Re-oiling Emerson whole house fan

[Ric Fokina]

This whole house fan was installed in my attic over 20 years ago by a company no longer in business. When I asked about required maintenance, the lead installer had  told me “no maintenance ever needed”. It has been used  maybe 15 nights a year, on average, since installation. Functions normally.

This past weekend, while examining the attic with a flashlight, I spotted a label on the fan motor.  It says to reoil each bearing with 150 drops of SAE 20 oil. This is long overdue; it. has never been done. I spotted what appears to be a threaded screw on the “shaft” close to the fan blades, and, with contortion, was able to see a similiar screw on the other side of the shaft, the end closer to the attic exterior. They look like an Allen wrench would remove them. 
 

Questions:

Are these the oil ports for the bearings? If not, where should the oil be placed? 

Is SAE20 sold in small volumes in a container allowing precise placement of 

drops ? 

IF the threaded screws cover the oil ports, any recommendations on steps to prevent the threaded screw from dropping and being lost as it is removed w/Allen wrench (it’s a tight working space),  would be appreciated. 

I just discovered this forum today, while searching for answers to my questions. I couldn’t find any company contact info for Emerson relating to whole house fans - are they still in that business?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oRwlKw625qxL9joOVhMnrW3TmorGHo3f/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10SCSynzh5BEErRIzLiW7ZnlqT6LmXags/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rpw5StHBo3yMWIrTap2uN49Jg30tClSh/view?usp=drivesdk

 

 

[Ben Guegain]

Im not sure how big your fan is, but if you can, see if your shaft has any movement on the x and y axis. Obviously some movement on the z is ok.. If it moves at all really, it has probably wore down the bearings without oil for 20 years. It may be worth replacing the bearings also. 

[Michael Rathberger]

Find zoom spout oil. Ace carries it. If you use the correct size Allen wrench it'll hold the screw or magnetize it. 

[Tom Zapf]

RIC ...A BETTER PHOTO OF THE MOTOR OIL PORT AREA, ESPCIALLY OF THE ENDS OF THE MOTOR UP CLOSE. THE SET SCREW AREA OF THE CENTER BLADE HUB AREA LOOKS LIKE A SETSCREW, BUT THE LABEL ON THE MOTOR IS GOING TO BE REFERRING TO THE MOTOR ITSELF AND OILING THERE.. EMERSONS HAD FOR A WHILE AT THE MOTOR ENDS LITTLE YELLOW PLASTIC CAPS COVERING THE OIL PORTS .... IF YOU CAN SHOW A PHOTO OF THE MOTOR END BY THE PULLEY AND THE OTHER END IT WOULD HELP 

[Ric Fokina]

Thank you everyone. 

Ben,  when I hold/stabilize a fan blade with one hand, and shaft with other hand, I detect no movement of shaft in any plane.

Michael, I found mention of blue can 3 in 1 sae20 on the old forum - just a short while ago. If it’s easily available, and less$ than zoom spout, is it reasonable to use it? If (IF) the threaded screw needs removal, I’m hoping Allen wrench is snug fit, as mine aren’t magnetized. 

Tom, I can’t get a good look at the far(pulley) vertically oriented end of the motor. On the top of the motor, at the pulley end, is a black round piece of plastic, which could be a “cap” - it looks like it might be able to be pryed off with a blade, though I didn’t try. Do you think there’s an oil port under there?
The top many inches of the motor at the near end (end opposite the pulley end) are covered by metal -  I was able to slide my hand in there, and I don’t feel anything like a matching “cap”, round or otherwise. 

[Stan Adams]

I have an Emerson attic fan which was in my auto shop. Mine had sealed bearings on the blade shaft & the allen screws held the bearings in. Yes 3N1 blue is fine. That black plastic cap you are showing is an electrical access. The motor should have a hole at each end for oiling, mine has little plastic plugs in the holes, about the size of the lead in a pencil.

[Tom Zapf]

THAT BIG PLASTIC CAP IS NOT FOR OIL, BUT TO THE LEFT OF THE WHITE WIRE GOING IN TO THE MOTOR COULD THAT BE AN OIL PORT WITH A TUBE? I CANT ENLARGEN THE PHOTO ENOUGH TO SEE IN THERE BUT IF THERE IS A TUBE THAT WOULD BE FOR OIL...IF IT IS JUST ANOTHER HOLE SIMPLY FOR WIRING THEN IT IS NOT FOR OIL

I WISH I COULD CHECK IT FOR YOU IN PERSON! I HAVE A 24" FAN AT CHURCH THAT HAS A GE MOTOR THAT SAYS "OIL EVERY TEN YEARS" AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY SHORT OF TAKING THE MOTOR APART TO OIL THE BEARINGS...HMMM

 

[Ken McClead]

The fan you have is made by a company named Triangle Engineering.  They are still in business today and make fans under their brand as well as Dayton (a Grainger house brand).  Your model appears to be a cc3623.  Your motor oil ports will be plugged with little yellow plugs right behind the bands that hold the motor to the cradle base.  Here is a link to the company as well as a picture of the motor.  Hope this helps you out.  Good luck.   https://trianglefans.com/catalog/comfort-cooler/#scroll-to-content

 

[Andrew White]

Ken is correct. As a kid I recall Sam's Club (wholesale store) used to have display models of their Heat Buster line of fans, essentially a portable version of your whole house fan. My parents could park me in front of that thing and shop as long as they wanted without the slightest worry about where I was!

While oiling is an objectively good idea and will certainly lengthen the motor's service life, I'm positive that your motor has suffered little if any damage because of lack of service.

Since it hasn't been said, if you ever replace the belt--do not put an automotive belt on that fan.-- It is really bad for the bearings.

[Ric Fokina]

Tom: No tube in that hole. That opening is D-shaped, not round, with only a tiny sliver of metal comprising the linear portion of the D. I only found this out now, when I stuck my head and neck in, between the fan blades, as far as they would go - and  I still needed to feel with my fingers to be sure the D was “closed” (rather than the opening being an open “C”. 
Ken (and Andrew) -  I agree about Triangle. I still can’t see any part of the word “Triangle”, but I had previously seen (with difficulty) part of the word “engineering”, and “Arkansas’, on the fan. I was thinking about this all wrong - believing Emerson had hired the Arkansas company to make (most of) (!) the fan, rather than Triangle hiring Emerson to make  the motor.

There’s no way I’ll be able to access either vertically oriented end of the motor. The end opposite the pulley end is covered by a solid metal curved barrel edge- like a “lip”, and the pulley end would require either working from outside the house through open louvres of the shutter (and climbing a 3 story ladder), or a flexible fiberoptic scope with retro flex capabilities, like what a plumber or gastroenterologist might use (and that’s just for visualization). I’d sure like to know what (if anything) this fan’s designer was thinking (regarding fan reoiling). The label says that for “continuous duty - re-oil yearly”.

 

[Andrew White]

Might be able to remove the blades and climb in there.

[Ken McClead]

I agree with Andrew about removing the blade to gain better access to the motor area.  Your blade should have two setscrews 90 degrees apart.  There is no keyway on the fan shaft so once the setscrews are loosened, the blade should slide right off the fan shaft. If it sticks, spray a little penatrating oil in the setscrew holes and between the shaft and blade hub.  Below is a picture of a typical Triangle fan blade.