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Possible to repair a cracked heat pump fan blade? wgd 08-14-2006
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Posted by wgd on August 14, 2006, 4:25 pm
I have a 20+ year old York heat pump. It's working pretty good although I
noticed that one of the fan blades in the outside unit has cracked.

I'm going to have the unit serviced soon. I don't know if a replacement
for the fan blades for this motor is available. The motor has been
replaced a couple of times over the years. I seem to remember one of the
service guys saying the current electric motor was made by G.E.

Probably the only option I'll be presented with is a complete motor
replacement. I think it cost something like $250 the last time it was
replaced several years ago. No doubt it will be more expensive now.

The outside unit motor is currently working fine. I don't want the expense
of replacing it just for a cracked fan blade.

How would you go about repairing the crack, if that is possible? Or could
the fan blade unit be replaced with a generic blade assembly with a
similar size?

The photo link below shows the outside motor, if that is any help. Thanks,
in advance, for any information you can provide.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n39/wgdus/Heat-pump-fan-blade.jpg

AppliancePartsPros.com, Inc.
Posted by on August 14, 2006, 4:44 pm

wgd wrote:
> I have a 20+ year old York heat pump. It's working pretty good although I
> noticed that one of the fan blades in the outside unit has cracked.
>
> I'm going to have the unit serviced soon. I don't know if a replacement
> for the fan blades for this motor is available. The motor has been
> replaced a couple of times over the years. I seem to remember one of the
> service guys saying the current electric motor was made by G.E.
>
> Probably the only option I'll be presented with is a complete motor
> replacement. I think it cost something like $250 the last time it was
> replaced several years ago. No doubt it will be more expensive now.
>
> The outside unit motor is currently working fine. I don't want the expense
> of replacing it just for a cracked fan blade.
>
> How would you go about repairing the crack, if that is possible? Or could
> the fan blade unit be replaced with a generic blade assembly with a
> similar size?
>
> The photo link below shows the outside motor, if that is any help. Thanks,
> in advance, for any information you can provide.
>
> http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n39/wgdus/Heat-pump-fan-blade.jpg

I wouldn't get real worked-up at this stage. Very likely, an
off-the-shelf replacement fan will work just fine, and not cost much.
Welding either aluminum or steel blades would likely cost more than
simply replacing the fan.

Ask your service guys up front.

J


Posted by on August 14, 2006, 4:47 pm

wgd wrote:
> I have a 20+ year old York heat pump. It's working pretty good although I
> noticed that one of the fan blades in the outside unit has cracked.
>
> I'm going to have the unit serviced soon. I don't know if a replacement
> for the fan blades for this motor is available. The motor has been
> replaced a couple of times over the years. I seem to remember one of the
> service guys saying the current electric motor was made by G.E.
>
> Probably the only option I'll be presented with is a complete motor
> replacement. I think it cost something like $250 the last time it was
> replaced several years ago. No doubt it will be more expensive now.
>
> The outside unit motor is currently working fine. I don't want the expense
> of replacing it just for a cracked fan blade.
>
> How would you go about repairing the crack, if that is possible? Or could
> the fan blade unit be replaced with a generic blade assembly with a
> similar size?
>
> The photo link below shows the outside motor, if that is any help. Thanks,
> in advance, for any information you can provide.
>
> http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n39/wgdus/Heat-pump-fan-blade.jpg

You will pay as much or more for the blade as you did the motor...and
they will most likely either tell you they cant find a blade....which
they can...or they must sell you a new motor with the blade....

The blade is still available...or a decent replacement can be
found...or you could solder or braze the crack or have one of your
neighbors with a mig welder weld the crack for you.

With the soldering or welding balance of the blade might be
affected.....which could lead to premature wear on the motor bearing.

I have a very ver old oscillating fan from the fifties in my shop...it
is ancient....one of the blades started cracking at the rivet like
yours many years ago and I fixed it with solder...its held up
since...10 years or so but its a smaller fan and not subject to the
rpms or run time as a condenser fan.


Posted by Jeff Wisnia on August 14, 2006, 4:49 pm
wgd wrote:

> I have a 20+ year old York heat pump. It's working pretty good although I
> noticed that one of the fan blades in the outside unit has cracked.
>
> I'm going to have the unit serviced soon. I don't know if a replacement
> for the fan blades for this motor is available. The motor has been
> replaced a couple of times over the years. I seem to remember one of the
> service guys saying the current electric motor was made by G.E.
>
> Probably the only option I'll be presented with is a complete motor
> replacement. I think it cost something like $250 the last time it was
> replaced several years ago. No doubt it will be more expensive now.
>
> The outside unit motor is currently working fine. I don't want the expense
> of replacing it just for a cracked fan blade.
>
> How would you go about repairing the crack, if that is possible? Or could
> the fan blade unit be replaced with a generic blade assembly with a
> similar size?
>
> The photo link below shows the outside motor, if that is any help. Thanks,
> in advance, for any information you can provide.
>
> http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n39/wgdus/Heat-pump-fan-blade.jpg


Anything you patch it with is going to unbalance the fan slightly.

But, if you're just trying to squeeze another month or two out of it,
you could drill an 1/8" hole at the very end of the crack to help keep
it from spreading any further and then use two pop rivets to attach a
strip of steel about the same gauge as the blade across the crack on the
hub edge of that cracked blade.

Run it, and if it doesn't sound like it's shaking too much, leave it be.
If it does shake more than you think acceptable then pop rivet a half
size piece of the patch material to each of the other two blades.

You may get lucky and it'll last longer than I think, but I'd take some
measurements of the fan and shaft diameters and start shopping around
for a replacecement toot sweet. If one blade cracked, the others are
probably near doing the same thing.

From the looks of the rust on the hub, you may have a jolly old time
trying to get the old fan off, and the end of the shaft looks like
someone has been messing with it before. You may have to use an angle
grinder and/or a nut splitter to get that fan off without screwing up
the motor.

Good luck!

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

Posted by George on August 14, 2006, 5:07 pm

wgd wrote:
> I have a 20+ year old York heat pump. It's working pretty good although I
> noticed that one of the fan blades in the outside unit has cracked.
>
> I'm going to have the unit serviced soon. I don't know if a replacement
> for the fan blades for this motor is available. The motor has been
> replaced a couple of times over the years. I seem to remember one of the
> service guys saying the current electric motor was made by G.E.
>
> Probably the only option I'll be presented with is a complete motor
> replacement. I think it cost something like $250 the last time it was
> replaced several years ago. No doubt it will be more expensive now.
>
> The outside unit motor is currently working fine. I don't want the expense
> of replacing it just for a cracked fan blade.
>
> How would you go about repairing the crack, if that is possible? Or could
> the fan blade unit be replaced with a generic blade assembly with a
> similar size?
>
> The photo link below shows the outside motor, if that is any help. Thanks,
> in advance, for any information you can provide.
>
> http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n39/wgdus/Heat-pump-fan-blade.jpg


If your A/C guy is honest he should be able to replace the blade for a
pretty reasonable price. If you know someone with an account at
Grainger you could get one and replace it yourself, they average about
$32.00 each and are quite simple to replace.

Good Luck
George


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