question about space heater in patio-- connected to water heater

[KOS]

Hi ive got a floor heater in my patio that is hooked up to my main water heater..... the fans are making a lot of noise.. I want to oil the fans, what type of lubricant should I use? silicon spray or wd40? the brand is vrv products out of michigan thanks KOS

[Ed Pawlowski]

Neither. Use an oil designed for motors, such as regular 30 weight non-detergent motor oil. Used to be 3 in 1 was good for that but I don't know if it still is.

The fans may be noisy for other reasons too. Poor design, something hitting the blades, etc.

[beecrofter]

3 in 1 makes an oil in a blue can labeled for fractional HP motors. Overlubrication will kill a motor in a hurry by holding all the dirt. Sometimes you can turn a motor with plain bearings 90 or 180 degrees in a belt driven setup and use the part of the bearing that has not yet worn egg shaped. One can is only a few Oz, 3 If I recall but consider 1 teaspoon=100 drops.

My big peave is the small tefc motors that are welded shut.

[trader4]

Most bearings in any fans of this kind made for decades now have sealed bearings that are not designed to be lubed.

[hallerb]

make certain fans and area around them are clean and no air obstructions, power it off and check fans for easy turning. fan motor may need lubed, but dirt buildup obstructing airflow can cause motor noise.

added motor load causes noise.

so can loose hardware