In this step by step 3D animated video we show how to remove a blower wheel and blower motor from an air conditioner air handler and clean it. This video includes disassembly and reassembly/
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This video is about blower, wheel, cleaning as well as cleaning the housing and the motor. This is one of the single most overlooked things, especially in residential applications, where there's many upsells that people try to do. But this is one that if you keep a blower wheel clean and remove it and clean it when it's necessary when it starts to get dirty you're going to both improve the longevity of the blower. The system is going to perform better in terms of capacity, and it's also going to give you better efficiency.
So it's critical that you take a look for dirty blower wheels like the ones that you're seeing right here when they look like this. It's definitely time to pull them and clean them, so we're going to go step by step through how to remove clean and reinstall a dirty, blower, wheel and housing. First things: first in this video we're going to be showing it on an air handler. The same thing is true in a gas furnace, but the blower is just lower in the assembly and sometimes there's a few more wires to remove and sometimes the control panel.
But it's the same basic idea: you're going to remove the panels and first you're going to inspect the blower wheel. Now, obviously, here we're showing it spinning. You want to have it completely off before you remove the panels and when it looks like this, or it looks really dirty at all that dirt impedes the movement of the air by the cups of the blower, so anytime, there's any dirt filling up those cups. It impedes airflow and causes an increase in amperage current on some motors like ecm uh and in almost every case it's going to reduce the airflow at least somewhat with psc motors.
It can actually result in a rapid reduction in airflow unwired, the blower motor. By disconnecting the plugs from the motor disconnect any screws that hold the blower housing in place and slide the blower housing carefully out, making sure that you don't damage anything, especially any wires that might be hanging in the way. Next, you want to remove the set screw. I generally remove it completely and then lubricate the shaft and then push the wheel back down towards the motor in this case we're showing removing the screw pushing the wheel down a little bit and then lubricating doesn't really matter what order you use.
I do like to push the wheel back towards the motor a little bit, though just to expose some of the shaft end. So that way, i can clean it up completely with some emery cloth, like we've shown here, maybe some brushes, maybe some steel wool, whatever you prefer, but just get the shaft nice and clean and use a penetrating lubricant in order to get it really clean there. Sometimes it's helpful to put a little crescent wrench on the end of the shaft and just kind of twist, the blower wheel, counter twisting the direction of the shaft and the wheel just to make sure you break it. Free next you're just going to loosen the wheel from the shaft by just turning it a little bit like we mentioned and pulling it up just so that way, it's nice and loose now flip it upside down and lay it with the motor side up. Remove the bolts holding the motor to the housing remove the motor from the wheel and the housing. Generally speaking, you don't need to remove the motor from its motor mount. It just makes it easier to reassemble later i go ahead and take the opportunity to wipe down the motor and the motor mount and everything around it. In some cases, a little bit of compressed air or a little bit of low pressure, nitrogen to blow it off outside, is sometimes helpful.
If there's a lot of dust on the blower motor, but many times, just a nice microfiber towel wiping it down makes sense. You do not want to get any water inside of the blower motor next. Take everything outside first rinse, the wheel and housing with water just use a garden hose with a spray nozzle just to rinse it down. If you are going to do this on the grass, you definitely want to rinse down the grass as well that helps the grass to absorb some water first.
So that way, it's less susceptible to chemicals and again we like to use non-caustic cleaners like viper hd from refrigeration technologies. If you dilute it properly based on the label, it's very unlikely you're going to damage anything. But again you want to pay attention always where you do this work, so that you make sure that you don't damage anything. Then you want to use a pump sprayer and apply the cleaner to the housing and the wheel.
Allow it to dwell for just a couple minutes and then rinse all the parts with water give it some time to dry. If you have the time out in the sun, you can maybe even use a battery powered leaf. Blower some people use, or you can actually just use a towel and just towel it off then return the parts inside and reassemble everything in reverse order. I like to grease the shaft before i put the blower wheel back on just to make it easier to remove next time and make sure that when you are putting the wheel back on that, it is perfectly centered and that you spin it by hand before you Go and put it back in place once you get all done, you put it back into the air handler fasten it back in place exactly as it was before, connect the electrical make sure all the wiring is routed properly and then run test the blower motor to Ensure that there are no abnormal noises check the current and then test the rest of the equipment to ensure that it's all working properly.
So that's it. That is how to remove and clean a blower wheel. The way we do it in our company. Hopefully, you found that helpful and we'll catch you on the next video thanks for watching our video.
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Wow thank you Service area Ottawa??
Very thorough and well explained. Thank you!!!
Love the video graphics, but it appears to me that at the end of the video, the blower wheel is spinning CCW. Shouldn't it be spinning CW?
Frank Gay wants to charge me 1300 to do this service?….Get the f out of here!!!! Service area Nepean??
This video is amazing. I love the pacing level of detail and those animations.
I'm in an apartment and there's all sorts of soot within the unit below, on, and above the AC coils. Also the fan is covered in nasty crap. I used to cans of non acidic foaming coil cleaner and it cut a lot of odor but I have no clue how to safely clean the wires etc. Service area Barrhaven??
Wow!!! Great info. 10 years and i have never done this
Excellent video, thanks! Are you in Kanata ?
our AC cool air smells dusty. and today the technician showed the motor blower is dirty, can this be the reason for the dusty smell? Service area Kanata??
I subscribed your channel and watching your videos all great learning videos .but You are speaking so fast and it's difficult to understand specifically for international students or English as second language . I prefer to speak slowly so everybody understand well.
If the blower is dirty the coil is probably dirty too.
During disassembly make note of the "clock" position of the wiring where it enters the blower motor. When reinstalling the motor into the housing make sure the leads are in the same position they were in so wire and plug reconnection is simple. Also, especially on an ECM motor try to position the lead connections so they are facing at least slightly downwards so potential condensation on wires won't follow gravity into the motor.
Great video, with nice educational 3D animations
Brian, can you please make a video or a note showing the importance of making sure you put the set screw back on the flat spot of the motor's shaft? I know that many people forget to tighten it down on the flat spot and will have call backs! Are you in Orleans ?
Can anybody recommend a good online HVAC program to get certified? I've been looking into the NATE program (CHP-5). Has anybody done taken this? Opinion? Thanks
They never need cleaning if you replace the filter every month.
Damn. Next level 💯 👌 💪 😎 🤪 👏
Is that galvanized pipe for the gas at 58 seconds?
Is it overlooked, or AVOIDED? Lol, better add blower wheel pull and cleans to your spiff sheets!
Am going be using this for my Junior's really great Are you in Barrhaven ?
Careful not to remove balancing weight (s).
Showing pictures to the customer really helps. "Look at all this gross stuff stuck in your blower! Do you want me to clear that out or keep breathing it? It takes a while so I have to charge additional labor." What do you all out there charge for your blower deep clean?
You have set a new level in training videos , nice job !
I'll be butthead #2… "Air Conditioner blower wheel" Does that exist?
Wow this is next level video graphics, thank you so much team !
Don't you need to address how it got in this condition? No filters in place, no filter changes ever, etc. Are you in Ottawa ?
everyone wants u to be their janitor f that.
Wow nice. Good job
The animation was on point !!! Perfectly explained!
My employer does on the job training, and the entry level job is IAQ (interior air quality) which entails duct tests, and duct vac’s, the duct vac also includes pulling and cleaning the blower. When I moved into maintenance I had blowers (and only blowers) down.
Great animation. Watching the can of penetrating oil and the emery cloth moving without someone's arm and hand reminded me of scenes in the old 1950's shows "The Invisible Man". I guess I'm showing my age.
I was stuck on this service call the other day. I have a newer mini split blowing about 75 degree air out of it in heat mode they have another one also in heating it blows 120. They both have refrigerant. Maybe overcharged ??!
Thanks for the video
You could do a whole video series with stuff that needs fixed at my house. Let me know if you are ever in MN.
In the animation, it looks like the cups of the blower are CCW, are these cups not scooping air but pushing it or I am nitpicking on the animation ?
My photo made it ❤️
Simply EXCELLENT, this people is THE BEST OF THE BEST in the HVAC school business.
Thank you. Very simple and professional..
Very important to get ALL of the dirt off. Little bits left behind can put the wheel off balance causing vibration at speed.
Using a honeywell F50 (without pre filters) SP of .1 for 22 years and my blower wheel is absolutely clean.
Great video. Don't ask me why I noticed it but the blower is running backwards at the end of the video.
I love the animations! I’m gonna be the butt head that points out that the blower wheel and rotation are backwards.
Also, I cannot believe you guys dont have more subs! That's gonna change soon though, keep up the great work
Great video, the animated video really shows the details
Love these videos thanks
It’s like Brian has been reading my mind lately Service area Orleans??
One thing that's just as important!!
Make sure before you tear into washing brushing and what not,mark where any balancing weights are or you WILL regret it, then you'll have to get it rebalanced!($)
🤔🥃🥃🍺🍺🍺
Stay safe.
Keyboard super tech.
Wear your safety glasses.
Loving the animation
I like to use a dryer vent brush on the cage after disassembling the blower , and housing; before cleaning with water, and whatever cleaner. This really helps to get the really dirty ones clean of debris. Have to make sure that one doesn't brush off; or drastically move the counter balance weights though, or ones in for a callback.
Stepping it up a notch bringing that video graphics to the next level. With the invisible Man
There is absolutely no need to remove the motor simply to clean the fan wheel. Get a 1"round fan brush and a vacuum.