How to replace the fan in Warmbrite wood burning heater?

[freedom13]

I have a Scandia Warmbrite 200 series 2 freestanding heater. The fan has failed. How do I remove and replace the fan? Are the bolts holding the FAN MOUNT BRACKET to the base screwed into a captive nut or threaded holes so the bolt can be reinstalled?

Thanks,

Richard

[MitchellMc · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @freedom13. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about replacing a fan unit.

The bolts holding the fan mount bracket on your Warmbrite heater should be captive, so when you undo them, the nuts shouldn’t drop out. If you back a bolt off slightly, you should be able to see whether it passes completely through the chassis or screws into a press-fit nut. Just keep in mind that the fan is 240V, so even if you remove the mounting yourself, you will need a licensed electrician to disconnect and reconnect the wiring safely when replacing the fan.

Are you able to back a nut off slightly and take a picture under it for us? Let me know if you need a hand uploading images.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[AlanM52]

Hi @freedom13,

Memories... sitting here thinking about Vulcan space heater blowers, Electrolux vacuum cleaner motors and reaching for a Panadol after replacing a mechanical timer switch in a top load washing machine.

I would not assume the fan is faulty and the first I would do is check the fan switch which is a known failure point (sometimes even disintegrating when operated) because of its location in the box whereas the fan motor is located near floor level and is subjected to less heat. Tracing the fault requires electrical wiring knowledge of how a 3 position switch is wired to a 3 speed fan and there will likely be a thermal safety fuse somewhere in there.

With the above in mind you should not attempt to repair yourself and rather than a electrician I would contact the nearest authorised Scandia service agent.

I came across this:

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/t5/Whole-of-House/How-to-replace-Scandia-warmbrite-200-fan/td-p...

Cheers

[freedom13]

G'day MitchellMc,

After reading your advice I got out my trusty toolkit and undid one one of the bolt 3 turns and you were right. The base plate either has captive nuts or tapped holes in the base plate. Removed heater after photoing the cable connections. I then used my compressor to blow all the dust and cobwebs out of the fan and motor. Squirted a dose of WD40 on the bearings on the fan. Reinstalled and tested. The rattling and squeaking have disappead so I have saved as bunch of money getting a service man to do a service call and replacing the fan with a new part.

I would say that if you are confident around electrical product and have a little common sense an Electrician would not be required.

Thanks so much for your help.

Richard