6
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
The key to good fan maintenance is a regular and systematic inspection of all fan parts. Severity of
the application should determine frequency of inspection. The components requiring service are generally
the moving parts which include bearings, fan wheel, belts, sheaves and motor.
Cast Aluminum & Metal Parts
Cast aluminum and steel parts usually do not require maintenance during the life of the unit except painted
metal surfaces that may require periodic repainting. In a severe, dirty operation, the wheel should be cleaned
with a wire brush to prevent an accumulation of foreign matter that could result in fan unbalance. After
cleaning wheel, inspect for possible cracks or excessive wear, which can cause unbalance.
DO NOT
operate
a wheel that is cracked, chipped, has broken blades or excessive wear. NOTE: If wheel set screws are
loosened and/or wheel is removed from shaft, set screws
must
be replaced. Set screws cannot be used more
than once. Belts on V-belt drive units require periodic inspection and replacement when worn. For multiple
belt drives, belts should be replaced with matched sets.
Motor Maintenance
1.
Disconnect or lock out power to motor.
2.
Removing dust and dirt: Blow out open type motor windings with low pressure air to remove dust or dirt.
Air pressure above 50 P.S.I. should not be used as high pressure may damage insulation and blow dirt
under loosened tape. Dust accumulation can cause excessive insulation temperatures.
3.
Lubrication: The motor bearings and the fan bearings on the belt drive fans should be greased at regular
intervals. Motor manufacturers’ greasing instructions and recommendations should be followed closely.
Avoid the use of a pressure greasing system which tends to fill the bearing chamber completely. Do not
over grease. Use only 1 or 2 shots with a hand gun in most cases. Maximum hand gun rating 40 P.S.I.
Rotate bearings during lubrication where good safety practice permits. NOTE: On motors with non-
regreasable sealed bearings, no lubrication is required for the life of the bearings.
To prevent rusting of bearing parts, the rotor must be rotated at regular intervals (30 days) to assure these
parts are well covered with oil or grease.
V-BELT DRIVES
Care should be taken not to over tighten V-belt drive. Excessive belt tension overloads fan and
motor bearings. It is much less expensive to replace belts worn from slippage than to replace bearings
damaged from excessive loading.
Fans shipped completely assembled have had V-belt drive aligned at the factory. Alignment should be
rechecked before operation as a precaution due to handling during shipment.
A WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT MOTORS
Using your hand to test the running temperature of a motor can be a very painful experience:
Normal body temperature ..................................................................................98.6° F
Threshold of pain caused by heat.....................................................................120.0° F
