Community Forums

mr. seaview · 10-20-2014, 04:56 PM

I would like to know if anyone has ever changed out the fan blower unit on your furnace? how hard is it to change?

my furnace fan just squeals when it comes on and sometimes blows a fuse? apparently it is shot and I would like to replace the blower fan.

just don't know if it is something that I can do or should I take it to a rv
place and let them replace it? hopefully when its changed it will be nice and quiet and not blow any fuses? thanks for any help and opinions.

Frankie

BFlinn181 · 10-20-2014, 05:09 PM

What brand of furnace? Suburban and Atwood both have much information on repairing and troubleshooting furnaces. Google your brand and I'm sure you'll find info. I know there are also YouTube videos on the topic. Step 1 would be to remove the furnace and get it on the workbench. Lubricant would be a temporary fix, but the labor involved in taking out the furnace and oiling would only be a stop-gap repair, better to replace the motor.

Rook · 10-20-2014, 05:35 PM

Furnace fan motor replacement does NOT require furnace removal if you have an Atwood furnace. I have replaced mine. Verify if you have an Atwood and I will give you all the details, including a video. Rook

sgtjoe · 10-20-2014, 05:44 PM

On my National 2001 Tradewinds I have Atwood furnace's. We replaced both motors as they were squealing like stuck pigs. Me and a friend were able to do this through the outside vent panel. Hopefully yours are Atwoods and if so I have a source for the motors that are a lot cheaper then Atwood. The Atwood folks told me about them.

Once you take the outside vent panel off you will see the squirrel cage that is the blower, try turning it to see if this is your problem. If you or a friend are mechanically inclined it's not that hard. A 30 pack of Bud was a heck of a lot cheaper then 100 bucks plus an hour.

I'll look for the web site of who I bought my motors from.

sgtjoe · 10-20-2014, 05:50 PM

Here you go Atwood Hydro Flame 8520 Furnace Motor 37696 - $46.29

MikeandRuth · 10-21-2014, 08:00 PM

There is a Utube video of a guy changing a motor in an early series furnace. The biggest difference between it and mine was that mine uses spring clips to pin the fans to the shaft instead of set screws.
It's an easy fix and his step by step instruction make it a piece of cake for anybody who has a few tools and is handy..
You need to get the correct motor for your furnace. They use different motors for the various BTU ratings. I experienced a significant increase in airflow with the new motor installed.

mr. seaview · 10-31-2014, 02:04 PM

hey rook

I have a atwood furnace in my 99 seaview . I ordered a new blower motor and it is on its way. could u please email me your video on how to change out the blower motor? thanks a lot for all your help. Frankie

Rook · 10-31-2014, 03:17 PM

Okay......here it is....good IucK..... Rook

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7YTOcSPOyIucK

..... Rook

mr. seaview · 11-04-2014, 07:14 PM

rook

thanks for the video on the atwood funace blower motor. I did everything just like in
the video but still I cannot remove my old blower motor. there is a brass sleeve on the exhaust side of the motor shaft with a allen screw. I removed the allen screw
completely out but the brass sleeve will not budge one bit? I even sprayed it with
wd-40 and it will not budge. it almost acts like it is welded onto the shaft. unless I
can get that brass sleeve off of the motor shaft, I cannot remove my old motor?

also not much room on the exhaust side to even get anything in there to grab the brass sleeve? I even tried holding one side of the motor shaft with a pair of vise grips
and tried turning the brass sleeve on the exhaust side. the brass sleeve will turn but
I cannot get it to move off the shaft? don't know what to do? I have a buddy coming over to look at it tomorrow. hopefully he can figure a way to get the brass
sleeve off of the shaft? there is absolutely no room to get anything behind the brass
sleeve as it is allo the way up against the exhaust side of the plastic housing.

if I cant get it off I cannot put my new motor in? I might have to buy a special tool
to grab hold and grip the brass sleeve? oh well fun and games very frustrating as I
have been trying to get the old motor out for 3 days now and no luck. thanks
for all your help. Frankie

BFlinn181 · 11-04-2014, 07:27 PM

Sadly the video gives a good long look at the tech's back and little else. Better lighting and camera position to the side might have been more 'illuminating.' Sometimes a burr or deformation of the shaft or bushing can cause it to hang up on the shaft.

In my first post I suggested taking the furnace out to work on it. It's only held in by a few screws and allows much more access to the parts you're trying to change. You do not want to bend up the fan cage or fins, it will be next to impossible to true it up again. I learned my mechanical skills on VW engines, for almost anything but an oil change, or valve adjustment, Step 1 was remove the engine.

Rook · 11-04-2014, 09:02 PM

Frankie......you have appealed to the right person. Take heart my friend, I had the exact same problem. Do a search on this forum and read about it. I finally disconnected the gas and removed the burner assy. one screw .....very simple, just pulls straight out.....it gives you the room you need to to remove the cover housing off the burner side of the fan housing and a chance to clean and inspect the burner parts. Then you can get a good grip on the brass hub with vice grip plyers and twist, oil and oil, and twist until you get it off! Persevere and you will get it off.

Click on the link at the top of the video in the above post to get a much larger picture of the video. Rook

Rook · 11-05-2014, 07:29 AM

Frankie....I forgot to mention that you should also remove the burner exhaust pipe, as well. Just wiggle it side to side and pull straight out (cannot remember if it has a holding screw that must be removed) Rook

mr. seaview · 11-06-2014, 06:34 PM

hey rook

finally got the sleeve loose and put my new motor in. motor runs nice and quiet.
however. now my furnace burner does not ignite? there is one yellow wire about
8 inches long that comes from the circuit board. I cannot figure out what it attaches to? I don't see anywhere to attach it? it has a clip on the end so it must go on to
something? wonder if that's why my furnace will not ignite? hopefully I can figure
out why the furnace will not ignite? a much easier problem than that darn sleeve.

could it be that the sailing switch is bad or not making the proper contact?
anyway maybe someone knows why it wont ignite? the motor sure is nice and quiet
now and I think I will like it once the furnace burner ignites.
again thanks for your help and take care and happy camping to you. Frankie

Rook · 11-06-2014, 07:00 PM

Frankie.......Perseverance wins every time.

If you removed the burner assy, you had to remove the gas connection, the HV wire to the igniter and the wire that operates the coil on the solenoid gas valve......did you reconnect all of them? I seem to remember that the wire to the solenoid gas valve was yellow with a clip on the end. Let me know if you did all this and I will suggest other steps. Rook