Lopi wood insert fan issues

[Jlocke86]

I have included a pic of my wood insert because i am not sure which model i it and i was hoping someone could tell me, anyways i just moved into my first house and this insert was included, the seller had told me that this thing would heat the whole main level of the house with the blower running, i have had some issues with the blower making noise like there is something hitting the fan blades, also when i do get the blower going with out noise(i have to turn the speed up very slowly) i cannot feel any air when i have my hand in front of the stove and then eventually the blower starts making noise and i have to shut it off, inam thinking i will either need fan motors or the whole assembly of the fan. Any help would be great. Thanks and happy new year!

 

[begreen]

Welcome. Looks like a Lopi Revere to me, but I am not a Lopi expert. Often noises come from imbalanced fans. The first thing you need to do is pull the blowers and give them a very good cleaning, blade by blade. If possible, oil the motor bearings at the same time.

 

[webby3650]

You have a 1250. The blower is mounted with 2-3/8" bolts that are right under the primary air control. Remove the entire blower assembly and clean out all the dust and dirt with an air compressor. It's constantly sucking in debris, especially on a flush hearth like you have.

 

[webby3650]

I also suspect your wood isn't seasoned. The door is ajar in the picture and the glass is black as night! This unit will excel with dry wood, this might explain why the air coming out doesn't seem hot.

 

[Jlocke86]

Thanks for the replies, yes my wood is not as seasoned as id like it to be, i moved into my house around thanksgiving and the seller took all the wood with him that was ready to burn. Anyways it looks like the cover to the blower is mounted with rivets so i assume i will have to drill them out to get to the blower, also i dobt have an issue with the air coming out not being warm due to the fact that there is no air blowing out the front of the unit when the fan is on, i have never owned one of these so im not sure how much air these blowers give out

 

[webby3650]

Do not drill any rivets! There are 2 bolts down under the primary air control. It takes a 3/8 socket with a long extension.

 

[Jlocke86]

Ok thanks, i didnt see the bolts due to all the debris, is there a certain way to oil the fan blades and a specific oil?

 

[blacktail]

Looks like we have the same insert. Shine a flash light between the two fans and you'll see the two bolts. I believe they're above the air control.
Cleaning the blower makes a HUGE difference. Trying to vacuum it out won't be enough. Remove it and hit it with compressed air. Prepare to be amazed at the giant cloud of dust.
Don't expect it to blow a huge amount of air. I never run mine over half speed, usually at about 1/3 speed. Running it on high makes more noise but doesn't seem to move noticeably more air.

 

[begreen]

The fan blades don't get oiled. Webby/blacktail, are there oil ports on this motor?

 

[blacktail]

I've never checked to see if/where my blower gets oil. If it does, it's only visible from the bottom or back once the blower is off. I can't check now as it's 27 degrees outside and my stove is doing its thing.
If the insert is centrally located, it might do OK heating the space without the blower. The convective properties of the stove will still push warm air out. Mine is in a horrible location so the blower makes a huge difference.

 

[TheRambler]

Even if it doesnt have a specific oil port , a drop or two on the motor shaft usually helps a good deal. Any ole machine oil will work. I just use gun oil since i have plenty of it.

 

[webby3650]

They do not have oil ports. Oil seems to make them quieter for a very short time, it doesn't last. It also attracts dirt and debris and allows it to stick to it.