1998 Heil gas furnace vibration in blower motor wheel

chancell

Hi all,

This is a Heil gas (propane) furnace model # pgad42d1k5

My previous post concerned the ignition pilot flame not working after hvac tech installed new honeywell smart valve, new ignition, new transformer and new circuit board. After a 2nd tech fixed more issues, harness wiring and cleaning ignition tubing orifice and resetting propane pressure to ignitor the furnace works but now has a vibration and noise. The 2nd tech said that there is a vibration in the blower motor wheel. The smart valve and gas tubing is also visibly vibrating. I had not heard this noise before and thus have no idea how this came about.

Is this just coincidental? The 2nd tech said the circuit board that was replaced controls the fan. Is this the blower? Will this wear out the blower bearings?

I am assuming the only thing to do is to remove the top from this combination Heil gas furnace and remove the squirrel cage? Plan to do this myself.

Would appreciate some comments ... Thanks

Bob Bona_4

You are talking about the inducer fan, correct? Not the blower that forces air thru the ductwor

chancell

Hi! The tech wrote on the order: "Blower motor / wheel has vibration".

chancell

Just to add another note: the vibration starts a few minutes after the burners ignite.

chancell

Just turned the fan to "on" from auto at the thermostat and the vibration noise started without delay.

RJ_4

I would start by removing blower assy Check the I.O.M (manual ). Clean both sides of wheel, and check for any loose motor mounts or loose blower parts, or insulation that may have got into blower wheel

chancell

Thanks, that is what i thought I needed to do.

chancell

Hi all! My 1998 Heil gas furnace is now working flawlessly. Furnace fixed! This week is the 1st dry week in Northern California since I posted and finally got my machinist friend to come over and look at the motor wheel and why is there a vibration. He studied the motor wheel and then climbed inside to look into the back of the squirrel cage (realizing that there was a partition). He pulled out a dehydrated mouse that was being tumbled around and around! That obviously threw off the balance of the squirrel cage. Rodents are a big problem in the California foothills.

BobC

It takes very little to imbalance a blower wheel.

This house is almost 100 years old and when it starts to get cold the critters start looking for a nice warm place to ride out the winter. After a week of frosts I notice the cats nosing around the cellar door so I open it up and let them down there.

Within a day I hear a clatter that would wake the dead and that means they have found their prey. Once they have the scent the creatures fate is sealed. BTW female cats are better mousers than males in my opinion.

Bob

icesailor

"" Rodents are a big problem in the California foothills. ""

Be very careful handling those dehydrated Western Rodents. They can carry Hanta Virus. And that can kill you. The virus can be carried on airborne dust.