1 Troubleshooting an unresponsive box fan
I have a 20" box fan which I've adapted to serve as a DIY air filter by taping a 20" x 20" commercial furnace air filter to the intake side. Every few months, the filter is replaced and the fan gets a basic cleaning. This cycle has been repeated multiple times with no issues.
Because the fan sits on a shelving unit near the ceiling, it's easier to turn it on / off via the power bar it's plugged into than to reach the fan's rotary switch at the top of the unit.
Normally, this DYI air filter is left running, but when I recently cut the power to it for a short while, the fan was unresponsive when I flipped the power bar's switch back on bit later. (The power bar was working normally.)
I then opened up the fan to investigate and found the motor's shaft was difficult to rotate, which suggested it was gummed up and needed a good cleaning / oiling, so I took it apart and did that, then reassembled the motor and hoped the problem would be solved. However, the motor did not respond when plugged in and switched on again.
I then wondered if the fan's oversized blue plug -- said to have a 'safety device' inside -- might have a built-in fuse that had blown. I surmised this to be the case and since the plug is sealed and cannot be opened to view or replace the unseen fuse, I decided to nip off the (presumed) malfunctioning plug and replace it, hoping this time to have 'solved' the problem, but no.
I'd prefer to fix this fan if possible, but so far, none of my troubleshooting efforts are working.
Any suggestions?
좋은 질문 입니까?
Have you done a continuity test to confirm the switch is still working properly? Ohmed out the motor to make sure there isn't an open winding?
brandon k 의
@lets_fix_it did the cleaning resolve this “ the motor's shaft was difficult to rotate” checked the bearings to see if they are seized? Post some pictures of the fan motor etc. with your question so we can see what you see
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oldturkey03 의
@brandon_k - No to both questions, but thank you for raising them. I'm not familiar with how to do those things, but will try to find out. I reassembled the fan and put it aside after my previous efforts ended in frustration, but will take another shot at it tomorrow if I have time. Thanks for the suggestions.
ian_c 의
@oldturkey03 - Yes, cleaning / lubing the motor did resolve that particular issue. I didn't take photos of the process at the time however, so I can't share what I saw, but will do so next time. Thanks for your feedback.
ian_c 의
@lets_fix_it do you have pictures of the motor etc. or at least a motor plate so we know what type of motor you have. It possibly has a start capacitor that may have failed.
oldturkey03 의
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