A blower is a large barrel-like device in home furnaces that forces warm air from the furnace out to the rooms that surround it. The Fasco blower motor is what turns the fan in the furnace rapidly, to move air out of the furnace. The Fasco blower motor has to be lubricated with oil to prevent it from seizing.

If the motor ceases to function properly, it will cost you a large repair bill for you to be able to resuscitate the entire furnace. The Fasco blower motor has to be removed and oiled carefully for the motor to have a long lifespan.

How to Lubricate a Fasco Blower Motor

1. Shut off the circuit breaker specifically at the main electrical panel that is in charge of supplying power to the furnace. You have to use a non-contact circuit tester for you to verify that the power is off.
2. Use a screwdriver to detach the screws from the Fasco furnace’s access panel. Place the panel aside carefully to avoid damaging it.
3. Find the Fasco blower motor assembly, which is located near the base of the furnace. Use a wrench to loosen and remove the bolts that are used to secure the blower motor to the main assembly of the furnace. Pull the Fasco blower motor assembly carefully from the furnace assembly. Be careful not to overstretch the connected wires since you may damage the unit. Place the blower motor outside the furnace on the floor.
4. The side of the blower motor housing usually contains a set screw. Use an Allen wrench to loosen the set screw. Detach the bolts that have been used to connect the housing of the internal motor using an Allen wrench as well. Slowly and carefully pull the motor from the housing of the unit.
5. The oil ports are located on the Fasco Shaft Motor.

All the ports should be marked using labels. There are usually two or three oil ports. It is recommended to consult the owner’s manual for specific port locations and the particular quantity they hold.

1. Squeeze about two to three drops of oil into each port. The blower motor user guide will direct you to the specific amount of oil needed for its motor component. Make sure you read and understand carefully the blower’s manual to get the particular oil specifications for the ports.
2. Reverse steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 for you to be able to reattach the blower motor onto the furnace.
3. Run the furnace’s system through its normal cycles by activating the furnace right at the thermostat. The Fanco blower motor should be running smoothly after this since it has the new oil.

How to Maintain the Fasco Blower Motor

Once the Fasco blower motor has failed, it is important to correct the problem before the entire unit fails. However, prevention is always better than cure. Therefore, some procedures can be undertaken to not damage the Fasco blower motor so that the furnace can last longer.

Low Oil Levels

When the Fasco blower motor runs on low oil levels, there will be a failure of the gears in the furnace. The Rotor lobes will clash, the end clearances will change their normal functioning, which will thrust the driven rotor into the free end plate and the bearings will fail as well. When the bearings fail they will further cause the rotor lobes to clash. If the issues are caught earlier, the blower is most definitely rebuildable.

Irregular Lubrication

If the Fasco blower motor is not lubricated adequately, the bearings and the gears will end up being discolored since the heat will build up inside. This can be as a result of:

• The blower is operating too slowly. It is essential to lubricate the teeth properly at minimum speeds. This is because the blower is lubricated using a splash.
• Using a lubricant with low viscosity. This can be avoided if you follow the guidelines for the operation and maintenance of the Fasco blower motor.

Starved Inlet

A starved inlet is basically when there is insufficient air supply to provide adequate cooling of the blower motor, as a result of the airflow entering the blower being restricted. A Fasco blower motor that has a starved inlet has the following characteristics:

1. Charring of the paint on the blower. This is usually indicated right at the discharge of the blower.
2. There will be visible signs of wear and tear on the non-gear end plate of the Fasco blower motor.
3. There will be visual evidence of contact between the rotors.
4. Visual evidence of contact between the rotors and the inlet.
5. The blower motor will have a seizure which will result in a catastrophic failure.

A starved inlet can be avoided. These are the ways how to do that:

1. Monitor the inlet filter restriction indicator.
2. Inspect the inlet filter regularly visually since relying on instrumentation may mislead you.
3. Change the inlet filter when you deem it necessary. The precise moment is when the differential pressure in the inlet filter reaches up to about 10” of the water column.
4. Install a vacuum switch and a vacuum relief valve (if possible) inside the inlet of the blower motor.
5. Install a temperature switch inside the blower discharge stream and ensure that it is as close to the Fasco blower motor as it can get.

Overpressure

Fasco blower motors with positive displacement do not give up. Their main purpose is to stuff air inside a pipe. If the discharge of the Fasco blower motor has been restricted, the damages from the overpressure will be quite evident. The damages caused by over-pressure can result in the following:

• There will be contact between the rotors and the inlet port of the housing inside the blower motor.
• In severe overpressure cases, there may be inter-lobe contact between the rotors and the gear end plate of the blower motor.

Over-pressure in blower motors can be prevented in the following ways:

• Install a Fasco pressure relief valve on the discharge of the blower before inserting any control valves or airlocks.
• If the Fasco blower motor is spring type, perform regular checks on the relief valve settings to ensure that there is proper setting and operations. Some of the blower motor units come with pressure relief valves included in their equipment calibration schedules.
• Install a discharge pressure switch at the Fasco blower motor discharge area.

Over-temperature

Damages caused by over-temperature are usually not as evident as the ones caused by starved inlet and over-pressure. In a blower motor that has an over-temperature problem, there may be symptoms of both over-pressure and starved inlet at the same time. Some of the causes of over-temperature are:

• The inlet air temperatures in the blower motor may be elevated above the ambient point.
• There may be recirculation of the airflow from the Fasco blower motor discharge to the blower inlet of the motor.
• The blower discharge may be throttling, therefore reducing the amount of airflow inside the unit.

Installation Errors

Some of the installation errors include:

1. Improper valve installation. Check to confirm that the vacuum relief valves, pressure relief and check valves are in a unidirectional position. The valves must be installed properly. Familiarize yourself with the specific valve and be attentive while checking the direction in which the valve should be oriented.
2. Excessive overhung load. An overhung load usually causes damaged drive shaft bearings, fretting of the drive shaft as well as broken driveshafts in extreme cases. Tighten the belts to transmit the motor nameplate power as it should. The limit to the tightening of the belts can be ‘measured’ by plain sight. In most cases, it exceeds the design of the drive. Always ensure that you are completely familiar with the amount of deflection that is required by the Fasco blower motor.
3. Pressure and temperature sensors fitted in improper locations. If the location of both or either of these sensors is incorrect, then the reporting of over-pressure or over-pressure would be incorrect. Within about 6” of the blower inlet and discharge, there is usually pressure, vacuum and temperature instrumentation. Locate all three. This is so that you cannot solely rely on the infrared thermometers that are used to check body temperature, since those may not give the accurate level of temperature that is inside the blower.

The blower motor life can be optimized in the following ways:

1. Change the oil with lubricants that are completely appropriate for application in the blower motor.
2. Make sure that the inlet air is clean.
3. Protect the Fasco blower motor against overpressure.
4. Protect the Fasco blower motor against overheating.

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