Installing, Maintenance and Cleaning Fireplace Blowers
Fireplace blowers are a great way to improve the effiicency of your fire —they push warm air from the fire into the room, rather then letting it all go up the chimney and out of
your home. They do not restrict themselves merely to heating the area right at the fireplace. They are not terribly expensive to buy, and installing and maintaining a wood or gas fireplace blower fan and kit is very simple. You need nothing more than your blower, a screwdriver, lubricant such as WD40, and a wet-dry or industrial-strength vacuum.
Before you install a fireplace blower, however, make sure the fire is completely cool and the electric power to the area where the fan unit will go should be turned off through your home’s fuse box. Then open the insert where the blower will be installed—normally, you will find it by knockout plate at the bottom of the fireplace insert. Unscrew the insert cover. If you need to lubricate the screws, do so and wait until the lube is absorbed completely before trying to unscrew the cover again. In addition, make sure you set the screws where you can find them to reinstall the cover!
If there is an old fan unit in the insert, unplug it from its power source before unscrewing its motor and disconnecting electrical wiring. If there is no old blower, you are ready to prepare the insert for wiring. All you have to do is thread a 110/120 VAC service wire from your fireplace’s junction control box through the blower motor opening and secure them to the clamp. Then vacuum out the space completely, though you may want to use a wire brush to loosen any caked or thick dirt and debris from corners and back spaces and vacuum those as completely as you can.
You have one advantage if you do not need to replace a motor—you can install the maximum-effect blower for your size fireplace and room; fireplace specialists can help you determine the best motor, size and thrust, for the space with which you have to work. If you do need to replace a motor, you should check the specifications of the old motor and buy a new one that matches them exactly.
With motor in hand, wire it to the electrical wires from the junction box—black wire to black wire, white wire to white wire, ground wire to ground stud. Once you have done this—and be sure you use the correct size and depth of wire covers when uniting the wiring—set your blower to the very back of the fireplace and then bring it forward about a quarter inch. Screw the motor in tightly, using support brackets, to hold the motor in place. The tighter you can screw the motor in, the less chance of disruptive motor vibration that can impact the blower performance and, coincidentally, drive you mad with the noise.
Turn the room’s power back on and activate the motor so you can test your connections. If necessary, dismount the motor and check each wire connection—but remember to turn off the room power before you do in order to avoid electric shock. When the motor is tested and the current is running it properly, replace the cover plate. Moreover, enjoy the new heating in your fireplace room.
As you would with any ordinary household fan, you will want to open up your blower mount and check the fan unit regularly for dirt and dust accumulation. Depending on your blower model, you may be able to remove the fan blades and clean them thoroughly, by hand or by wash depending on the material of the blades. You should also consider dismounting your blower at regular intervals so you can vacuum out dirt and debris thoroughly and keep it from damaging your blower.