each so to replace the bearings it costs about 10.00 which is reasonable to me versus buying a new fan or motor. It is actually a pretty easy job to replace the bearings in the motor.

 

[burntime]

My cemi 2 from 1981 had 2 blowers and they were working fine in 2004 when I hauled it out and sold it. I would open it up about every 5 years and clean the fans, other then that it was burn baby burn

 

[CrappieKeith]

Blowers on Yukons last near 30 years

 

[Gooserider]

The impression I get is that most blowers are pretty long-life items, I don't see a lot of people needing to replace them, as most seem to replace the stoves / inserts first. However I don't have a lot of data on this either way. Periodic cleaning definitely helps, lubrication is more of a mixed bag - supposedly the "lifetime" bronze sleeve bearings don't need it, and it can attract extra crud, but some feel the added lube is worth it - I would say that if your blower has a lube provision it should be used, if not I would either not use lube, or be extra careful to keep up cleaning routines.

Gooserider

 

[CrappieKeith]

The impression I get is that most blowers are pretty long-life items, I don't see a lot of people needing to replace them, as most seem to replace the stoves / inserts first. However I don't have a lot of data on this either way. Periodic cleaning definitely helps, lubrication is more of a mixed bag - supposedly the "lifetime" bronze sleeve bearings don't need it, and it can attract extra crud, but some feel the added lube is worth it - I would say that if your blower has a lube provision it should be used, if not I would either not use lube, or be extra careful to keep up cleaning routines.

Gooserider

Good answer....