Sometimes centrifugal fans go bad. What are some signs that your company’s centrifugal fans might be going bad?
Decibel Issues
First, if you notice your centrifugal fans are too noisy– noisier than normal, it could be that the impeller is hitting the inlet or housing and isn’t centered. Maybe the inlet or housing is damaged, or the impeller has become crooked or broken. There could be a loose or misaligned shaft or bearing. Maybe the shaft got bent. As you can see, there are many reasons your centrifugal fan could be making too much noise and eventually “going bad.” That said, maybe a professional can fix whatever’s wrong, including the belt drive. Maybe something is too oily or dirty or not lubricated enough. Even things like leaks in ductwork can cause noise, and when there’s too much noise, a repair person should investigate the situation.
Conversely, what if your centrifugal fans are too quiet? Maybe there’s an electrical or mechanical problem that needs to be addressed to get them running well, again. Blown fuses, loose pulleys, seized bearings– there could be lots of causes for a fan that’s not running right and is just too quiet.
Vibrations
What about if your centrifugal fans are vibrating due to things like higher or lower pressure in the system, or perhaps the fan foundation is inadequate. Is the impeller properly balanced? How about the motor and sheaves? Did someone put the wrong bearings in, with the wrong amount of grease? Are the bearings appropriate for a higher load capacity?
There are a lot of questions that arise when centrifugal fans seem to be going bad. Oftentimes, it just takes a professional repair person a couple minutes to figure out what’s wrong. If it’s easily fixable, you’re good to go– and if not, you might need to invest in new fans.
Dynamic Fan of Pine Brook, New Jersey can help you with your centrifugal fan needs; Please call 973-244-2422. On-site service is available.