I think the fan motor bearings are about to fail. I cleaned the unit and tried to get the fan to spin but no luck

Humidifier Fan Not Working - Repair Parts - RepairClinic.com

www.repairclinic.com/RepairHelp/...Fix...Humidifier/...---/Humidifier-fa...

Most Frequent Causes for Humidifier fan not working. For the most ... If the fan blade does not spin freely, replace the blower motor. If the fan blade spins freely, ...

How to Fix a Humidifier ' HomeTips

www.hometips.com/repair-fix/humidifier-doesnt-work.html

Aug 14, 2014 - Repair humidifier problems yourself with this expert, step-by-step ...6Lubricate the fan motor bearings with a couple of drops of light oil if the ...

Troubleshoot and Repair a furnace mounted Humidifier

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InstructablesThis instructable will explain how to diagnose and, hopefully, repair a broken ... to flow through the water panel of the humidifier and the humidifier fan turns on. .... drain line was dry, GFI was not tripped, and the fan sounded like it was going so I ... Arduino · Intel IoT · Indoor Gardening · Lighting · Sewing · Parties · Star Wars.

Don't use a hose, it will rust the motor and bearings.

if the blades are metal, and the unit is detached from the furnace. Try carburator cleaner or brake cleaner - out doors away from flames. Also, rotate so no solvents get to the bearings and wash away he lubricants. The solvent evaporates quickly but it will take a minute so don't be too impatient to get to the next blade.

If they are just dusty, and you don't want to dismount the unit, try some canned air - office stores carry this for cleaning keyboards and such. To get a really good stream, turn the can upside down and spray. The liquid propellant will come out and makes a really good cleaner. It will be cold cold cold as it evaporates and some ice will form if the humidity is high enough.

Effectiveness will depend on what is causing the dust to stick to the blades - oil film, soot from wood/coil/fuel oil and cigarette smoke are difficult.

Sounds like the fan is overheating- these are typically 1/20th HP motor- VERY weak! Try cleaning/ blowing the motor out to get rid of dust/ hairs/ grime/ etc. then oil the bearings with 3-in-1 oil like sewing machine oil, spin it a few times by hand to free it up & try using again.Short of that, get a new motor for it- if you can't find one, believe it or not most bathroom exhast fans are the same motor, and if you look at a few in Home Depot, you'll find one that will be almost a direct fit!

There are two causes of your problems:
1. The fan needs you to manually turn it to start running.
Problem: The motor bearings both ends are dried out.
Solution:
1. Remove the motor/fan from the motor housing (there are two screws that hold the motor to the housing. The only way I know how to get to the screw is to bend one of the fan blade up and use a long screw driver to get to the screws.
2. Remove the two screws that hold the bearings to the motor.
3. Detach the bottom bearing (opposite of the fan end.) You might have to use a flat screw driver to pry the bearing off.
4. Use a Q-tip and soak it with motor oil or grease then lubri- cate the fan end shaft/bearing.
5. Use a Q-tip + alcohol to clean up the bottom bearing hole, then lubricate it with grease or motor oil.
6. Put the motor and bearings back together and make sure that the fan can turn freely now.
7. Install the motor/fan back into it housing.
The fan should turn on its own without you helping it.
If the fan won't turn, you have a bigger problem. See below.

2. The fan won't turn at all and is really tight even when you try to
turn it by hand.
Problem: The transformer coil(s) is/are burnt out. Chances are you let the fan run dry to a point that it squealed and started to smell like it was burning before it quit all together.
Solution 1:
1. Remove the filters and their housing on the bad fan side.
2. Duct tape a piece of plastic over the bad fan opening.
3. Run the humidifier with one fan. It works just as well.

Solution 2:
1. Buy a new humidifier.
2. Make sure you lubricate the bearings as soon as the motor begins to squeal.

Solution 3: You need knowledge of electricity
1. Take the motor/fan out from the housing.
2. Use a vote meter to check the resistance in both coil of the transformer; should read about 17 ohms. The coil(s) that has a high reading or if the meter shows 'OL' is bad. Remove the Yellow tape from the coil to see if you have a loose soldering joint between the coil wiring the electrical cord. If yes, solder the joint back together, check the resistance again to make sure you have about 17 ohms. If the answer is yes, put the yellow tape back on the coil and use electrical tape to secure the tape. Hopefully, the fan should work now. Good luck!

Do the motors feel warm-- maybe even HOT?-- Like they have electric current, but the bearings might be seizing up?
You mentioned one stopped spinning awhile ago--- and the other one was OK-

It sounds like the bearings are dry and worn on the fans-- (How old is the humidifier?)

The bearings CAN be cleaned up and lubricated, if you are into tearing a motor apart, and servicing the bearings-- Are you ready for that? You will have to remove the motors from their mounting, remove the fans, split the end bells, and clean and lubricate the bearings deep inside.

Let us know how much further you want to go-

Mack B

If you can easily get to motor I would unplug unit and check motor to see if it turns freely. If it does I would plug the unit back in and see if the humming noise is coming from motor. Ifyou decide that the motor is the source of the noise and you can do so safely spin the fan and see if it will try to run, If it does I would unplug unit and give fan motor and blades a thorough cleaning. Clean any hair,lint or dust from aaround motor shaft. A small motor like these does not take much to slow or stop them. Plug it back in and try it. If it stiil does not work I would replace the motor. Hope this helps. Thanks

sounds like 1 of a few issues here. Either the run capacitor is incorrectly sized with a capacitor that is too large. The motor may also be receiving the incorrect voltage. Or the motor may not have been oiled as needed and now the bearings are heating up and overheating...and possibly swelling up and slowing the motor down, which will affect any sensor hooked into is as this will cause a dramatic increase in amp draw to get the motor to run as designed.


Best bet at this point is to replace the motor and capacitor. Make sure the fan blades are clean and free of obstruction.

1. Disconnect the dimplex aircon from the power source.
2. Dismount the motor driving the fan from its mounting.
3. Mark the motor lead wires accordingly.
4. Disassemble the motor, and replace the bearings.
(Take note of the bearing number located at sides)
5. After replacing the bearings, assemble the motor,
and have it remounted in place.
6. Reconnect the wires and palce an electrical tape
at the bare joints.
7. Conduct a test run of the unit..
Hpoe this helps.

the lubracation used in the fan motor has an expected life of 5 years... once the lub is gone from the oillite bearings then the fan will stop .. you can put a couple of drops of oil on the motor bearings if you can get to them .. spin it by hand a few times to distribute the oil ... dont use WD40 or Teflon filled Oil .. use a light non gumming machine oil .. since you cant get that oil to permiate the porous bearings (done in a vacuum) then you will have to relube every year or so to keep it going .. you could replace the motor but that might not save much over a new unit .

A noisy humidifier may be the result of an unlubricated fan motor or a drive mechanism clogged by debris. Periodically clean the water reservoir, fan, and nozzle to ensure that they are clean and working properly. To keep your humidifier working smoothly and efficiently, lubricate the fan motor bearings with SAE #20 oil. Be sure to consult your owner?s manual for proper care and maintenance procedures. If it seems loose, vibrating parts are causing the noise: 1) Disconnect the power. 2) Remove the cover and look for any vibrating parts. Tighten screws, if necessary. 3) Wiggle the fan to see if it is loose on its shaft. If it is, tighten the mounting fasteners. Lubricate the motor's bearings if suggested in your owner's manual. 4) If it still makes noise, call an appliance repairperson or take the unit into an appliance repair shop.