SQA Square Fans
Direct Drive Fans
High Volume Fans
Single Width Fans
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High Efficiency Plug Fans
Direct Drive Plug Fans
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Industrial Airfoil Fans
SQB Square Fans
BI Industrial Fans
PBI Packaged Fans
High Pressure Backward Curved
Packaged Backward Curved
SQI Industrial Fans
ICF Centrifugal Fans
Industrial Radial Tip
Direct Drive Industrial Fans
Cast Aluminum
Single Stage
Single Width Fan Kits
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Adjustable Pitch
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Panel Fans
Tubeaxial
Inlet Volume Controls
Custom Outlet Dampers
Butterfly Dampers
Inlet Box Louvre Dampers
Airfoil Backward Curved
Radial Tip
Pressure Air Fans
API Fans
Aerospace
Agriculture
Air Pollution Control
Asphalt
Automotive
Car Wash
Cement
Chemical Processing
Clean Rooms
Coal
Dust Collection
Ethanol
Fertilization
Food & Beverage
Foundry
Glass
Manufacturing Facilities
Marine
Metals and Minerals
Mining
Nuclear
Paper & Pulp Production
Petrochemical
Pharmaceutical
Power Generation
Printing
Recycling
Steel Fabrication
Textile
Transportation
Tunnel Ventilation
Water Treatment
Aeration
Air Slides
Air Strippers
Blow Off
Boiler Systems
Burner Systems
Clinker Cooler
Computer System Exhaust
Containment
Drying
Dust Collection
Fluidized Bed Systems
Forced Draft
Fume Exhaust
General Ventilation
Induced Draft
Industrial Ovens
Lab Hood Exhaust
Material Handling
Odor Control
Oil Mist
Oxidizers
Parking Garage Exhaust
Pickling
Pneumatic Conveying
Pollution Control
Process Cooling
Process Heating
Scrubbers
Snow Making
Spray Booth Exhaust
Tempering
Vacuum Systems
Wave Pools
Wind Tunnels
Fan Doctor
Service Department
Most industrial fans are very reliable, designed by knowledgeable manufacturers for long life under a multitude of conditions; however, breakdowns do happen. They can be caused by incorrect installation, lack of maintenance, improper fan selection, or years of strenuous service may have simply worn out the fan.
FAQ
Fan Vibration Issues
FAQ
Fan Vibration Issues
Check the wheel for any dirt or foreign material, especially in hard-to-see places: backside of the wheel, underside of the blades. Airfoil blades are usually hollow, and when exposed to excessive moisture can retain water. Drill a 3/16" drain hole near the trailing edge to fix the problem. Rebalancing is not usually necessary.
Check for corrosion or erosion, which usually occurs on the nose of the blade. On a paddle wheel fan the blade tips may be worn. An airfoil wheel exposed to abrasive material can develop pin
holes in the nose of the blades. Eliminate these conditions and rebalance the wheel. If the wheel is seriously damaged, it will have to be replaced.
Tighten the screws, but first be certain the wheel hasn't shifted on the shaft or is rubbing on the inlet cone or drive side of the housing.
Motor ShaftRealign assembly so fan and motor shaft are parallel and faces of sheaves (pulleys) are flush to a straight edge. A taut string will work.
Make sure foundation bolts are tight.
Check for correct wheel rotation, clockwise or counter clockwise, as seen from the drive side. We illustrate the correct rotation for various wheel types in CBC Course 100, pg 4.
Check the shaft with a dial indicator. If bent, replace as soon as possible to avoid replacing the entire fan.
If the fan is operating in the stall area of its performance curve it may be oversized (refer to CBC Course 100, paragraph 3.22) or the system resistance is higher than intended. You can lower the system resistance by cleaning the filters or opening the dampers.
Fan Noise Issues
Fan Noise Issues
Belts are either loose or misaligned. If belts show wear, replace them now to avoid a future breakdown
Realign the face of the bearing so that it is perpendicular to the shaft.
Inspect the wheel and inside of fan housing and clean thoroughly.
Change the bearings immediately before they cause additional damage. Failing bearings tend to wear the shaft, make sure the shaft is full size before installing new bearings. "Mike" the shaft both under the bearing and next to it and compare the two readings. If they do not match, replace the shaft. New bearings installed on a worn shaft will not last long.
Loosen seal plate bolts, re-center the seal on the fan shaft and tighten the bolts. If the seal is fiberglass, cork or rubber, be sure the metal backing plate does not touch the shaft.
Overheated Bearings
Overheated Bearings
Replace the bearings. Remember to also check the shaft. (refer back to Noise section).
Running the bearing for a few hours will normally purge itself of extra grease. You can simply remove excess grease from split roller bearings by lifting the top half of the block for access.
Tighten belt to proper tension. A good rule of thumb - you should be able to depress the belt the same distance as the thickness of the belt.
Use a lithium base, high speed, channeling type grease. Do not use high temperature or general purpose grease.
"Heat soak" occurs when a fan is idle and its shaft cooling wheel can no longer cool the inboard bearing. Heat from inside the fan can actually cook the grease. A 15 minute fan run after the oven heat is turned off will cool the fan shaft and protect the bearing
Belts may be too tight. Adjust to the correct tension.
Poor Air Performance
Correct one or more of the following conditions:
- Be sure fan speed is not too high. Fan may be operating without ductwork at low resistance so that too much air is flowing.
- The fan may be handling ambient air when it was originally intended for hot, less dense air.
- Fan may be running backwards.
Poor Air Performance
Install turning vanes or elbow splitters in the duct. If air performance is still inadequate, the discharge position may have to be changed.
This can occur on double width, double inlet fans. Center the fan between the inlet cones to avoid overloading one side of the wheel while starving the other.
Correct one or more of the following conditions:
- Air pre-spin into the fan inlet.
- Fan drive sheaves set for too low a fan speed.
- Resistance to airflow, such as caused by a closed damper, much higher than calculated.
Refer to Vibration section. An easy way to change rotation on most 3-phase motors is to reverse any two motor leads.
If fan has an IVC be sure the IVC is installed with pre-spin of the air in the direction of wheel rotation when the IVC is partially closed.
For help with more complex issues contact
the Fan Doctor below.
the Fan Doctor below.
Address:
Chicago Blower Corporation
1675 Glen Ellyn Rd
Glendale Heights, IL 60139
1675 Glen Ellyn Rd
Glendale Heights, IL 60139
Phone: (630) 858-2600