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burner blower wheel destroyed

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MattL287
MattL287 Member Posts: 2
in Oil Heating
I discovered my burner was not getting oil last night. It sounded like the burner motor was not spinning. I pulled the motor off and found the blower wheel to be severely warped / out-of-round with about 7 fins broken off. The coupling appears to be straight and intact and the motor output shaft appears to be straight and spins freely.

Are blower wheels known to fail like this? I'm wondering if the blower wheel is the cause of the problem or a symptom of another problem.

The entire system is about three years old. The burner is a Carlin 201CRD attached to a WM 480 boiler.

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  • 426hemi
    426hemi Member Posts: 79
    edited November 2020
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    Sounds like something is/was hitting the blower wheel any hardware/objects in the air tube or chamber? 
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
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    Sounds like something fell in there or got in there to destroy the blower wheel.
    Did you notice any debris-screws, cad cell eye, animals laying in the burner housing or in the air tube?
    I've never seen one do that. Was it just serviced?
    It wouldn't prevent the burner from getting oil, but it would prevent it from firing correctly.
    Could've been bad out of the factory, or damaged during a recent tune up.
    But they just don't take a poop like that on their own.
    steve
    MattL287
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,835
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    I would guess the set screw(s) in the hub weren't tight to the shaft and the fan walked until it hit the housing. 
    Being it's a commercial burner and once the fan is replaced, the burner needs to be adjusted with the proper tools and tests so it's not DYI. A vacuum and lockout test should be done on the fuel pump as well. You should have a service agreement with a company familiar with your burner and boiler. 
    STEVEusaPA
  • 426hemi
    426hemi Member Posts: 79
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    Also check the motor shaft for endplay/sideplay did the wheel get lose on the shaft?
  • MattL287
    MattL287 Member Posts: 2
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    I think you solved it, Steve. I had not noticed that the cad cell eye was missing until your comment. I found it all the way down the air tube. My guess is that the cad cell somehow came off and hit the blower wheel.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,524
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    @MattL287

    Glad you found the problem. Burner blower wheels on residential burner seldom ever fail. I don't think I ever had a Carlin wheel fail. Commercial burners are a different issue.

    But is't the chicken or the egg. Did the cad cell fall off and destroy the wheel or did the wheel fail and take out the cad cell? Will probably never know
    STEVEusaPA

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