Very low blower output

[Sparkz]

Hi,

This is my first post. I have a Vermont Casting Montpelier wood burning stove. It's only about 2 years old and the fan, even at full, is barely pushing any air. It sounds like it's working, but very little air is coming out the vents. We have a very small house, under 1,000 s.f. and it struggles to keep the living room warm on the coldest days. How can I check the fan output?

Thanks
Mike

 

[pen]

Have you tried removing the fan and cleaning it out? Might be clogged with dust.

Good luck, and welcome to the site.

 

[EJL923]

Every month or two i remove my fans, clean and oil. I keep my stove area "fairly" ash free and still do it and its needed. From the ash i see in front of some others stoves, im surprised they work at all.

 

[Sparkz]

This is the first wood burning stove I've ever had & I had no idea that the fan might need to be cleaned. I'm going to try that today. Any idea about how difficult a project it is? The fan has never been cleaned & we've been running it for 2+ years. Sounds like it could be my problem.

Thanks

 

[EJL923]

Not familiar with the montpeier. Considering the fans are the heart of an insert, they should be easy to access

 

[Sparkz]

I just took a look at the blower & both ends were completely clogged with dust No wonder it wasn't blowing. I guess I should have thought about that sooner. Thanks very much for pointing out what should have been obvious to me. It's working MUCH better now that I cleaned the vents on the blower.

 

[begreen]

The blower on any stove or insert that is used regularly should be cleaned at least annually. An insert fan may need more frequent cleaning if the blower is pulling air in low at the hearth level.

 

[EJL923]

I was just going to write about that the height of the fan. Mine are at the very bottom of the stove, but its a raised hearth which helps keep it cleaner from all of my dogs dust bunnies. On the other hand, i wish it wasnt raised because it would heat better without fans. My insert is more than useless without them.

 

[Bmore]

I recently picked up a fiberglass filter made to be cut to size. I intend to make a filter in front of my blower intake on my model 91. The intake is behind a skirt and will not be visible. My Father did this in the past, but never used his insert much. Any one else using an air filter on an insert? Thanks

 

[S Roche]

The fan on my insert draws from about 3" above the floor so it catches anything. So far this year it has been cleaned twice and although not clogged it was dirty. Removal and cleaning with compressed air is easy so I don't mind doing it. The filter idea is something I am going to try.

 

[blacktail]

Removal and cleaning with compressed air is easy so I don't mind doing it.

Compressed air is the key. I originally just used a vaccum with attachments while leaving the blower attached to the insert. Once I removed the blower and used air it was very obvious that vaccuming was not good enough.

 

[EJL923]

Cleanings one thing, but try to see if it needs oil too

 

[LeoJr]

My insert is more than useless without them.

Same here! As much as I would love to have a freestander, the few weeks a year that we need the heat doesn't justify the commitment of floor space. So, the fan is a necessary and full-time evil for me.

Cleanings one thing, but try to see if it needs oil too

When I first test ran the fan it made lots of noise. A combination of the shop vac in vacuum mode and in leaf blower mode along with a small paint brush chased most of the dust bunnies away.

But the noise seemed to be the motor itself. I tried a plastic and electrically safe spray lubricant (from Radio Shack or similar) and also a plastic safe contact cleaner. I believe I got a quieter fan with only the cleaner. What oil do you recommend?

 

[EJL923]

I use zoom spout oiler. Its a turbine grade oil available at ace hardware around here. I only use it on the bronze bushings which are on one side of the fan. The other has sealed bearings which i cant oil

 

[jatoxico]

I use zoom spout oiler. Its a turbine grade oil available at ace hardware around here. I only use it on the bronze bushings which are on one side of the fan. The other has sealed bearings which i cant oil

I think I asked you this once before EJL but never got around to doing it. Which side has the oil-able bearing, motor side or the other? Also is there an oil hole or just find the gap and let it penetrate?

 

[EJL923]

Opposite the motor side, under a red cap. Ive been removing the red cap for a full clean of the bearing.