What Indicates the Need for a New Blower Motor?
- Airflow from air vents is inadequate.
- No Airflow Coming From Vents At All.
- increasing energy costs
- Strange Sounds When the Heat Is On.
- Blower overheating or strange odors.
In This Article...
Where is the blower motor for the heater?
Depending on how the climate system is configured and the fan speed chosen, the blower motor is the fan that propels warm or cooled air via the dashboard vents. A signal to speed up or slow down the blower motor is sent when the fan speed is changed by a resistor. Depending on the chosen fan speed, the blower motor resistor modifies the amount of current going to the blower motor. Based on the amount of outside air entering the climate system, only a little amount of air will pass through the inside vents when a blower motor fails. Before blaming the blower motor if the fan isn’t working, make sure the motor’s fuses are still in good condition. For the blower motor, many cars have two fuses, one in the interior fuse block and the other under the hood. Typically, the blower motor is located on the passenger side under the dashboard. Blower motors that squeak or rattle loudly may be worn out and close to giving up, but occasionally these noises are made by leaves or other debris that may be cleaned out when the motor is taken out of the car.
How much does it cost to change a car’s blower motor?
New vehicle blower motors typically cost between $50 and $100 for the part and between $80 and $100 for labor. You’re looking at a new automobile blower motor costing between $130 and $200 when you add it all up.
Remember that your extended warranty might cover your car’s blower motor. So it’s worth verifying whether you have one.
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What is the turnaround time for a motor blower replacement?
The labor alone to install a blower motor ranges from $200 to $400 on average. HVAC contractors bill $75 to $150 per hour with a $75 to $200 minimum travel fee. Depending on its accessibility, installing a blower motor normally takes 2 to 3 hours.
PSC vs. ECM blower motor replacement cost
It costs $300 to $1,100 with installation to replace a blower motor with a permanent split capacitor (PSC). The price range for a replacement electronically commutated (ECM) blower motor is $600 to $1,500.
- The low efficiency of a PSC blower motor results in greater operating costs despite having 1 to 3 speeds and being less expensive initially. PSC blower motors are commonly found in furnaces older than five years.
- A PSC motor uses up to 75% more electricity than an ECM motor with variable speed. The U.S. Department of Energy’s new standard requirement for motors in 2019 is ECM motors.
Single vs. variable-speed blower motor cost
Depending on whether it is a single-stage, two-stage, or variable-speed motor, the cost of a blower motor as a single component ranges from $100 to $1,100 on average.
- To keep the desired temperature in the house, variable-speed blower motors ramp up gradually and operate at the lowest speed feasible. Although more expensive, variable-speed motors save money on electricity and offer the best airflow control.
- Motors with one stage or speed run on “high” or “off.” The least efficient and most expensive to operate are single-speed motors.
- There are 1 to 3 speeds on two-stage motors. Due to their infrequent maximum load operation, multiple-speed blower motors are quieter than single-speed models.
A Nissan blower motor costs how much?
Replacement blower motors for Nissan Rogue models typically cost between $383 and $406. The cost of labor is expected to be between $89 and $112, while the cost of the parts is $294.
Why won’t my blower motor turn on?
Since blower motors are intended to move air, they will not operate in the absence of air. To ensure that the blower isn’t having trouble operating, you should constantly inspect the filters and vents near it. Examine the markings on your air filter and the housing by looking inside. Check to make sure the arrows on the air filter are pointing in the right directions if your furnace’s blower won’t come on. Change the filter’s alignment if the arrows are pointing in the wrong way. Next, inspect the blower’s surrounding vents.
Are the vents shut or obstructed? Perhaps your blower is too unclean to operate. If your blower appears to be dusty, use compressed air to spray the dust away or use a rag to wipe it away.
Check Your Furnace Blower’s Drive Belt
Turn off the furnace at the circuit breaker box in your home to see if the blower motor belt is damaged. Return to the furnace after that and look at the belt that drives the blower. When the fan in a furnace stops working, it means the belt has to be replaced because it is worn out or damaged.
How frequently do blower motors fail?
An electric blower with a furnace blower motor spins the fan blades with a belt. For your home to get warm throughout the winter, this motor distributes cool air in concert with your furnace.
What Does a Blower Motor Do?
Your furnace’s ability to heat up quickly depends on the blower motors. Your unit will run longer than necessary if it takes too long for your heating system to heat up, costing you more money in energy costs. By forcing cold air into vents and pushing warm air out, a blower motor also aids in circulating the heated or cooled air around the house.
Where Is a Furnace Blower Motor Located?
Older furnaces use a fan that is powered by a motor positioned on the side of the blower to power the squirrel cage blower. This older style of furnace uses a belt to carry the spinning motion from the motor’s spindle to the fan spindle. Because the motor and blower are independent parts in this design, repairs or replacements may require both the blower and the motor.
In more recent furnaces, direct-drive designs are utilized. The blower wheel is directly driven by the motor’s spindle. With these types, the fan belt does not need to be adjusted or changed, and the motor and blower can be connected as a single unit. A chain, gearbox, or belt may be used to power the blower wheel. Either the blower wheel’s end is mounted with the motor or the motor is integrated into it.
The blower assembly with this design may normally be taken apart and replaced independently, however certain variants are installed as one-piece pieces that need to be unplugged and replugged together.
How Long Does a Furnace Blower Motor Last?
Blower motors are made to last anywhere between 10 and 20 years, which is the same lifespan as your furnace. Similar to any HVAC system, the better your equipment is maintained and serviced by qualified HVAC specialists, the longer it will last and the less repairs you’ll need to make.
What occurs when a blower motor malfunctions?
If you increase the fan speed, you might also hear continuous whirring noises, as well as changing or louder noises. All of these indicate that there are issues with the blower motor. In extreme circumstances, you might even smell smoke or burning while driving, in which case you need to pull over right away.
Can you drive if your blower motor is broken?
Driving with a damaged heater blower motor is acceptable? With the possible exception of you not being able to clean the windshield of snow, ice, or fog if the defrosters don’t work, a bad heater blower motor will not compromise the safety of your vehicle.
What location is the blower resistor in?
The blower motor resistor is typically very simple to access, however situating your body inside the automobile to remove the component can be challenging. The resistor is either directly behind the glove box or at the bottom of the HVAC housing.
Step 1: Remove the glove box door, if necessary.
Typically, you can simply push in on the sides and drop the door away from the dashboard to remove the glove compartment. Some vehicles might need special tools to remove this component, while others, like this 2010 Toyota Tacoma, won’t even let you open the glove box to access the blower motor resistor.
Step 2: Disconnect the wiring harness and remove screws.
Sometimes it is simpler to take the harness off first, depending on where the blower motor resistor is. It is simpler to take the resistor out of the housing on some vehicles before unplugging the harness.
Step 3: Remove and replace the blower motor resistor.
The blower motor resistor simply slides out of the HVAC housing after the screws have been removed and the wiring harness has been disconnected. Make sure to remove the old gasket as well if the new resistor has a rubber or foam gasket material around the outside edge. Some resistors may not have any kind of gasket at all.
You can test the appropriate working of a new blower motor resistor before completing the whole installation by loosely installing the new resistor and making sure that all of the blower motor fan speeds function as intended.
Step 4: Tighten screws and reattach wiring harness.
Once the blower motor is working properly, tighten the screws and reattach the wiring harness in the opposite direction from how you removed them in Step 2.
Step 5: Reinstall the glove box door.
Reinstalling the glove box, if it had to be taken out in order to get at the blower motor resistor, will be the last part of this do-it-yourself fix.
Stay Cool!
Don’t worry about a broken blower motor when the summer heat is at its peak! Follow these simple instructions to repair a blower motor, and your car’s HVAC system will function as intended to keep you comfortable all year long while you drive. Don’t forget to plug in the FIXD Sensor and app to monitor car health in real-time, identify the cause of the check engine light, and receive maintenance warnings to your phone in order to keep your car operating as smoothly as possible.
Can heat be controlled by the blower motor resistor?
An electrical component of the heating and air conditioning system of the car is the blower motor resistor. It is in charge of managing the fan speed of the blower motor. The blower motor resistor’s setting changes when the fan speed is altered via the knob on the instrument cluster, which also affects the blower motor’s speed. The blower motor resistor is continuously stressed because the fan speed is one of the most often altered air conditioning system settings, which might lead to its eventual failure. The operation of the complete heating and cooling system may be affected by a failed blower motor resistor. The driver can be made aware of a potential problem by a few indications that are typically produced by a defective or failing blower motor resistor.