Fireplace blowers and fans are somehow misunderstood. They are highly effective tools for better utilizing the warmth created by the fireplace and pushing that warm air into all parts of the room including the furthest areas.
Fireplace blowers are effective at pushing the warm air inside the fireplace into the entire room. They work on cycling the entire room’s air and thereby increasing the ambient temperature by cycling the air around the hot firebox.
They also have a fan speed that you can adjust to strike the balance between the blower speed and the level of noise.
However, for some reason, the blower can just be too noisy that it needs to be attended to. So, today, we will be looking at how to quiet a fireplace blower so that you can have peace of mind to enjoy the ambient in your home.
What is a Fireplace Blower and How Does It work?
A fireplace blower is also called different names such as fireplace fan, fireplace circulator, fireplace heater, and many more. A fireplace blower is a fan mounted on the exterior of the fireplace or inside the unit but generally is the outside of the firebox.
A fireplace blower is used to circulate the air around the room after it’s been circulated around the unit’s hot exterior.
The purpose of these blowers is to increase heat penetration into the room. Just a disclaimer, they do not increase the fireplace’s total BTU output. Instead, they help move the hot air around the room more effectively and increase the entire room’s ambient temperature.
The way a fireplace blower works is that it pulls the air from the room and passes it through a channel on the fireplace’s exterior.
In the process of the air travel through the fireplace, it’s heated up and that air is released into the room causing the room to heat up.
With the fan, a fireplace relies on radiant heat to warm up a room. Radiant heat is when a fireplace warms up everything in its path including furniture and people. That heat is then radiated back into the room.
Interesting Read:
How to fix random kitchen sink gurgling noise
How to Quiet a Fireplace Blower
Fireplace blowers are great at circulating the warm air in your fireplace. But if the fan gets loaded with a lot of dust or the motor bearings get worn out, the blower can start making rumbling noise at all speeds whether low or high.
Here are some ways you can make a noisy fireplace blower quiet.
1). Clean the Blower
With a cloud of dust built on the blades of the fireplace fan, it may throw it out of balance. That can cause vibration, noise, and premature bearing wear and tear.
Cleaning a fireplace blower every few years will keep it running smoothly, quieter and longer.
To do this, you need to remove the blower and suck the dust out as much as possible with a shop vacuum. Then placed it back in place in the fireplace blower, test, and it run without vibrations.
2). Replace the Blower
Tilt-out the bottom of the blower and take a snapshot of the blower inscriptions like the brand and model number of the fireplace blower.
You can order a quiet replacement fireplace blower online or from an authorized local dealer.
Now, shut off the circuit breaker and use a voltage sniffer to confirm the power is actually off. Open the bottom grille and see if there is enough space for you to remove the blower. Otherwise, try removing them from the panel.
This will give you enough space to remove the blower. With your new fireplace blower around, unplug the old blower and disconnect the temperature sensor on the bottom of the firebox.
Disconnect other connections and remove the old blower. Clean the area and install the new blower and switch it on.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes it’s the motor/fan that needs to be replaced. In that case, you don’t need to buy the entire replacement kit. But you just need to replace that part alone which will be a lot cheaper to replace than the whole kit.
But if the motor doesn’t run, then chances are the temp sensor or speed switch is bad.
Other tips you can try also are; to grease the blower, replace the bearings, and check if the washer will decrease play in the bearings.
If you can also play the fan at a slower speed, then the noise levels will also be reduced. You can accomplish this by using a rheostat fan speed control to slow the speed down.
Work on also the acoustics of the room by placing a carpet in front of the fireplace, and placing some canvas pictures on the wall around the fireplace. All these can reduce the noise levels coming from the fireplace blower.
Whether you are fixing an electric fireplace fan making noise or a noisy wood stove fan, I hope the tips above will help you out.
- How to Chew Quietly While Eating-Effective Tips - April 14, 2023
- Why is My Clutch Pedal Squeaking – Causes & Fixes - April 14, 2023
- Propane Tank Making Hissing Noise (Solved) - February 25, 2023
