What is a Blower Motor?
Most of us live in houses with forced-air heating or cooling systems, that have blowers.
The blower motor is the heart of the home’s HVAC system, it blows the air through the vents of heating and air conditioning systems. Without it running properly, there will be no heated or cooled air circulation.
There are two main types of blower motors: single-speed and variable-speed motors. The difference is in the variety of speed levels the motor performs.
The blower motor is essential in maintaining a comfortable temperature in your house. When any of the indoor pollutants buildups on the windings, contacts, and other internal parts of the motor, the efficiency of the motor is compromised.
The blower motor is the heart of the home’s HVAC system, it blows the air through the vents of heating and air conditioning systems. Without it running properly, there will be no heated or cooled air circulation.
Blower motor pulls air through the return ducts into the furnace or air handler. Air has weight. It takes energy, even when we’re not heating or cooling just for moving the air around. We inhale it, exhaust it from kitchens and bathrooms, cycle through the house. And we should know the daily weight we deal with.
Something is wrong with Blower Motor if
- There’s a humming sound coming from your AC
- A system keeps shutting off when operating for a few hours
- Your fan works but you do not experience any cold air.
- Excessive dust accumulation
How many pounds of air does an average blower move, when running continuously?
The regular blower moves 1K cubic feet per minute (cfm). Let’s calculate. If it runs every minute of the day, that would be: 24h consists of 1,440 min.
The daily volume that a 1K cfm blower moves is 1.44M cfm.
Now to understand the weight of the number we need to know the density of air which as you guessed varies. It changes depending on the location on the planet. height above, or below the sea level, local temperatures, and level of humidity.
For the calculation, we took the average density – 0.075 pounds per cubic foot. Daily weight is 0.075*1.44M = 108K pounds per day
Let’s convert to tons: 108K/2K = 54 tons per day
- If a blower runs 24h, you’re probably wasting energy and turning a house into a dusty or moldy factory.
- If it runs 12h a day, the result is 27 tons of air per day.
- Even if it runs 6h per day, the blower will still be moving over 13 tons of air.
Benefits of Blower Motor and Furnance Cleaning
If something goes wrong with one component, it creates a domino effect. And here you are, spending valuable time and resources on repairs.
- Energy Consuming
When the blower clogged up it uses more energy and works with higher friction. Parts will wear out quicker, also the unit won’t last as long. One of the multiple reasons for service problems is dirt due to lack of maintenance. - Preventing Respiratory System Diseases
The society separated into the “I prefer to pay to get it done professionally” and “all the cleaning companies are scams, better I do the job myself and save a great number of bucks”, the problem remains – dust builds-up and you’re breathing it.
Can I clean the blower motor myself?
Let’s have a look at the eternal dilemma of “I do myself” or “professional services” choice
Removing a blower assembly is not an extra complicated task. Though working with electrical appliances, you must proceed with caution to secure safety and prevent causing more damage to the parts.
To remove the blower there are 3 main steps to follow:
- Make sure the power unit is off.
- When pulling out the blower, the fan will still spin freely so make sure your fingers are not too close to be pinched or cut.
- Pay attention to the wires and the rest of the attached parts.
A great number of people choose to do the cleaning by themselves.
Some blogs and homemade YouTube step-by-step instructions videos may seem to explain all the actions. Then why should I pay if I can follow the lead and save money?
Following such recommendations, while cleaning the blades, you’ll spread the dust to the opposite side of the blower, therefore leaving it and letting it built up and be blown back to the system. This way, cleaning one part, you push the dust to another. The blower will blow dust back to the system and here we are, breathing the same dusty air.
Another thing is that when cleaning, you pull the dust to the coils, which results in creating a mold-friendly environment, which is a way harder problem to deal with, than just a dust issue.
Following such recommendations, while cleaning the blades, you’ll spread the dust to the opposite side of the blower, therefore leaving it and letting it built up and be blown back to the system. This way, cleaning one part, you push the dust to another. The blower will blow dust back to the system and here we are, breathing the same dusty air.
Another thing is that when cleaning, you pull the dust to the coils, which results in creating a mold-friendly environment, which is a way harder problem to deal with, than just a dust issue.
Professional Blower Motor Cleaning
No damage will be done to your furnace blowers
We are industry-trained and accredited experts.
Green Ductors Air Cleaning specializes in providing air cleaning and purification services in NJ and Staten Island for optimal health and comfort. Our main services include professional air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, and indoor air purification for commercial and residential clients.
