Blower Motors are Everywhere
Fan and blower motors are widely used in households, commercial buildings, and industrial companies. They are rarely seen but certainly felt, as these little powerhouses make our lives more comfortable every day.
From heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to vacuum cleaners, fan and blower motors make things run.
These hardworking machines deserves much credit and, before we highlight their versatility, let’s explore how they work.
Fan and blower motors are responsible for high pressure movement of air or gas.
In HVAC, for example, blower motors for AC units activate the fan or blower to push cooled or heated air to the vents through the duct system. These motors do much of the legwork so that the conditioned air can circulate throughout a building.
Without fan motors, and we would have to regulate our indoor temperatures the old-fashioned way – with fireplaces, ice packs, or paper fans.
HVAC Fan & Blower Motors Explained
Your home’s HVAC system needs the right parts to avoid damage and breakdown, and the electric motor is a critical component to that system. Choosing the right AC motor is important for proper sizing, optimum performance, and less hassle.
Click here to Read "DIY AIR CONDITIONER REPAIR"
HVAC motors have also been called fan motors, blower motors, air handler motors, condenser motors, HVAC fan condenser motors, etc.
Common signs that you need repair service or a new fan motor:
- Poor airflow
- Strange noises coming from the unit
- Overheating or a burnt smell
- Increased power bills
Need a Replacement Motor or Repair Parts? Contact Us for Your Needs.
Non-HVAC Fan and Blower Motor Uses
Aside from the HVAC system, fan and blower motors are also used in various applications in households and industries. These include:
- Vehicles
- Ventilators
- Farm Equipment
- Electric Fans
- Exhaust Fans
- Range Hood
- Vacuum Cleaners
- Computers
- Microwave Ovens
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Water Pumps
- Washing Machines
Industrial Fan Motor Applications
Fan and blower motors are heavily used in various industrial processes, from farming to manufacturing. They are utilized based on their energy efficiency, starting and peak torque capability, overload capability, ability to handle demanding duty cycles, speed range capabilities, and service life.
These electrical machines are commonly found in:
- Farming Equipment
- Centrifugal Fans
- Heat Exchangers
- Food Processing
- Cooling Towers
- Condensers
- Air Handling Systems
- Unit Heaters
Types of Fan & Blower Motors
Permanent-Split Capacitor and Shaded-Pole Motors are used the most in air moving applications. They look similar on the outside; in fact, you may have to dismantle them to find the differences.
[It's actually easy to dismantle one of these motors. Simply remove the thru bolts or clips, and gently tap the end shields or housings off.
Shaded-Pole (SP) Motor
A SP Motor is the practical choice for low cost and low starting torque needs.
On the Inside: Shaded Pole motors have individual stator coil windings and a single copper band (shaded coil) around each stator pole.
Common Shaded Pole Motor Applications include:
- Blowers
- Bathroom ventilators
- Range hoods
- Attic vents
- Fan coils
- Down draft blowers
SP units are a practical choice for ratings below 0.05 HP (~ 40 W) because of their simple structure and mechanism. It is single-phased, self-starting, offers minimal maintenance, and is perfect for low power applications.
Permanent-Split Capacitor (PSC) Motor
PSC motors provide higher starting torques than a shaded-pole motor. They are energy efficient and compatible with systems that require higher efficiency performance motors.
Due to their combined power and economy, they have become the motor of choice of many customers to drive blowers and other air-moving applications.
PSC Units are also manufactured with higher horsepower ratings than shaded-pole designs. Therefore, PSC motors are more widely used in heavier duty applications such as outside condensers.
A PSC Motor provides higher starting torque and efficiency than a Shaded Pole Motor.
With higher efficiency, PSC Motors are preferred over the Shaded Pole units. They are also designed with higher horsepower ratings, providing more uses.
These AC motors are used to power blowers, outside condensers, and other air-moving equipment in both residential and commercial settings.
You can easily identify a PSC machine by the capacitor mounted to the body, attached with either a cap or band. On the inside, you’ll find pole windings of fine wire between the main pole windings.
Split Phase Motor
A Split Phase Motor provides higher starting torque and efficiency than a Shaded Pole Motor.
Split-phase motors have higher starting torque motors compared to PSC. As such, they are suitable for belt drive furnace blowers and belt drive ventilators.
They are more efficient than shaded-pole motors but are less efficient than PSC. They also have a narrower RPM range (usually rated at 3450, 1725, and 1140).
Split-phase motors are not constructed to provide the wide range of multi-speeds that shaded-pole and PSC motors can. Multi-speed split-phase motors are commonly built using separate windings to provide multiple speed options.
Capacitor Start Motor
Capacitor Start Motors have even higher starting torque than Split Phase units.
They are constructed the same, but they have a capacitor in series with the start winding to give the motor extra torque on start up.
You can usually see the extra capacitor mounted on the motor body (look for the “double bumps” – like Princess Leia’s hair buns in Star Wars).
Capacitor Start Motors are useful for applications that are harder to start, like compressors and pumps.
Three Phase Motor
3 Phase Motors are the most efficient of all these types but are not common outside of large commercial or industrial applications. Most residential and commercial locations run on single phase power (see motor types above).
We Sell Top Motor Brands
Square One is a trusted supplier of electric motors and pumps for almost every industry. We carry various brands of condenser fan motors, double shaft units, blowers, agricultural equipment and more.
Some of the high-quality manufacturer brands we carry include Baldor Reliance, Century (formerly AO Smith), Fasco, GE Gentech, Marathon, WEG, US Nidec Emerson, Hyundai, North American, Worldwide, Leeson, Teco Westinghouse, Lincoln, and Toshiba.
Each motor ships brand new from the warehouse and has a manufacturer’s warranty.
Not sure which motor you need? Use our MASTER PRODUCT SEARCH to narrow your selection by horsepower, RPM, frame, voltage, application and more.
