If you've heard much talk about boilers and their components, you've undoubtedly heard about the “blower.” The blower is one of the essential components of the boiler, so we'll tell you what it is, how it works, and what to expect if it develops problems.
If you've heard much talk about boilers and their components, you've undoubtedly heard about the “blower.” The blower is one of the essential components of the boiler, so we'll tell you what it is, how it works, and what to expect if it develops problems.
The blower is one of the most appropriately named components in your boiler: its sole job is to blow hot air through the ducts and into your home.
An important distinction to be made is that there is bother a blower motor and a blower fan. They are often referred to together as the “blower,” but the majority of problems you encounter will be with the blower motor itself. After all, the blower fan is just an attachment to the motor.
When your boiler starts up, it first needs to create the heated air. If it's a natural gas boiler, it will use a process to combust natural gas. If it's an electric boiler, it will use electricity instead. The warm air is created through a heat exchanger and will then be ready to go. But without any mechanism to assist it, the warm air has no way of going anywhere.
That's where the blower comes in. The blower motor turns the blower fan, sending the air through your air ducts and into each room of the home.
If your blower motor is single-speed, it will operate at 100% speed until the thermostat indicates that the desired temperature has been reached. If the blower motor is variable speed, it will be able to operate at different speeds, thus allowing it to save energy.
If the blower motor stops working, you'll need to call in for boiler repair in Fort Wayne, IN right away. Here are some of the reasons why:
Risk of overheating: One job of the limit switch is to turn off the heat in case the air inside the cabinet becomes too hot. All that air with nowhere to go is a good reason for the limit switch to be triggered. With too much use, the limit switch might break and not be able to prevent the system from overheating.
Your home won't get warm: As you may have guessed, a broken blower will not send heated air into the home. Your boiler won't know the difference, however, so it will simply continue to make hot air until it triggers the limit switch.
These are some sure-fire signs that your furnace blower needs to be repaired or replaced?
This will be the first and most obvious sign your blower motor has a problem. It may or may not indicate that you need a replacement motor. If there is no air or very weak airflow coming from the air vents, the motor may be clogged, or it may be malfunctioning. It is possible that the motor is clogged with dirt and dust, or has a bad capacitor, or there may be leaky air ducts. If the motor has been overheating, has been saturated with moisture, or is nearing the end of its service life, it might need to be replaced. A licensed HVAC technician can tell you exactly what the issue is if you’re experiencing weak airflow.
If there is no air at all coming from your air vents when you turn on the heat, the blower motor may be completely broken. Getting a replacement motor blower would be the only choice at that point. There could be other reason why there is no airflow altogether, such as a bad relay, a faulty thermostat, or a fan control issue.
The blower motor is the component in a central HVAC system that consumes the most energy. If you already have a variable speed blower motor in your furnace, and the motor is not clogged with debris, the motor may be wearing down and approaching end of life. Dirty blowers need to work harder to push conditioned air through your air ducts, but this can also be a sign of a deteriorating blower motor. It is also possible that your air ducts have a major leak.
If you hear strange noises when you run your furnace, such as squealing, screeching, rattling, or clanking, call a heating contractor at your first convenience. Some issues may be repaired easily, but others may require a blower motor replacement.
Screeching or squealing noises can be indicative of bearing problems in direct drive furnaces, or belt issues in older belt drive furnaces. Now, if your heating system is making rattling or knocking sounds, that usually means a broken or damaged part. Banging sounds are more serious, and sometimes means that the blower motor must be replaced. A qualified HVAC technician needs to make a thorough inspection to confirm what the problem might be.
If you have an overheating blower motor, there will be clear signs. One would be a burning smell coming from your air vents every time you run the heat. Another sign is if the system shuts down, or if the blower stops while you are running the heat. This means the blower motor is overheating. If your system is shutting down to prevent electrical damage, or if the blower is shutting down, call a licensed HVAC contractor as soon as possible.
Among the causes of boiler blower problems, a few of them include:
Broken or bad blower motor belt. Even if the motor itself is operating just fine, the belt that spins the fan may be worn out or might have snapped.
If you hear a screeching noise, that might be due to a blower motor that desperately needs lubrication.
Banging noises during operation can be due to a problem with the blower assembly. It could be as severe as needing the entire blower replaced, or as simple as needing to tighten the motor mounts.
Contact Baiwei today if you suspect your boiler has blower motor issues.