FANS
How to Maintain a Fan Coil Unit Motor
How to Maintain a Fan Coil Unit Motor
Fan coil units are a versatile and cost effective way to provide heating and cooling to a space.fan coil unit motor They can be installed concealed in ceilings, exposed [out of the ceiling] or underfloor. They can also be used in spaces that don’t allow for the use of duct work. These units are commonly found in high-rise residential buildings as they are ideal for these types of applications.
In a cooling mode the unit works just like an AUH system, it takes in air from the space and moves it across the coolant coil. This allows the unit to operate as an air conditioner without connecting it to ductwork. The conditioned air is then blown back into the room, cooling it. When the space is in heating mode the fan blows hot air across a heating coil that is fed from the building central system. This combines with the room temperature to heat the space.
The motors in these units are either PSC or ECM motors. Both have their benefits and drawbacks. PSC motors are cheaper to purchase but require more power to run than their ECM counterparts. They also have a low power factor which requires expensive wiring to accommodate the energy they consume. PSC motors can also have an external capacitor which can fail causing the fan to not turn on.
ECM motors have a higher initial cost but are more efficient and consume less power than PSC motors. They can have multiple speeds that are powered at the same time which is not recommended as this will overwork the motor and cause it to burn out. ECM motors also have built-in braking which helps to conserve energy by slowing down the fan when the unit is in heating or cooling mode.
Maintenance on these units is similar to other HVAC systems. It is important to check the fan, filter and coil at regular intervals. It is also important to make sure there is no water in the drip pan or condensate drain pipe.
If the unit is equipped with a permanent filter, a maintenance schedule should be established and a log kept for each unit. When replacing the filter, it is important to replace it with the same size and type as the original. Pleated media and extended surface filters should be avoided as they will create excessive static pressure drops that can affect the performance of the unit.
When the fan coil unit motor has a burned out motor it is usually because of incorrect wiring that connects the motor thermal protector to the zero line. This shorts out one of the motor local windings which then leads to the rest of the windings burning out as well. Sjerp & Jongeneel offers a repair service for this kind of problems where we can completely recondition the entire plate with fan housings and electric motor. We can also supply the motor separately if needed. We stock DC motors that are fitted with one, two or three fan housings.
Tags:axial fan | blower motor | cooler fan | cooling fan
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