Technical > Home Improvement > Bryant Furnace induction fan?

Bryant Furnace induction fan?

I had to have an inducer fan/motor replaced, and it cost about $400. About half the cost was the part, IIRC.

Mine was a kind of "emergency" situation, as the motor was failed, and consequently I didn't have heat.

reply to cwm1276
it probably just needs oil, maybe new bearings by now, because of the price of those motors, check out an electric motor repair shop, having the bearings replaced should be cheap, although it'll have to be rushed, since you won't have heat until it's repaired and hooked back up.

If its squealing, the motor doesnt have long. There are two bearings in a motor like that, one at each end of the shaft just inside the housing. If you can get to each one with a hypo filled with ATF fluid, you can probably fix it yourself. Gotta get inside the lip seal of the bearing.

zupper's price is pretty accurate, unless you DIY

good luck.

-j
--
if it aint broke, tweak it!!
currently on FiOS (kick aZZ!)

reply to cwm1276
How old is your furnace? The motors may still be under warranty.

reply to cwm1276
If you take a picture of the guts of your furnace with the door off, and post all the information that is stamped on the inducer motor to this message board thread, we can probably help you find a new inducer motor online and walk you through how to install it. It's really a pretty simple fix, and not worth replacing an entire furnace over.

I have considered doing it myself, but figure a pro coming in and giving it a complete once over would be a good thing. I also have to replace the humidifier, so I figured would call the pro. I really just needed an idea of how big of project this is and how much a the pro would cost me for this side of it.

The humidifier I could do myself, but if I have a pro coming it should not take them long to replace the old humidifier for a new one. Then I don't have 3 trips to the hardware store in the middle
The house is 23 years old and we have been here for 10 years, so I assume the furnace is original. I just have to ask, should i keep putting money into this one or replace with something more efficient.

reply to iknow
Never use household or motor oil on one of these motors, it'll gum up the bearings in a heartbeat. These motors require a special turbine grade lubricant, and good luck finding that retail.
--
~Help Find a Cure for Cancer~
~Proud Member of Team Discovery ~

reply to cwm1276
You are approaching the point where it's starting to make sense to get a new furnace. I have a Bryant Plus 90 that was installed when this house was built in 1988, and it came with a General humidifier. There have been enough parts serviced in both over the years though that I really wonder if I can call it a 24 year old furnace. I am pretty sure the main blower motor, gas valve, inducer motor, and 3 wire pilot have all been replaced by a professional or myself.

I am not finding too much if I google your furnace model number, so I am not too sure about it's efficiency. I guess I would be more inclined to make the jump to a new furnace (95% efficient) if mine was something less efficient, and I didn't enjoy fixing things myself.

The high efficiency furnaces from the 80's were kind of new technology, and they kind of remind me of the quality of American cars from the 80's. Just something to think about.

One thing you can do while you are waiting to get the motor replaced might be to try to jiggle the motor around. With it running, put on a glove or something (because it might get hot) and try to push it up, down, left, right, in, out, etc. It should be mounted on rubber bushings. It could have worked itself into a weird positions over the years. If you move it too far, you will hear a loud grinding, and that will be the fan rubbing the plastic housing. You might be able to loosen and tighten the screws that go into the bushing and get the motor to quiet down by slightly readjusting it's angle.

reply to jack b
I assume these are ball bearings? If so you don't put any type oil on them household or turbine. Ball bearings are greased. Sleeve bearings are "oiled" and household oil (3 & 1) is fine.

Depending on the make, typically the bearings in these are ceramic bearings. Conventional oil, even light-duty motor oil is much too heavy and will make things worse. Sure, the squeak will go away, but so will the RPM's!!!
--
~Help Find a Cure for Cancer~
~Proud Member of Team Discovery ~

The only fluid I use is ATF, which is a synthetic lubricant, not an oil.

I have personally resurrected 20-30 motors this way, many still running fine after 5+ years. period.

I have a small pedestal fan I got from the garbage with a locked rotor. Using a hypo needle, injected ATF into both bearings, worked it free, and it runs like new.. 3yrs later.

-j
--
if it aint broke, tweak it!!
currently on FiOS (kick aZZ!)

reply to jack b

Sleeve bearings are oiled like you posted. Ball bearings are greased.

reply to Jack_in_VA
Some of the newer small appliance motors have gone to the ball bearings. If noise isn't an issue that's OK, but the ball bearing motors in the pellet stoves were noisy. People use these stoves in the sleeping areas so it became an issue and we went back to sleeve bearings.

reply to shdesigns

reply to tp0d
Just an FYI not all ATF's are synthetic.

reply to cwm1276
Well, I have replaced the humidifier myself. So it is just the fan, I am going to let it go for the moment. It still works, if it fails or spring comes when I don't require heat, I can get it checked out then.

Or get a new one quoted.
I assumes that mine may be 85%. So I think a new unit would for sure out perform it.