Fasco Blower Wiring

I ordered and received this fasco blower--the A125 pictured here http://www.electricmotorwarehouse.com/fasco/fasco_blower.htm, and it comes with only wire leads, no box or plug to plug it in. I got it to replace my old blower from my handfired stove, because my old blower was having trouble starting, and the rheostat that was in between the wall and the blower is pretty much broken (the plastic stem is broken, and it is only "full on" now). To make sure it wasn't just the rheostat, I borrowed a rheostat from the Gibraltar MCC i'm fixing up to see if it would work, and it gave the same slow/no startup routine.

So I'm wondering, what do I put between a wall plug and this blower? Do I need some kind of transformer or something to step it down from regular household current to the 1.1 amps that this blower is supposed to run at? The website says it is not recommended for speed control, otherwise I'd use a 1.1 am dimmer switch. I don't know what to use, and neither does my local coal stove dealer.

Do NOT use a standard light dimmer. That is why they state "Not for Speed Control"
A controller that will allow reducing the voltage too low will cause the motor to stall and overheat...leading to very short life for the motor.

I have used this type controller for both Shaded Pole and PSC motors with much success. It is designed to NOT allow the motor to stall.

Here is one source for controller>>> KBWC-16K-H9001

McGiever wrote:Do NOT use a standard light dimmer. That is why they state "Not for Speed Control"
A controller that will allow reducing the voltage too low will cause the motor to stall and overheat...leading to very short life for the motor.

I have used this type controller for both Shaded Pole and PSC motors with much success. It is designed to NOT allow the motor to stall.

Here is one source for controller>>> KBWC-16K-H9001

Thanks. I've been looking for a new fan controller.

Thanks. I was actually able to use the plug I had and the old variable speed control, but just bypass the variable speed. It seems to be working good. Now all I need is a switch, so I don't have to plug it in and unplug it every time. Maybe I should look for a switch which comes on at a certain temperature?

Scottsman wrote:Thanks. I was actually able to use the plug I had and the old variable speed control, but just bypass the variable speed. It seems to be working good. Now all I need is a switch, so I don't have to plug it in and unplug it every time. Maybe I should look for a switch which comes on at a certain temperature?

Great idea... For that you need a snap switch. I have one on my furnace that opens (cuts electric supply to shut blowers off) at a low temp and then it closes (makes contact for electric supply to turn the blowers on) at a higher temp. I secured it on top of my furnace, against the outside of the air jacket. When the jacket gets below 110 degrees the blowers shut off, when the jacket gets over 120 degrees, the blowers come on You may need to get a few of these to try in different locations to get the results you want.

http://www.pexsupply.com/White-Rodgers-3F01-120-3 ... 14692000-p

McGiever wrote:Do NOT use a standard light dimmer. That is why they state "Not for Speed Control"
A controller that will allow reducing the voltage too low will cause the motor to stall and overheat...leading to very short life for the motor.

I have used this type controller for both Shaded Pole and PSC motors with much success. It is designed to NOT allow the motor to stall.

Here is one source for controller>>> KBWC-16K-H9001

Received my switch yesterday. Same one linked here. I installed it and it immediately stalled the motor. No amount of adjusting the switch got it to turn. I reinstalled the old switch that came with my motor and it started to spin.

I installed the same switch on my vent motor.
If I remember right, I found that you only break into the power lead. The neutral wire does not connect to this switch.
Just thought I'd throw this out there as a possible reason why the switch didn't work.
Good luck.
-Len

Double post.

CoaLen wrote:I installed the same switch on my vent motor.
If I remember right, I found that you only break into the power lead. The neutral wire does not connect to this switch.
Just thought I'd throw this out there as a possible reason why the switch didn't work.
Good luck.
-Len

I wasn't tapped into the nuetral wire. I just put it on my old draft inducer motor and it worked. I'm going to try it again on the new motor and see if it was maybe a fluke.

Ok, just tried it again, it was a fluke because it now works.

I'm On Fire wrote:Ok, just tried it again, it was a fluke because it now works.

What did you do wrong the first time? You wired the new variable speed control directly to the motor and bypassed/disconnected the whole speed control that it came with right? Is it performing better with the new speed control? Is it getting hot? humming at lower speeds?

I didn't do anything different the second time than I did the first time. I really have no idea why it didn't work the first time. I haven't checked the temp of the motor with the new switch but I did notice it's a lot quieter. I've got it set so I see .06" on the manometer. The motor has a steady tone unlike with the switch it came with where you could hear it slow down then speed up.

I also tried the new switch on the old motor and it got the old motor to spin too. So, I'm going to clean up the old draft inducer and put it away as a spare. If nothing else I'll have a spare impeller ans motor.