Dr Z pls, my heat does not come on,when i check outside my fan is not blowing,just took the capacitor out but it looks clean and dont have tools to test it ,it looks very clean.Both fan and compressor is not working.What do i need to do ?thanks
Thanks Dr Z: Well the noise went from a buzzing to a loud and violent rattling or screeching sound of metal hitting metal. I pulled the blower again for a second look, but nothing jump the eye. I'm going to replace it anyway; hopefully it's just that.
Dr. Z There is a squeaking sound coming from the blower motor. It does look dirty. Is this an indication that the motor needs to be replaced or just a cleaning?
Thank you DrZarkloff for your response. The buzzing noise is coming out of the furnace not the unit outside. I pulled the blower following your video to check for dirt or any other possible malfunction, but the blower looks clean as new and everything else seemed fine. I checked everything with a screw in the furnace for looseness, but all was tighted. I'm still puzzled about the source of the noise.
Just last night a loud buzzing sound started to come out of my Carrier STA110. The system is cooling the house fine, seems to run longer, but it may be my perception bc of the countinous noise. Also, when I open the door where the furnace is, it's even colder than when I open my fridge door, don't know if it's suppose to be that way or does that mean that some cool air is not moving out to the house. I think that I may need to clean or replace the blower wheel? What else can cause such noise?Thx
@DeNarbone The noise could be what's called " coil chatter". You might want to check out the contactors for this problem. It could be caused by not enough coil voltage going to the contactor or the coil in the contactor is just wearing out. The remedy is to replace the contactor.
Sometime that blower wheel is alot harder to get off the shaft of the motor I always found wd40 does the trick dont bang the shaft off with a hammer and screwdriver you will damage the shaft
I want to know if you could just take it and blow out the dust with your air compressor? If you are cleaning the ducts on a gas furnace you would turn the power off, do you turn off the pilot light and turn off the gas? What happens with a gas furnace cleaning?
some good info on this video. i would also want to take this time to inspect the heat exchanger if this unit is a gas furnace and always check the evaporator coil. chances are if the blower is that dirty, then it's also pushing that same grime into the evaporator, if the blower is before the coil, thus restricting airflow.
question, why did you replace the panel before starting the unit up? did you check the capacitor? is the wheel rotating in the right direction? all things to consider
Dr. I just want to say, You are the man!! Giving advice like this can help us keep our units up and going, especially in these hard times. Thanks for you posting.
My dad and I cleaned our filthy blower wheel today in thirty minutes after watching your informative video. The only thing I did different was to use a pressure washer with a "delicate" head to clean the crap off the blades. You saved us $1,200 ( a quote from a local A/C guy to clean it with three different chemicals)! Thanks for posting this video!
Free energy technology exists!But the Establishment doesn't want ppl to know this,if you want a real Free energy Magnet Motor, get the blueprints at LT-MAGNET-MOTORdotCOM ,Let the revolution begin!
My evap coil is freezing up after I run my AC all night. My question is can a real dirty and a noisier than usual blower wheel cause this condition? I've read if you do not get enough airflow past the coils it will not remove sufficient heat from the freon. Also, I've taken airbox apart to clean the exap coil and to my surprise it was clean as whistle. I've only had the house 2 years so I figure previous owned had a new one put in since there was an access panel.
@g12196 Yes. More than likely, fewer CFMs are passing through the air handler than are necessary to keep your coil from freezing. You might want to make sure that the air filter is clean, too.
Great video! I have noticed our blower was noisey lately. I took it apart and cleaned it. Is the centre piece in the blower wheel supposed to be loose? There is a lot of free-play in mine and the blower wheel does not seem very well balanced when spinning.
This is awesome! I am changing the ducts under my mobile home right now, and I took apart my a/c unit and cleaned the coils. I noticed that the blower motor was really dirty and did a search "how to clean the hvac blower fan" and I found this video. I love youtube. thanks alot buddy.
Hi drzarloff my blower is working my compressor is working too and the refrigerant is on 70 on the low side and 210 on the high side but is not blowing cool air sstill can you tell me wat I have to check please?
@yantur52 It sounds like it should be cooling. I've know times when the compressor just wasn't pumping well enough even though the pressures seemed good.
Doc, I do clean and tunes for the state of indiana. I use the homeowners dish soap and there bathtub with a 3 inch blue bristle brush. Then I vacuum the ventilation chamber and motor and spray the motor with electonics cleaner. Usually if the fan is really dirty, the fan motor will end up taking a dump in about three weeks because it is not used to running so easily. James
I googled check hvac blower and found your video. I have no HVAC experience but your video gave me the confidence to investigate this serious vibration issue with my upstairs unit. Everytime it comes on it shakes and rattles the ceiling. So after watching your video I climbed in the attic, pulled the blower out and cleaned it. I found a piece of foam stuck in the fins. I put it back together and works like a charm and super quiet again! Thanks for the vid. I couldn't have done it without you!
I have never ever commented on a video on youtube, but i have to say THANK YOU! I was about to pay a couple hundred dollars to have my blower cleaned. I did it myself thanks to this video! The fan was terribly dirty and clogged. My heat would take an hour to raise the temp 1 degree...now with a clean fan it takes only 20 minutes.
hey Dr Z..first off great video's!!!..quesition for you..my friend just got a new ac system,and i want to use his old blower motor as an exuast system for my hydroponic garden..it's and single faze motor 120v..but im not sure on if it's a muti speed motor,,but if it's single faze..can i hook up and speed controler to it..and also do i need the capacitor as well...and last but not least can i just hard wire it ..then just plug it into a wall socket??..ty for your time..tommy :)
Just today, our blower motor started making a squealing sound. I suspect bearings going bad. How much does a replacement motor cost for these things? It's on an old Bard furncace and it's a 1/3 hp motor.
No open toed ssandles when working with metal. It will take your toes off. The we would call you or say hi stubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbssssssssss. like the BBQ sauce
i had a dirty blower so i removed the motor, cleaned that separately, and took the squirrel cage to the carwash. used the high pressure wand to turn and clean the wheel at high speed, high pressure both at the same time--oh yes, then i washed my car!
i was even impressed by the result at the carwash, and my squirrel cage was rathole nasty, haha. DrZ, what about a video on the intricacies of direct spark ignition next fall? I'm a graduate of hvac school but didn't get alot of info on that, thanks.
As a home inspector, I find about 9 of 10 units I see have considerable dirt buildup on the fan. Also the fan will usually be noisy due to vibration when the heater is on.
Hi DrZarkloff. First of all thank you for your videos, they're a great help to DIYers. I removed the blower from the air handler like you showed in the video. The trouble that i'm having is removing the wheel from the blower motor. I removed the screw that holds the motor shaft and wheel but i'm unable to get the wheel loose. I sprayed it with WD-40 and tapped it lightly with a hammer and still won't come loose. I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks in Advance. Delvis M.
I have been watching your videos. Our house just doesn't cool down. The outside unit keeps freezing. I have cleaned my coils on the outside unit. We are thinking of cleaning the blower. Our a/c guy said something about rust on the blower?? Should we clean or replace the blower? Air doesn't seem to be blowing that much out of the vents.
It wouldn't hurt to clean the blower or even replace the blower wheel if it's rusted out. Your problem might be a low refrigerant charge if that doesn't do the trick.
I'm watching your videos after both my brother and parents had the ac repairman out and the only thing wrong with both their systems was dirty coils. I learned to use coil cleaner, my ac man has never done that, just used the hose. I have a tip for you, put that blower wheel on a table while you take it apart so you can be comfortable working standing up instead of kneeling on that hard concrete! Thanks for your videos, they really are helping alot of people.
you kinda remind me of steve martin from the jerk lol but great video.I work in bham alabama at a commercial hvac company and im always tryin to learn new things
How often do you recommend on cleaning the blower? The PTAC units that I deal with are usually being used everyday, what would be a good schedule to keeping them cleaned?
1 out of 10 wheels fall of the shaft like that one did, get a hub puller, don't pry or pound on a stuck wheel.
Most techs don't clean blower packs, you might as well, You need to pull it if you want to see the heat exchanger for inspection. A dirty blower on a 90%er will meen a dirty secondary exchanger. A good air comrpessor is a must for this. A brush will only go so far. Don't forget to check that run cap with a capacitance meter. +/-6%.
Great point about the run cap. I normally use a block of wood and a hammer, a hub puller would be wise investment. Does anyone else use the green evap coil cleaner? Anyone recommend it?
I like your video very much. I've just got out of hvac school about 7month ago and I am still looking for a hvac job. I've learn a lot from your video and keep up a good work
good video but I also blow the motor out with nitrogen and oil it if possible. Also I use a milluaki cordless drill (sorry about spelling) on everything you showed in the video (cabinet doors, blower housing screws, motor screws, etc etc) that saves a lot of time and carpul tunnel lol ...Let me know if you dont like tips from other techs but me personally like to learn any extra trick possible. Oh where do you live ?
Thanks. I always like to get feedback from other techs. That way everyone learns something. I do blow many of the extremely dirty motors out with nitrogen. For some reason I didn't do that in this video.
Always check the evaporator, if you dont your really doing your customer a diservice. I have been doing duct cleaning. And I always tell my customers that cleaning ducts do not create better air flow. Matter of fact cleaning ducts does very little if any thing at all to improve air quality. But compaines make big money doing this. So I might as well also. Unless its a commerical enviorment then maybe it helps.
thanks for the vid, i was just looking at my blower and see that its filthy. Would you happen to know why my breaker trips when i run heater. it starts fine but will trip the breaker when the thermostat increases one degree. a/c works fine.
I dont have a clamp on meter but I removed the breaker box panel and saw that the wires going to the dual 50 amp breaker are burned (charred). The all electric heater runs for about 5 min then shuts off. It runs for less and less time if I reset the breaker. Like I mentioned before, I have no problem with the a/c. What do you think?
The electric heat strips require more amps to operate than the compressor. Your burned wires aren't carrying the load anymore. You really should have that repaired.
If it were just a bunch of dust I could have used an air hose to clean it off. The problem was that the blower wheel had some weird sticky stuff that needed some extra elbow grease.
Something i allways look for also is loose balance weights.or the rusted ones that break and fall off When cleaning you can knock one off and you're screwed if you can't find where it goes. any advice zark? or hack?
There are oil ports on many motors, not this one. It is a good idea to put in a couple of drops of oil every year on the ones that do have the oil ports. Thanks for mentioning this.
Did I actually see **technical difficulties** in a youtube video Dr Z? :)
Isn't it amazing how often our few video clips we took will easily exceed 10 minutes once pieced together? Then we get to edit and then edit some more to get them within the 10 minute time limits. I'll have to try speeding some of my pieces up, such as when I'm removing screws, etc...
I give it a shot some time. Maybe it will be a video card limitation or something.. but who knows. Actually. My video card is just the built in one on the motherboard feeding through the DVI connector to the HDMI input on my monitor. The built in graphics card seems to be ok for what I do so far. I do know that Movie Maker will NOT start or run on my daughter's PC's because the graphics card is not good enough. The middle kid wants to make movies and is complaining. :p
The video would have been too long for youtube if I left it at regular speed. I know that some people can post videos longer than ten minutes. Even if I make sure that the video is less than 100 megs youtube won't let me upload it if it's over ten minutes. I'll keep it to regular speed from now on since the speed effects is messed up in Windows Movie Maker.
Thanks. I guess you mean my home a/c system. I'll try to get to it this weekend. HVAC/R is the only work I do right now. I got into the trade one toe at a time. Then I went to a/c school and the learning curve has been nuts ever since.
HvacrTalk . com welcomes Techs contractors and consumers to join free and discuss and trade infor and learn meet others in the trade. good links and resources...all you need is a valid email to activate your account.
i use a wire brush for the wheel and compressed nitro to clean the motor. i use a drill with the right size bit to save me a great deal of time. good video Sir.
i like the opeing line hi my viewers i got lucky lol just teasing ya as you teased me on the last video about not touching the screen i got to hand it to you you got a good sense of humour.
you are lucky with that blower wheel came off that easily.
A couple weeks ago I had to pull off a combustion blower off the gas furnace section on a Lennox Multizone AHU. And let me tell you it was a royal pain in the arse to get that out of there. That motor just did not want to dislodge from the blower wheel. But I got er done :)
I was very pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to use sanding cloth and a bunch of penetrating oil on the motor shaft to get the blower wheel off.
Hey Doc, I like your style "I got lucky" :-) I enjoy watching your video's. Educational and entertaining at the same time, a winning combination! The information you offer can empower a home owner to do routine maintenance themselves, saving them an expensive service call. BTW, is there any better sound than the sound of the blower wheel sliding loose on the motor shaft after loosening the retaining nut? :-) Keep up the good work! You have inspired me to do a similar project I had in mind.
si usaras un taladro para destornillar seria tan rapido como yo sorry
robertonic100 3 months ago
@robertonic100 A veces usted no tiene suficiente espacio para utilizar un taladro.
DrZarkloff 3 months ago
Thanks for sharing.
twain55 3 months ago
which multimeter is good /name and where to get it?
mui25 3 months ago
@mui25 The Fieldpiece HS36 is my absolute favorite.
DrZarkloff 3 months ago
Dr Z pls, my heat does not come on,when i check outside my fan is not blowing,just took the capacitor out but it looks clean and dont have tools to test it ,it looks very clean.Both fan and compressor is not working.What do i need to do ?thanks
mui25 3 months ago
@mui25 There are too many possible problems. Without a multimeter, you're just working in the dark.
DrZarkloff 3 months ago
Thanks Dr Z: Well the noise went from a buzzing to a loud and violent rattling or screeching sound of metal hitting metal. I pulled the blower again for a second look, but nothing jump the eye. I'm going to replace it anyway; hopefully it's just that.
DeNarbone 6 months ago
Dr. Z There is a squeaking sound coming from the blower motor. It does look dirty. Is this an indication that the motor needs to be replaced or just a cleaning?
rtrs04 6 months ago
@rtrs04 You might want to oil the motor if it has the two little plastic caps on the ends of the motor body that you can remove for lubrication.
DrZarkloff 6 months ago
@DrZarkloff Now the motor appears to just hum and won't turn on.
rtrs04 6 months ago
@rtrs04 You might want to replace the run capacitor to the blower motor. If that doesn't fix it then the motor is bad.
DrZarkloff 6 months ago
Thank you DrZarkloff for your response. The buzzing noise is coming out of the furnace not the unit outside. I pulled the blower following your video to check for dirt or any other possible malfunction, but the blower looks clean as new and everything else seemed fine. I checked everything with a screw in the furnace for looseness, but all was tighted. I'm still puzzled about the source of the noise.
DeNarbone 6 months ago
@DeNarbone The buzzing is probably just some coil chatter from the contactor or relay.
DrZarkloff 6 months ago
Just last night a loud buzzing sound started to come out of my Carrier STA110. The system is cooling the house fine, seems to run longer, but it may be my perception bc of the countinous noise. Also, when I open the door where the furnace is, it's even colder than when I open my fridge door, don't know if it's suppose to be that way or does that mean that some cool air is not moving out to the house. I think that I may need to clean or replace the blower wheel? What else can cause such noise?Thx
DeNarbone 6 months ago
@DeNarbone The noise could be what's called " coil chatter". You might want to check out the contactors for this problem. It could be caused by not enough coil voltage going to the contactor or the coil in the contactor is just wearing out. The remedy is to replace the contactor.
DrZarkloff 6 months ago
I have a question Dr.Z.
What exactly IS a blower?
Is it just a bigger stronger fan?
What is it's purpose?
workingthrash 7 months ago
@workingthrash The blower is the fan inside of the air handler.
DrZarkloff 7 months ago
shorts and sandals? LOL
archeryman5000 8 months ago
I have also see some motors burn up because of all the dust on it clogged all the vents
MrDodgelove 8 months ago
@MrDodgelove Same here. Thanks.
DrZarkloff 8 months ago
Sometime that blower wheel is alot harder to get off the shaft of the motor I always found wd40 does the trick dont bang the shaft off with a hammer and screwdriver you will damage the shaft
MrDodgelove 8 months ago
@MrDodgelove Also, it's best to use a hub puller.
DrZarkloff 8 months ago
this guy is awesome........
MrChrisortega 11 months ago
I call this "Furnace Asthma" lol
BGreenHVAC 11 months ago
Your cheating. Most are not that easy. Show one in the attic while you hang upside down getting it out. LOL. Just razzin ya.
newstart49 11 months ago
I want to know if you could just take it and blow out the dust with your air compressor? If you are cleaning the ducts on a gas furnace you would turn the power off, do you turn off the pilot light and turn off the gas? What happens with a gas furnace cleaning?
Ingram101a 11 months ago
@Ingram101a You should turn off the power and the gas to furnaces before cleaning them.
DrZarkloff 11 months ago
Very informative and beneficial. The fast forward even provided some entertainment. Definitely will keep tabs on your videos.
shovel77dc 1 year ago
@shovel77dc Thanks for watching.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
some good info on this video. i would also want to take this time to inspect the heat exchanger if this unit is a gas furnace and always check the evaporator coil. chances are if the blower is that dirty, then it's also pushing that same grime into the evaporator, if the blower is before the coil, thus restricting airflow.
question, why did you replace the panel before starting the unit up? did you check the capacitor? is the wheel rotating in the right direction? all things to consider
woode1965 1 year ago
Dr.Z this is great .....but ...this is a good time to test the motor amp draw and test the fan capacitor..!!
MrTERRYD55 1 year ago
Thanks for the video,,great info. Keep them coming.
qasion 1 year ago
@qasion Thanks for watching.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
@DrZarkloff Well come to think about it. If a heater is blowing but not hot air, just a little warm air,,what could be the problem?
If you have time to answer.
qasion 1 year ago
@qasion It depends on the type of heater you have. Do you have a gas furnace or electric heat strips in the air handler?
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
@DrZarkloff mine is electrical,,I am sure.
qasion 1 year ago
@qasion You could have a bad limit switch or a blown fusible link.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
@DrZarkloff OK thank you.
qasion 1 year ago
Dr. I just want to say, You are the man!! Giving advice like this can help us keep our units up and going, especially in these hard times. Thanks for you posting.
SSPHOENIQUERA1 1 year ago
@SSPHOENIQUERA1 Thanks for watching.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
Well done. Thanks a Lot!
CantFndaName 1 year ago
@CantFndaName Thanks.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
My dad and I cleaned our filthy blower wheel today in thirty minutes after watching your informative video. The only thing I did different was to use a pressure washer with a "delicate" head to clean the crap off the blades. You saved us $1,200 ( a quote from a local A/C guy to clean it with three different chemicals)! Thanks for posting this video!
bigblockD17 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Free energy technology exists!But the Establishment doesn't want ppl to know this,if you want a real Free energy Magnet Motor, get the blueprints at LT-MAGNET-MOTORdotCOM ,Let the revolution begin!
porscheghcje 1 year ago
Thanks, this video was just what I was looking for.
MrBillStarr 1 year ago
My evap coil is freezing up after I run my AC all night. My question is can a real dirty and a noisier than usual blower wheel cause this condition? I've read if you do not get enough airflow past the coils it will not remove sufficient heat from the freon. Also, I've taken airbox apart to clean the exap coil and to my surprise it was clean as whistle. I've only had the house 2 years so I figure previous owned had a new one put in since there was an access panel.
g12196 1 year ago
@g12196 Yes. More than likely, fewer CFMs are passing through the air handler than are necessary to keep your coil from freezing. You might want to make sure that the air filter is clean, too.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
Great video! I have noticed our blower was noisey lately. I took it apart and cleaned it. Is the centre piece in the blower wheel supposed to be loose? There is a lot of free-play in mine and the blower wheel does not seem very well balanced when spinning.
BoscoBear52 1 year ago
@BoscoBear52 It sounds like you need a new blower wheel.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
Would it be a good idea to use pool algaecide or diluted bleach to prevent mold from forming?
GrantLogan2 1 year ago
@GrantLogan2 I prefer putting tablets in the condensate pan.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
Would compressed air clean be ok to use on the motor? is there any type of mold inhibitor that you recommend?
jmgoderich 1 year ago
@jmgoderich Yes, you could use an air compressor to blow off a lot of the dirt.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
my unit is a nightmare, you remove this blower with ease I cant even see or reach half the damn screws to take mine out!!!
jthouse51 1 year ago
@jthouse51 Sorry for making it look too simple.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
Thank you so much for this VERY helpful video! I used every bit of info in this video to clean my grandmother's blower. THANKS!!
HCVguy93 1 year ago
Simplegreen and an old toothbrush !
demmylowther 1 year ago
This is awesome! I am changing the ducts under my mobile home right now, and I took apart my a/c unit and cleaned the coils. I noticed that the blower motor was really dirty and did a search "how to clean the hvac blower fan" and I found this video. I love youtube. thanks alot buddy.
chrismquin352 1 year ago
Hi drzarloff my blower is working my compressor is working too and the refrigerant is on 70 on the low side and 210 on the high side but is not blowing cool air sstill can you tell me wat I have to check please?
yantur52 1 year ago
@yantur52 It sounds like it should be cooling. I've know times when the compressor just wasn't pumping well enough even though the pressures seemed good.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
I needed to get a new blower. i need to know where the red and black wires go.
Liz120705 1 year ago
@Liz120705 The black wire is the high speed wire and the red wire is the low speed wire. You'll have to use one of them and cap off the other.
DrZarkloff 1 year ago
Doc, I do clean and tunes for the state of indiana. I use the homeowners dish soap and there bathtub with a 3 inch blue bristle brush. Then I vacuum the ventilation chamber and motor and spray the motor with electonics cleaner. Usually if the fan is really dirty, the fan motor will end up taking a dump in about three weeks because it is not used to running so easily. James
jckillstop 2 years ago
I googled check hvac blower and found your video. I have no HVAC experience but your video gave me the confidence to investigate this serious vibration issue with my upstairs unit. Everytime it comes on it shakes and rattles the ceiling. So after watching your video I climbed in the attic, pulled the blower out and cleaned it. I found a piece of foam stuck in the fins. I put it back together and works like a charm and super quiet again! Thanks for the vid. I couldn't have done it without you!
brandonleetran 2 years ago
Thanks for watching.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
Blow out the motor with nitrogen. The rag wont get the dust and dirt out of the windings.
fitzsw 2 years ago
I have never ever commented on a video on youtube, but i have to say THANK YOU! I was about to pay a couple hundred dollars to have my blower cleaned. I did it myself thanks to this video! The fan was terribly dirty and clogged. My heat would take an hour to raise the temp 1 degree...now with a clean fan it takes only 20 minutes.
fsherod118 2 years ago
Thanks for watching.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
Comment removed
fsherod118 2 years ago
@timcat100 so, where´s your video???? you smart ass!
zpato3 2 years ago
video of what you perv?
timcat100 2 years ago
Thank you so much for your teaching
DoD511 2 years ago
hey Dr Z..first off great video's!!!..quesition for you..my friend just got a new ac system,and i want to use his old blower motor as an exuast system for my hydroponic garden..it's and single faze motor 120v..but im not sure on if it's a muti speed motor,,but if it's single faze..can i hook up and speed controler to it..and also do i need the capacitor as well...and last but not least can i just hard wire it ..then just plug it into a wall socket??..ty for your time..tommy :)
tkotommygun 2 years ago
You should be able to plug in the blower to a 120 volt wall socket. You'll need to keep all of the blower components intact.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
ty Dr Z for your input!!!!....i'll try that....once again AWESOME VIDEO'S!!!!!!!!
tkotommygun 2 years ago
now go clean the evaporator coil
fetisov02 2 years ago
Any special precautions needed around the capacitor?
yourtotal 2 years ago
It's a good idea to short the terminals together after turning off the power.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
i see black mold on the wiring diagram there on the fan housing
vector00234 2 years ago
Bleach can kill mold.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
Thanks a lot! The furnace guy wanted to charge me $399 for this (regularly $549, but they are running a "special").
mikebius 2 years ago
just go get a new wheel ,same amount time to clean or replace
fanlimits 2 years ago
wow can you turn a wrench fast way to go flash gordon great video
suprservtech 2 years ago
Thanks. :)
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
can you make a video how to replaced 410a systems step by step it will be nice
elaineNdarwin 2 years ago
Thanks for the video Dr. Z
Just today, our blower motor started making a squealing sound. I suspect bearings going bad. How much does a replacement motor cost for these things? It's on an old Bard furncace and it's a 1/3 hp motor.
scotty2553 2 years ago
You should be able to buy an aftermarket brand motor for under $100.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
Dr. Z
The air flow which form the air duct is very low on the 1st floor, and almost no air flow on the 2nd floor. The air also is not that cold
oppchan 2 years ago
A good coil cleaning could make the difference.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
before 2 week Im remove same this
blower carriar but not 4 clean for change motor
moustafa076 2 years ago
Excellent video, I never knew it's so easy to clean the blower. This saved me hundreds of dollars. Thanks a lot.
alokbhargava52 2 years ago
Keep up the good work--- Great videos- you are a great teacher --Thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!
animaloverca 2 years ago
Thank you very much for the compliment.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
No open toed ssandles when working with metal. It will take your toes off. The we would call you or say hi stubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbssssssssss. like the BBQ sauce
bwd111 2 years ago
i had a dirty blower so i removed the motor, cleaned that separately, and took the squirrel cage to the carwash. used the high pressure wand to turn and clean the wheel at high speed, high pressure both at the same time--oh yes, then i washed my car!
ab9957 2 years ago
Good thinking. I should have thought of that.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
i was even impressed by the result at the carwash, and my squirrel cage was rathole nasty, haha. DrZ, what about a video on the intricacies of direct spark ignition next fall? I'm a graduate of hvac school but didn't get alot of info on that, thanks.
ab9957 2 years ago
Thanks for watching.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
As a home inspector, I find about 9 of 10 units I see have considerable dirt buildup on the fan. Also the fan will usually be noisy due to vibration when the heater is on.
TexasHomeInspector 2 years ago
The dirt can cause the blower wheel to seem out of balance. You might want to try cleaning the blower wheel first.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
Hi DrZarkloff. First of all thank you for your videos, they're a great help to DIYers. I removed the blower from the air handler like you showed in the video. The trouble that i'm having is removing the wheel from the blower motor. I removed the screw that holds the motor shaft and wheel but i'm unable to get the wheel loose. I sprayed it with WD-40 and tapped it lightly with a hammer and still won't come loose. I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks in Advance. Delvis M.
delvismendiondo 2 years ago
I have been watching your videos. Our house just doesn't cool down. The outside unit keeps freezing. I have cleaned my coils on the outside unit. We are thinking of cleaning the blower. Our a/c guy said something about rust on the blower?? Should we clean or replace the blower? Air doesn't seem to be blowing that much out of the vents.
scoutmom381 2 years ago
It wouldn't hurt to clean the blower or even replace the blower wheel if it's rusted out. Your problem might be a low refrigerant charge if that doesn't do the trick.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
I'm watching your videos after both my brother and parents had the ac repairman out and the only thing wrong with both their systems was dirty coils. I learned to use coil cleaner, my ac man has never done that, just used the hose. I have a tip for you, put that blower wheel on a table while you take it apart so you can be comfortable working standing up instead of kneeling on that hard concrete! Thanks for your videos, they really are helping alot of people.
kayBTR 2 years ago
Thanks. I usually use a bench at work to repair blowers.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
How long take You to do that? Because I just cleaned mine today(06/23/09) and i did like 6 hrs it was very bad. And yes its
very different so quit not like before.
jogacha17 2 years ago
It took me a couple of hours because I was working the camera at the same time.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
you kinda remind me of steve martin from the jerk lol but great video.I work in bham alabama at a commercial hvac company and im always tryin to learn new things
stevenedaman 2 years ago
Thanks for watching.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
As always, nice video.
How often do you recommend on cleaning the blower? The PTAC units that I deal with are usually being used everyday, what would be a good schedule to keeping them cleaned?
Asfxiate 2 years ago
I recommend cleaning PTAC units once per year. You might want to check out my PTAC video.
DrZarkloff 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
i have been doing hvac for twenty years and i have never had to do this. i guess i must be smarter than you. you are a dumb peice of shit
marcfromoc23 2 years ago
Comment removed
Wecamefromthestars81 2 years ago
I carry an air compressor to blow out the motor.
1 out of 10 wheels fall of the shaft like that one did, get a hub puller, don't pry or pound on a stuck wheel.
Most techs don't clean blower packs, you might as well, You need to pull it if you want to see the heat exchanger for inspection. A dirty blower on a 90%er will meen a dirty secondary exchanger. A good air comrpessor is a must for this. A brush will only go so far. Don't forget to check that run cap with a capacitance meter. +/-6%.
tstatech 2 years ago
Great point about the run cap. I normally use a block of wood and a hammer, a hub puller would be wise investment. Does anyone else use the green evap coil cleaner? Anyone recommend it?
Suiscycho 2 years ago
I like your video very much. I've just got out of hvac school about 7month ago and I am still looking for a hvac job. I've learn a lot from your video and keep up a good work
aznlepkham 3 years ago
Thanks you very much.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
good video but I also blow the motor out with nitrogen and oil it if possible. Also I use a milluaki cordless drill (sorry about spelling) on everything you showed in the video (cabinet doors, blower housing screws, motor screws, etc etc) that saves a lot of time and carpul tunnel lol ...Let me know if you dont like tips from other techs but me personally like to learn any extra trick possible. Oh where do you live ?
KeithRitchie1 3 years ago
Thanks. I always like to get feedback from other techs. That way everyone learns something. I do blow many of the extremely dirty motors out with nitrogen. For some reason I didn't do that in this video.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
Always check the evaporator, if you dont your really doing your customer a diservice. I have been doing duct cleaning. And I always tell my customers that cleaning ducts do not create better air flow. Matter of fact cleaning ducts does very little if any thing at all to improve air quality. But compaines make big money doing this. So I might as well also. Unless its a commerical enviorment then maybe it helps.
savagegolfer 3 years ago
You got that right. I cleaned the evaporator to this air handler in the video, "HVAC: cleaning the evaporator coil".
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
was the evaporator dirty?
IChoseTheRedPill 3 years ago
Yes it was. I cleaned it in the video, "HVAC: cleaning the evaporator coil".
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
thanks for the vid, i was just looking at my blower and see that its filthy. Would you happen to know why my breaker trips when i run heater. it starts fine but will trip the breaker when the thermostat increases one degree. a/c works fine.
danstex 3 years ago
The breaker might be going bad. You could use a clamp on multi-meter to get the amp draw of your line volts while the heat is running.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
I dont have a clamp on meter but I removed the breaker box panel and saw that the wires going to the dual 50 amp breaker are burned (charred). The all electric heater runs for about 5 min then shuts off. It runs for less and less time if I reset the breaker. Like I mentioned before, I have no problem with the a/c. What do you think?
danstex 3 years ago
The electric heat strips require more amps to operate than the compressor. Your burned wires aren't carrying the load anymore. You really should have that repaired.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
Question???...why not just...1)Remove blower assy. 2)Blow it all off with CO2 outside.
3)Re-install. Just Wondering Seems like alot less work for approx. same results
Nice Job By the Way!
OcRefrigeration 3 years ago
If it were just a bunch of dust I could have used an air hose to clean it off. The problem was that the blower wheel had some weird sticky stuff that needed some extra elbow grease.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
Something i allways look for also is loose balance weights.or the rusted ones that break and fall off When cleaning you can knock one off and you're screwed if you can't find where it goes. any advice zark? or hack?
OcRefrigeration 3 years ago
Good job as usual. Don't you want to lube anything while the unit is out? It seems like many of those open motors require some oil. Just wondering.
SeeMyProfile 3 years ago
There are oil ports on many motors, not this one. It is a good idea to put in a couple of drops of oil every year on the ones that do have the oil ports. Thanks for mentioning this.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
Love this video. I dig the chipmunk voice and high speed playback.
As always, very informative. I enjoy your videos and the ones made by the Hackfreek.
I've been a VERY good boy this year. I'm hoping that Santa brings me a video camera for Christmas.
PutSome5tankOnIt 3 years ago
Thanks. I hope you get that camera you've been wanting.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
"Please stand by..."
Did I actually see **technical difficulties** in a youtube video Dr Z? :)
Isn't it amazing how often our few video clips we took will easily exceed 10 minutes once pieced together? Then we get to edit and then edit some more to get them within the 10 minute time limits. I'll have to try speeding some of my pieces up, such as when I'm removing screws, etc...
hackfreehvac 3 years ago
Windows Movie Maker has some sort of issue when using the double speed effect more than once in a video.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
Hmm. I've never tried that effect. DO you split the clips and just add the effect to a certain clip?
hackfreehvac 3 years ago
Yes. Just split the clip and add the effect. Don't count on Windows Movie Maker not to screw it up, though.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
I give it a shot some time. Maybe it will be a video card limitation or something.. but who knows. Actually. My video card is just the built in one on the motherboard feeding through the DVI connector to the HDMI input on my monitor. The built in graphics card seems to be ok for what I do so far. I do know that Movie Maker will NOT start or run on my daughter's PC's because the graphics card is not good enough. The middle kid wants to make movies and is complaining. :p
hackfreehvac 3 years ago
i tested the speed up double effect om my
and me and my mon just laugh into we
our heads started hurting every thing you say sounded like if mickey mouse was talking or slowed down it grampa
hdyudu 3 years ago
It's always good for laugh.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
it is i enjoy it
hdyudu 3 years ago
dr z what i do to make shure the blower goes back in the same alinment is mark the shaft and hub before i loosen the set screw:)
also stops the confusion as to what way it faces:)
itscool1968 3 years ago
The video would have been too long for youtube if I left it at regular speed. I know that some people can post videos longer than ten minutes. Even if I make sure that the video is less than 100 megs youtube won't let me upload it if it's over ten minutes. I'll keep it to regular speed from now on since the speed effects is messed up in Windows Movie Maker.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
can you do a video of yorue home system somtime to show all the parts to it i like to look at older systems.
you have been the only poster who does videos i like if i ask .
i think you and i would have a grate time hanging out iam a computer tech i build sell service and consult.
and i do the non refig side of havac.
i know my limits and arnt scared to say hey mr or ms this is not in my area and i wont do it but i can send somone who does.
itscool1968 3 years ago
Thanks. I guess you mean my home a/c system. I'll try to get to it this weekend. HVAC/R is the only work I do right now. I got into the trade one toe at a time. Then I went to a/c school and the learning curve has been nuts ever since.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
was that with or with out socks:)
itscool1968 3 years ago
I started out without socks. Now I usually wear socks with steel toed boots except on Sundays.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
That's a good system.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
Hey thanx for posting the video!!
dmz209 3 years ago
Thanks for watching.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
next time please dont speed up the work parts of the video its kinda neat to see the actual muscle that goes in to what you do
maby you can get the wife to help you make some new videos:)
make her the typical jerk customer and show us how you deal with it.
the more in the field you do the more i like
itscool1968 3 years ago
That was funny as hell :) What editing software are you using Jim? m@
mikie2501 3 years ago
I use Windows Movie Maker. It's good enough for my purposes. There seems to be something wrong with the speed effects as you probably noticed.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
HvacrTalk . com welcomes Techs contractors and consumers to join free and discuss and trade infor and learn meet others in the trade. good links and resources...all you need is a valid email to activate your account.
hvacrdude1 3 years ago
i use a wire brush for the wheel and compressed nitro to clean the motor. i use a drill with the right size bit to save me a great deal of time. good video Sir.
jimmymoss7644 3 years ago
Thanks. I usually use a drill at work. I just felt too lazy to put look for the bits.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
i like the opeing line hi my viewers i got lucky lol just teasing ya as you teased me on the last video about not touching the screen i got to hand it to you you got a good sense of humour.
itscool1968 3 years ago
Thanks. I like to throw in humor.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
you are lucky with that blower wheel came off that easily.
A couple weeks ago I had to pull off a combustion blower off the gas furnace section on a Lennox Multizone AHU. And let me tell you it was a royal pain in the arse to get that out of there. That motor just did not want to dislodge from the blower wheel. But I got er done :)
mechanicwarrior20 3 years ago
I was very pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to use sanding cloth and a bunch of penetrating oil on the motor shaft to get the blower wheel off.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago
Hey Doc, I like your style "I got lucky" :-) I enjoy watching your video's. Educational and entertaining at the same time, a winning combination! The information you offer can empower a home owner to do routine maintenance themselves, saving them an expensive service call. BTW, is there any better sound than the sound of the blower wheel sliding loose on the motor shaft after loosening the retaining nut? :-) Keep up the good work! You have inspired me to do a similar project I had in mind.
astranine 3 years ago
Thanks. Again, I got lucky that the motor shaft wasn't a pile of rust and a real pain to get the blower wheel off.
DrZarkloff 3 years ago