Fan Maintenance
Smooth Operation and Longer Life through Proper Fan Maintenance
Proper, routine fan maintenance is essential to the successful, long-term operation of your industrial fan. We believe proper maintenance actually starts during design and includes features, finishes, storage, installation, and operations. With the right planning and preparation, you can minimize or even avoid problems.
If and when you do need fan maintenance help, contact us and we’ll be there for you.
Factors in Fan Maintenance
Don’t wait for your operations to reveal poor design or installation. Set your fan up for success and lower maintenance by considering it throughout the process.
Maintenance-Ready Design
Space limitations can make your industrial fans difficult to access. In addition, some applications will add to the fan maintenance challenge. AirPro offers several features during the design stage to facilitate routine maintenance going forward.
- Flush-mounted and gasketed access door into the fan housing
- Split housings for wheel and shaft removal
- Extended lubrication lines for motor and bearing ports
- Lubrication access holes in the shaft guard
- Tachometer access hole in the belt guard
- Sealed exterior seams for rust prevention
- Special finishes to accommodate gases or materials in the airstream
Proper Pre-Installation Storage
The issue of storage concerns both your side and ours. Meticulously careful shipping and handling is one major part of AirPro’s superb customer care. Not only are we dedicated to speedy delivery and high quality, but we also are careful to pay close attention to the delivery process and storage of the industrial fans and blowers, which can be damaged during improper storage: Here’s how to avoid storage-related maintenance problems,
- Store your blower fan in a clean & protected area.
- Rotate the fan wheel by hand at least once a week. This will prevent the shaft from taking a set and will redistribute the bearing grease.
- If applicable, belt tensions should be released for fans to be stored for a prolonged period.
- Blower fans must be isolated from any near-by vibration which can prematurely damage the fan & motor bearings.
For more information about fan storage, check out our blog on the topic.
Proper Installation
It is reasonable to assume that if you don’t perform the installation properly, the unit will not hold up. Literally. Make sure that the individual installing your industrial blower knows how to get the job done right. Here are a few things to look for in order to avoid potentially damaging problems:
- Install your blower fan on a strong surface that will support the dead weight. Reinforced concrete is the preferred fan foundation.
- Make sure the fan support is rigid in order to reduce & withstand any vibration levels.
- If high vibration levels will exist, isolate the vibrations with appropriate vibration isolators.
- Install flexible connections between the connection of the fan inlet/outlet and the ducting.
- Check all alignments to ensure they remain within the manufacturer’s tolerances.
Operations for Lower Fan Maintenance
We include an Installation, Operation, & Maintenance (IOM) Manual with every industrial blower we ship. Everything you need to know about the safe operation of your unit should be in the manual, but here are a few quick tips:
- Prior to startup, rotate the fan wheel by hand to ensure free movement of all components (when rotating wheel by hand, follow proper lockout procedures).
- Maintain proper bearing lubrication to avoid any failures.
- Regularly check the fan wheel for wear, corrosion, or material build up. Clean or replace as necessary.
Knowing When to Call for Fan Maintenance Help
If your fan seems to be performing poorly, we are here to help you solve it. We want you up and running, productive and efficient. But sometimes when we get a call about issues, the fan is actually functioning exactly as intended.
You can avoid making an unnecessary fan maintenance call by double-checking the cause of poor fan performance before making the call: There are two primary areas where you may find the problem and make the required adjustment without a fan maintenance call:
- Test & measure system requirements – air volume, pressure, temperature, etc. as they can change over time.
- Check for changes or mistakes in the surrounding system
For more information on these common challenges, check out our blog Fan Not Performing? Look at the Big Picture.
All that said, never hesitate. When you do need fan maintenance help, contact us and we’ll be there for you.
