Did you know that a new blower motor can do wonders for your furnace? If your motor is old and worn, there is a good chance it’s noisy and operating ineffectively and inefficiently. Before you go out and buy a new motor, consider whether or not you should just replace the whole furnace. Now that you’ve identified the problem and the fix, you need to learn how to replace a furnace blower motor. The most common replacement is to update the whole blower with the housing and everything, but in this particular article, we cover the motor replacement only.
Related: Furnace Replacement Cost and Blower Motor Cost
How Do You Know You Need a New Blower Motor?
You know there is a problem when the furnace is not able to supply your home with warm air. Keep in mind that if your blower motor isn’t working because it’s overheating, merely replacing it won’t necessarily fix the problem. The real issue might be too much dust and dirt within your HVAC system which is causing the motor to overheat. You need to clean the furnace before installing a new motor.
If the blower motor is not working, confirm that the power supply is working before buying a new motor. Another tip; if your motor is rattling, you might be able to oil it and reduce the noise. A quick fix like this can allow you to get a little extra mileage out of your motor.
Furnace Blower Motor Replacement in 18 Steps
The only uncommon tool you might need for this job is hub pullers. They may not be necessary though. It's very possible that you can get the motor out without them. Everything else is pretty standard (screwdrivers and socket wrenches).
- For safety, cut the power to the furnace.
- Remove the panel that conceals the furnace blower motor.
- Before doing anything else, take a picture of how it’s connected.
- There should be bolts or screws that secure the motor housing, and you can go ahead and remove them.
- Disconnect the motor wiring that connects it to the main unit.
- Now the motor housing should easily slide out.
- Locate the set screw next to the motor shaft and loosen it.
- Then, loosen the screws and disconnect the capacitor (pictured) on the backside of the motor.
- Use a hub puller to turn the motor clockwise until it’s loose. Once again, you may not need a tool at all, so you might be alright without a hub puller.
- Gently remove the motor from the housing.
- Undo the screws on the motor to remove the belly band.
- The rotation of the motor needs to match the direction of the fans, so position them accordingly.
- Attach the new motor to the belly band.
- Center the new motor on the fan wheel, fasten the bolts, and connect the capacitor.
- Fasten the motor set screw.
- Slide the motor and its housing back into the furnace and secure it with the bolts from step 3.
- Reconnect the electrical wiring.
- Restore the power and turn the furnace on to test it.
Remember, sometimes it’s just easier to call a professional, but as long as you don’t have a weird configuration, a novice DIYer should be able to handle this job alone.
Save On Blower Motors at PlumbersStock
Now that you know how to replace a blower motor, it's time to buy one. We carry a huge inventory of HVAC parts like motors and blowers, furnace ignitors, blower wheels, etc. Did you know that you can find member pricing here on certain items (typically name brand, MAP priced items) if you log in? For industry professionals buying in bulk, please consider contacting us directly for extra special pricing and extra savings.
Related resources:
Can You Bypass a Flame Sensor?
Quiet a Noisy Furnace Blower
How to Tell If a Blower Motor Is Bad
Blower Motor Cost
How to Clean a Furnace Blower
