ROUTINE MAINTENANCE FOR BELT DRIVE FANS — CAUTION: See **WARNING** on page 1
Once the fan has been put into operation, periodic maintenance should be scheduled to assure reliability and performance. The following items should be checked as a part of this maintenance schedule:
1. | Fasteners and set screws | 3. | Lubrication | 5. Removal of dust and dirt |
2. | Bearings | 4. | Belts |
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1.FASTENERS AND SET SCREWS - Normal fan vibration has a tendency to loosen mechanical fasteners. Periodic inspection should include checking all fasteners and set screws, including the propeller fasteners, for tightness.
2.BEARINGS - The pillow block ball bearings installed on Model
lubricated, self aligning, and selected for a minimum L(10) 40,000 hours (equal to L(50) 200,000 hours). However, bearings are one of the most critical parts of a fan and should be inspected at regular intervals. Locking collars, set screws and fasteners attaching the bearings to the fan should also be checked.
3.LUBRICATION - Bearings operating in a clean environment and temperatures between 32°F and 200°F should be lubricated semiannually using a high quality lithium based grease. Bearings operating outside these temperature parameters require special high or low temperature grease. If contamination or high moisture conditions exist, more frequent lubrication is required.
Model
When adding grease to the fan bearings, rotate the fan shaft while slowly operating the manual grease gun. Be careful not to unseat the bearing seals by over lubricating or using excessive pressure. Stop pumping when a very slight resistance is felt at the grease gun.
Lubrication of motors is intended only when fittings are provided. Many fractional horsepower motors are permanently lubricated for life and require no further lubrication. Motors supplied with grease fittings should be greased in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions on the motor nameplate.
4.BELTS - Premature belt failures are frequently caused by improper belt tension (either too loose or too tight), misaligned pulleys or by prying belts on and off pulleys. The proper tension for operating a
Example: A belt span of 32 inches should have a 32/64 or 1/2 inch of deflection using moderate thumb pressure at the midpoint of the belt span. See drawing below. Check belt tension after the first 24 hours of operation, after 100 hours of operation and periodically thereafter. Belt tension can be adjusted by loosening the motor plate hinge bolts and adjusting the jack screws as required.
When replacing belts, always use the same size and type as originally supplied by the factory. Check pulleys for wear and replace both pulleys and belts if wear is evident. NOTE: Model TAUB may require high temperature belts. It is very important that the drive pulleys remain in proper alignment after adjustments are made. Misalignment of pulleys will result in premature belt and bearing failure, noise and loss of fan efficiency.
Deflection = Belt Span 64
CORRECT | WRONG | WRONG | WRONG |
Belt Span
5.REMOVAL OF DUST AND DIRT - Model
air. If exhausting dirty or contaminated air, the propeller and butterfly damper assembly should be cleaned periodically. Accumulations of dirt and debris on the propeller blades may cause an unbalanced condition resulting in excessive vibration and premature failure of the propeller and bearings. Excessive buildup of dirt on the damper blades may cause binding and sticking blade hinges resulting in loss of fan performance.
Periodically, the motor weather cover should be removed and the motor cleaned of dirt and debris. Cleaning should be limited to the motor exterior. Removal of dust and dirt from the motor will assist in motor cooling. Motors should never be sprayed directly with water, steam or solvents.
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