How To Remove A Blower Motor From A Squirrel Cage

Upgraded Home Team
by Upgraded Home Team

The blower motor is a component of your HVAC system. It takes the air from your air conditioner or furnace and sends it throughout your home to make sure the temperature remains constant. The spinning fan right in the center of it causes the air to circulate through the ducts and vents in your house. When the blower motor goes bad, your HVAC system can start acting up immediately.

All you’ve to do is turn off the furnace, remove the blower motor assembly, and take off the blower motor. In this case, removing and replacing the furnace blower motor is the only possible option.

If you are planning a DIY removal or replacement of the furnace blower, give this guide a read.

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What’s A Squirrel Cage Blower Anyway?

We know that it’s supposed to blow air throughout your home, but how does it do it? Knowing this will help you figure out why and when you should think about removing, fixing, or replacing it.

At the heart of the blower is a circular mechanism called the impeller. It is made up of curved vanes that rotate, causing the air around it to revolve at the same speed as it. This creates a centrifugal force, causing the air to swiftly move outwards to the fan housing.

This air keeps increasing in speed and velocity until it exits the blower, and cools (or warms) your home as a consequence. Squirrel fans are very energy efficient, and that’s why many homeowners and HVAC experts recommend them over other types of blowers. Additionally, they are also quiet, durable, and able to work in a range of weather conditions.

So if your HVAC system is outfitted with one of these, there is nothing to worry about.

4 Signs The Blower Motor Needs To Be Removed

Just like any other component in your HVAC system, the blower motor can also be susceptible too mechanical failures and other issues. Make sure you troubleshoot at the first sign of concern. Most of these issues result from the wear and tear that your furnace blower motor experiences over time.

If you these four signs of trouble, then it’s time to remove and replace it:

Weak Airflow

This suggests that you may have a faulty furnace blower motor.

If the airflow is insufficient and simply doesn’t cool or warm the space like it used to, the blower may be at fault. It means the blower motor is unable to push air through the ducts to get the desired temperature.

Now, there can be several other reasons for a weak airflow through the vents. These include dirt build-up, an aging motor, and a bad capacitor. Not just that, the inadequate airflow can also be caused by the leaky and ducts or choked filters.

Zero Airflow

If you feel that there is no airflow at all, then it means the furnace blower motor has become entirely useless and requires immediate removal and replacement.

However, zero airflow doesn’t always mean that the problem lies with your furnace blower motor. There can be other factors at play here, such as lousy battery or relay, fan control issue, and bad thermostat that may prevent the blower from working efficiently.

Excessive Heating

If your furnace blower motor is old and heats up excessively, find out what’s causing the problem. One possible reason is that a lot of dirt and dust has gathered around the blower motor, preventing it from venting and causing it to overheat.

Your HVAC system’s age can also be the reason behind overheating. The thing is, if your blower motor is way old and worn, it’ll have a hard time trying to keep the house cool.

Unusual Sounds

If the HVAC system in your house creates strange sounds, then it means something is wrong with your furnace blower motor. Many unusual noises such as squealing, or screeching indicate that the blower motor has a broken belt or bearing issues.

How To Remove A Furnace Blower Motor

Here’s a complete step-by-step guide to removing a furnace blower motor:

Step 1: Turn Off The Power

Before unscrewing the access panel for the squirrel cage blower, turn off the furnace power to avoid electrocution or other potentially dangerous problems.

Step 2: Remove The Blower Motor Assembly

Get access to the panel by removing the nuts at the center of the board using a nut driver. Once it’s opened, you can remove the screws that hold together the blower motor assembly.

Now, you’ll see a series of wires attached to the blower motor. Disconnect each wire carefully. Just slide them out carefully from the base of the blower motor until the whole assembly is freed. Put the blower motor assembly on the ground; make sure it’s upside down.

Step 3: Remove The Fan Blades

Once the whole motor assembly is removed, the next step is to remove the motor.

Start by removing the bolts that hold the fan blades. To do this, you need to take off the bolts so that the shaft can slide off from the fan blades. Oiling one end of the shaft can be a good idea to help pull it out easily.

You don’t want to end up frustrated, trying to free the blades from the shaft stuck at one end. So, always oil it up. But, if you see any rust on the shaft, we would advise you to use sandpaper to take off the rust before oiling it.

Step 4: Take Off The Blower Motor Bracket

Once you remove all the bolts that keep the blower motor in place, including the motor bracket, you can easily slide out the entire blower motor. Make sure to flip the entire assembly so that the motor can easily slide out.

Do You Need a Furnace or Heating System Repair?

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Related Questions

How Can I Determine The Performance Quality Of My Squirrel Blower?

Appropriately designed bearings are one of the most vital components of your typical cage blower. That’s because quality bearings can direct the movement of the impeller to reduce abrasion and resistance, enhancing the centrifugal forces acting on the air.Also, look at the fan blade design. This factor can help determine the quality of these blower motors. The number of blades, shape, angle, etc. can also give the impeller a greater surface area to work with, giving it the ability to impart greater centrifugal forces.


Why Does Blower Motor Go Bad?

There can be many reasons why blower motors stop working. One factor of this problem can be the vast amount of dirt and dust in the heating system of your blower. Excessive dirt and rust can cause your blower to overheat. If you don’t maintain your blower motor, chances are it can wear out eventually.Also, most people consider their blower motor’s humming noise as a sign of going bad, which isn’t true. In fact, it’s the loud humming noise that can cause trouble for your blower motor.


How Much Will It Cost To Replace A Squirrel Cage Blower Motor?

The price to replace a blower motor varies. For do-it-yourself repair for a small, single-speed motor, a furnace blower motor may cost you anything beyond $115.However, if you’re taking an experienced professional help and you’ve got a large furnace with a robust variable-speed blower motor, the cost of replacement can cross the $1200 easily. Most homeowners pay around $350-$700 for experienced, professional furnace blower motor replacement.

Upgraded Home Team
Upgraded Home Team

We are a team of passionate homeowners, home improvement pros, and DIY enthusiasts who enjoy sharing home improvement, housekeeping, decorating, and more with other homeowners! Whether you're looking for a step-by-step guide on fixing an appliance or the cost of installing a fence, we've here to help.

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