Part
Blower Wheel & Housing
Product Rating
Customer
John from WI
Problem
Dryer became noisy during operation. Troubleshooting determined that the Blower Wheel cracked at the shaft connection and was slipping as the shaft turned, thus causing the noise.
Tools
Screwdriver, ratchet and sockets, and pliers.
Repair & Advice
Removing the old blower was a challenge because the wheel was cracked at the shaft connection. With this condition, I could not simply unscrew the blower from the motor shaft. I needed to break apart the plastic blower wheel in order to remove the blower unit. After that, reassembly was a breeze.
Story submitted on May 17, 2020
Part
Blower Wheel & Housing
Product Rating
Customer
Carl from MO
Problem
Very good to work with. Accurate part and was what I thought it should be.
Tools
Screw drivers, socket set, multi meter.
Repair & Advice
Remember when removing the fan from the motor shaft , that the threads are reversed. To loosen you turn clockwise.
Story submitted on June 27, 2023
Part
Blower Wheel & Housing
Product Rating
Customer
Shayne from FL
Problem
Dryer made a high pitched squeaking sound when starting up/running.
Tools
Screwdriver, pliers, locking pliers, socket wrench with 7/8" head, torch.
Repair & Advice
After looking online it seemed like the issue was with the fan/blower. It was pretty easy to follow along with some videos to disassemble and fully diagnose.
In my case the inside of the dryer had gotten a lot of lint and other debris built up in and around the fan which likely caused added friction and resistance causing the wheel to break. When last vacuuming my dryer's output vent and hose, I had noticed it was surprisingly clean and clear. The amount of lint/debris inside the appliance made it apparent there was a leak from where the blower housing joins to the output duct. They are joined by an elastic band which seems to have worn out over time. When replacing the blower housing I laid out a strip of vent/foil tape before securing together and then taped the joint before replacing the elastic band.
The main issue is that the blower wheel attaches to the motor shaft with a cylindrical nut/fastener covered by a plastic bolt head. The plastic comes loose from the metal nut causing it to spin freely without moving the fan blades.
Of course this means it's next to impossible to separate the fan and blower housing from the motor with out removing both and then carefully breaking and removing pieces of the fan around the nut and motor shaft to get the motor free. After finally getting them separated, the next issue is that the nut was stuck on the motor shaft pretty good. But after about 45-60 seconds with a butane torch and pair of locking pliers it came off like butter.
After that it was pretty easy to reverse the steps to re-assemble and test. One slight issue I had however was tightening the bolt of blower wheel onto the motor shaft. Too loose or too tight would cause rub/friction and lead to the same issue again. It should probably be tightened with a torque wrench. For me it seemed that after screwing on by hand that it felt the best just a bit over a quarter turn with the socket wrench.
Overall it was a pretty straightforward replacement outside of some of my specific issues, however it seems like the poor design of the blower wheel fastener creates a bit of frustration to remove, it took me about an 1.5 hr total between two sessions
1. disassembly and diagnosis: 15-20 mins
2. removal, replacement and reassembly
Story submitted on October 11, 2023