furnace fan problems

[Stefrobrts]

My Hydro-Flame has a fan option. I'm wondering if it's original or not. Anyone else got one like this?

Anyway, the panel the switch is in fell off, and now I see it was held on by six screws, no two alike, and all screwed into the very edge of the panel, and going into the very edge of the wood around the hole. No surprise it finally tore out while travelling down the road last trip.

So I think I should make a bigger panel to replace it, one oversize enough to have adequate space to attach it. Then I see all the wires, and the funky old bullet fan with blades that look like a boat propeller. Geeze, maybe I should replace that fan with something more modern too, and the old switch - but then again, it all works, so maybe I shouldn't mess with it any more than necessary?

Anyway, anyone know how to get that switch apart to put it into a new panel? The knob doesn' seem to pop off easily, and I'm hesitant to just start prying on it, else I will end up replacing things that formerly worked after I've ruined them. Just thought I'd ask here first.

[Tomy Dean Noah]

Hello: Look behind the plastic know and see if there is an allen screw holding the knob on to the shaft. If not, to remove it from the panel , cut a slot with a saw wide enough to remove the assembly, all together. When you make a new panel , cut a slot the same way as previously. Install the control assembly. Make a name plate to cover the slot.
Also ,if the motor is 110 volts Ac ,you can find an old refrigerator that has the same type motor as shown. The defrost blower in an refrigerator has a squarial cage blower motor.,also
Blue Moon

[drboyd]

I'd take a rain check on replacing the fan, unless you have an exact match. If you replace just the fan part, you take a chance of getting more that moves more air, but overloads the motor. Or, on the other hand, you could get one that moves less air, but results in the furnace going off on high heat exchanger temperature.

Just some things to consider....

[Tomy Dean Noah]

Thanks . I have gotten very well aquainted with all the travel trailer/rv parts and salvage, in the OKC Area & they tell me as long as you own a travel trailer/rv, you will always be doing something. I guess that goes with anything you own. The fun of camping is a joy to me , so that is why I have an Airstream. I am going to Allen ,Ok. next week to a trailer Mf. co and will look for used parts for appliances for travel trailers.
Just my two cents. Thank's Again. Blue Moon

[Stefrobrts]

Thanks guys. My hubby and I were out looking at it last night. He thinks I should just replace the panel, even though the fan and switch look old and scary, because they are probably heavier-duty than anything I could go pick up at radio shack. We'll wait until they break to replace them. We're still puzzling over how to remove the switch from the panel without resorting to cutting it out.

[59toaster]

Some knobs of that style had a wedge clip. They slide right on fairly easy but when you try to pull them the clip wedges against the shaft. To get them off there is a little tab under the knob next to the shaft that either needs to be pressed towards the shaft or pulled away depending on the design.

The other possiblility is it's like a GM headlight switch. On the side where the wires attach there may be a button to push to release. If it's that style the end of the shaft may be visiable passing through the switch.

[59toaster]

Hay here is an option for the pannel that will retain the stock one. Bend some brackets to screw to the pannel. Bend the brackets so they will hook the cabinet. Hit the local home store and buy a cabinet lock with a deep shaft and use it to retain the other end of the cabinette.

Don't have paint brush availabel here at work to draw a picture. If that doesn't make sense let me know and I'll draw a picture on my home computer.

[Stefrobrts]

I thought about that too, but the panel is delaminating pretty badly towards the bottom, and the edges where the screws were are torn out. It would take a bit of work to get it glued, filled, smoothed, and stain the filled spots to match. I think it will be easier to replace it with a new piece, if I can just get the switch off. I'll go poke around at it some more tonight and see if I can see how it attaches.

That would probably be a cleaner way to mount the new panel, though, and easier to get off if I needed to get to the fan.

[Stefrobrts]

I finally tackled this project because I wanted to install an LP detector in the trailer, and this seemed like the perfect spot. It's low to the ground, it's in the same cabinet as the heater and the stove, and there was already power to the fan I could tap into.

I started by pulling off the badly delaminated panel and regluing the plys by carefully peeling them up enough to spread wood glue under them with a butter knife. Then I clamped it between two boards and let it dry overnight. I hope this works because I want to avoid replacing the panel because I don't think I could stain it to perfectly match the ones around it. After it was dry I attached hinges.

Then I removed the old bullet fan and replaced it with a thiner fan that has a cage around it. Not only was there no room for the LP detector with the bullet fan in there, but I was afraid the exposed blades might catch the wiring.

The LP Detector fits into a piece of plywood I cut for it, and is wedged in between the fan and the wheelwell.

Finally I reassembled it all, wired it back together using the old switch (which I still can't figure out how to remove from the panel anyway), and included a 10amp fuse on the hot wire ahead of both items.

Now the panel seems solid, is hinged so I can easily get in there if I need access to the LP detector, and the fan works. Plus it completes my safety equipment upgrade, so my trailer has LP, CO, and smoke detectors now. Thanks for all the suggestions along the way! I think about things for a long time sometimes before I jump in and do them!