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AO Smith Motor making weird noises

Mark_
Mark_ Member Posts: 8
in Oil Heating
Hi guys,

I am new to the forums, but have AO Smith oil burner motor forced combustion.
It started making weird noises recently when I turn on the heat, it seems it is vibrating inside the motor and I am not sure if I need to replace it completely or try to open and see if something is loose.
I am attaching the pictures, I hope this would help.



Thank you very much

Comments

  • lchmb
    lchmb Member Posts: 2,997
    Thats actually a power vent unit. It removes the products of combustion from your house. By your description it is possible the fan inside the unit is ether full of residue or starting to fall apart. Has this unit been cleaned this year?
  • Mark_
    Mark_ Member Posts: 8
    Thank you so much for your response. I opened the bottom part of the vent pipe ( I am not sure how you call it) and it is not that bad ( I mean it is not full of residue). The power vent system itself makes that noise. If you see that blue and red wires inside, there is a silver rotor that is turning inside when it is on, thats what is making noise, I think. And it is wobbling a little.

    I hope this will at least help to clarify the issue.

    Once again, thank you very much
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,242
    Could be the motor windings or fan out of balance.
    Do you know how old the power vent Is? It might be beneficial to replace the whole assembly.
  • Mark_
    Mark_ Member Posts: 8
    I am not sure but we lived here for like 6 years, the house is about 15 years old.
    How hard is it to replace it? I searched youtube but didnt find any instructions. The plumber we usually use is busy and wont be able to come for at least another few weeks. I dont want to end up with no heat if it breaks down, we have young kids.

    Thank you very much.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,298
    Sounds like it needs replacement. Does your oil company have a service dept?
  • Mark_
    Mark_ Member Posts: 8
    When we used them last few times, we weren't happy with them.
    And they are not local, they are like 50 or more miles away. I will call them tomorrow and see if they will be able to do it.

    Thank you very much
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,242
    Where are you located? The whole system should have an annual tune up and combustion analysis. It might be too involved for a DIYer.
  • Mark_
    Mark_ Member Posts: 8
    We are in the Poconos. We just had a new oil burner installed last year.
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    I was once a young kid and the heat in my fathers house never went above 62*. Dad said put a sweater on. So you need to replace the whole assembly. You will most likely never get the wheel off the shaft.
    HVACNUT
  • Mark_
    Mark_ Member Posts: 8
    :) I want to keep the temperature at 67-68 but wifey keeps it at 70 and above.
    Thank you very much for all your help.
  • newagedawn
    newagedawn Member Posts: 586
    those are infamous for vibration noises
    "The bitter taste of a poor install lasts far longer than the JOY of the lowest price"
  • Mark_
    Mark_ Member Posts: 8
    Any suggestions what I can get, because they are super noisy I can attest to that.
  • lchmb
    lchmb Member Posts: 2,997
    if the wall outside is clear to the roof have a chimney guy put in a metalbestus chimney and get rid of the power vent unit altogether..you'll be happier in the long run..
  • jimct
    jimct Member Posts: 10
    I have one of these in our second house. I curse this thing. The house was built by my late mother in law who I loved dearly, Why when she built a house in 2001 with propane water heater stove and fireplace and then put in an oil furnace with one of these, I will never know. In any event, I need to replace it every 3 or 4 years with a new one at a cost of pretty well near a 1000 dollars. It’s not really a DIY because when it’s replaced yo really need to do a complete combustion analysis and adjust the burner. I really like living in New England and hoped to retire here in this house and planned to replace this with a propane furnace. Unfortunately, the republican tax package may make that impossible and I will need to sell the property. At least I get rid of this cursed vent.

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