Whitfield Renaissance Blower Cleaning

[AshaMc]

I am trouble shooting a Whitfield Renaissance WW1A. I am trying to clean the combustion blower fan but have not had success getting the fan removed. The thing wont budge. The fan is a Fasco 7021-7860.

Anyone taken one of these out and cleaned it, and have any tips?

 

[johninwi]

I have a local craigslist add for a renissance i may go look at so i'd like to pick you brain about your experience with the stove if i may.

I did some looking for the replacement and it seems the serial number matters, but i found this,
(broken link removed to http://www.stove-parts-unlimited.com/Whitfield-Renaissance-Prodigy-II-Exhaust-Blower-p/pp7602.htm)

Common problem for pellet stove's, there's a few simillare threads, if the setscrew is intack i'd start with penetrating oil and a bit of heat, repeat a few times you may get it loose. Same for the fan, a little heat and oil and give it some time to work. I have a butane soldering iron that converts to a small torch, if you've got one or can borrow one that may work better, having the control of the smaller flame letting you focus it on just the hub of the fan and not the shaft or screw may get them to cooperate. If the screw loosens you might also unbolt the motor mounts and get a helper to hold the motor while you tap the shaft, hammer and a small punch being careful not to mushroom the shaft end.
I've used antiseize on mine for the 4 years i've had it with good results but i remove it a couple times a year. It was pointed out by another member that the repeated heating and cooling of the fan will make them brittle over time and the metal deteriorates, you may be to this point with the age of the whitfield.

Not to derail your guestion and a PM would be fine but hae you had this stove long? Wondering how long a bag lasts on low and high. Or any other info you may care to share.

 

[AshaMc]

I have a local craigslist add for a renissance i may go look at so i'd like to pick you brain about your experience with the stove if i may.

I did some looking for the replacement and it seems the serial number matters, but i found this,
(broken link removed to http://www.stove-parts-unlimited.com/Whitfield-Renaissance-Prodigy-II-Exhaust-Blower-p/pp7602.htm)

Common problem for pellet stove's, there's a few similar threads, if the setscrew is in tack I'd start with penetrating oil and a bit of heat, repeat a few times you may get it loose. Same for the fan, a little heat and oil and give it some time to work. I have a butane soldering iron that converts to a small torch, if you've got one or can borrow one that may work better, having the control of the smaller flame letting you focus it on just the hub of the fan and not the shaft or screw may get them to cooperate. If the screw loosens you might also unbolt the motor mounts and get a helper to hold the motor while you tap the shaft, hammer and a small punch being careful not to mushroom the shaft end.
I've used anti-seize on mine for the 4 years I've had it with good results but i remove it a couple times a year. It was pointed out by another member that the repeated heating and cooling of the fan will make them brittle over time and the metal deteriorates, you may be to this point with the age of the whitfield.

Not to derail your question and a PM would be fine but hae you had this stove long? Wondering how long a bag lasts on low and high. Or any other info you may care to share.

I have had the stove for about 8 years. We burn about 1.5 tons a winter in a 1600 sq ft house in SW Washington. On low a bag will last over 24 hours. I have not ever burned a full bag on high as this stove cranks out the heat and our climate is generally pretty mild.

I will just turn it up to blow it out a bit, but I would guess on high a bag would last 10 hours or so? Its a bit noisy but I am going with trying to repair this one because it seems to be a well made machine.

As far as the blower goes it seems to be siliconed in where the blower duct meets the duct that leads to the plenum chamber. Is that normal for a stove to have that area sealed? The fan is super clogged with dust and I need to get it off but really don't want to break anything.

 

[johninwi]

I know little of the whitfields but others here should be able to at least offer an opinion of what looks normal. A pic would help you could post one.

fan is super clogged with dust and I need to get it off

Sounds like it still runs, can you snake a bottle brush from one side and a shop vac on the other to clear it some might prevent having to tear it apart. There's a lot of tricks others have shared for cleaning hard to reach spots, coathangers, compressed air, leafblowers (as a vacuume in the exhaust). And I know there's more.

Appreciate the info of your experience with your renissance, best of luck getting it back to normal.

 

[AshaMc]

Well, The blower is off and cleaned and replaced, door and ash pan gaskets replaced, vent pipe clean. The stove is no longer smoking but will not stay lit more than 10 minutes! I there anything else I can do? Adjust the blower and auger timing ratios? Anyone know how to do that?