Exhaust fan on Napoleon NPI-40 making a noise.
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As we've posted before, we have over the course of several weeks,dealt with our dealer (Fireplace Village, Salem), and Wolf Steel. Wolf was totally useless, insisting they had no problem with their product, any problem, like the noisy fan,was in some bizarre way,our fault(lack of cleaning,etc.) We have had 3 blower fans, the first 2 lasted an average of 2 weeks before becoming unbearably loud. This 3rd one has been in almost a month, and,knock on wood, has been pretty quiet..an occasional noise, NOTHING like the first 2, certainly bearable.
I know Wolf has a link to this blog, and if they're reading it, gee, how come this fan is working even with our "dirty" chimney? I'm pretty sure we all know the answer to that.
If somehow this fan stays quiet, we are pretty satisfied with the stove. It does what it's supposed to do. Actually, we have heard complaints about other brands of stoves also. It's not that a particular product has a problem, it's how that problem is handled. Napoleon says they're built on customer service, but those of us here know that both Napoleon,and Wolf Steel dont know the meaning of customer service. That is truly where the problem lies.
I know Wolf has a link to this blog, and if they're reading it, gee, how come this fan is working even with our "dirty" chimney? I'm pretty sure we all know the answer to that.
If somehow this fan stays quiet, we are pretty satisfied with the stove. It does what it's supposed to do. Actually, we have heard complaints about other brands of stoves also. It's not that a particular product has a problem, it's how that problem is handled. Napoleon says they're built on customer service, but those of us here know that both Napoleon,and Wolf Steel dont know the meaning of customer service. That is truly where the problem lies.
Stove Doctor said:
Maybe you are a dealer but I bought from an dealer and The Factory, Factory Rep or the Dealer has done an thing but the Run around I have had to lemons I replace and the other won;t Heat. So don't tell me how good the stove or company is. They do not back what they sell!@!
Hi All,
I am still having problems too ... sigh.. I'm not sure what to do anymore really.... I wish I could just return this whole thing and also buy the Breckwell I should have bought in the first place. Between the two.. I chose this one for it's looks.. bad choice. It was like picking a football team to win based on its colors.lol Though, I did also figure that although Napoleon was only in the pellet business for a short time, they were in the wood stove business for quite a while, so they must have knew what they were doing.. obviously not. So far, we replaced the exahust blower, and the convection blower, and now the variable speed blower dial went. I am currently waiting for that part to come in. We just replaced the convection blower in the last week and a half. I just got the RA number for the convection blower and was planning on sending that back when I noticed one of the fans was making a horrible noise the other night again. If it doesn't go away once we replace the knob, I really don't know where to go from here. I really just want to ship this thing back and demand all my money back. I don't have the time, energy, or patience to deal with this anymore.
Major frustration... - Kim
I am still having problems too ... sigh.. I'm not sure what to do anymore really.... I wish I could just return this whole thing and also buy the Breckwell I should have bought in the first place. Between the two.. I chose this one for it's looks.. bad choice. It was like picking a football team to win based on its colors.lol Though, I did also figure that although Napoleon was only in the pellet business for a short time, they were in the wood stove business for quite a while, so they must have knew what they were doing.. obviously not. So far, we replaced the exahust blower, and the convection blower, and now the variable speed blower dial went. I am currently waiting for that part to come in. We just replaced the convection blower in the last week and a half. I just got the RA number for the convection blower and was planning on sending that back when I noticed one of the fans was making a horrible noise the other night again. If it doesn't go away once we replace the knob, I really don't know where to go from here. I really just want to ship this thing back and demand all my money back. I don't have the time, energy, or patience to deal with this anymore.
Major frustration... - KimI just put a new convection fan in mine today and got it running. Gather all you contact info and write to the attorney generals office. I did and am waiting to see what happens. I want my money back too.
I told Osborn Pumbing the place I bought it that he was responsible to me the buyer and it was up to him to fight with the distributor and factory, Not Me. The Rep Raymond won't even talk to me he refered me the Wolf and I tried to contact them and they won't even call me or e-mail me. Time for a Class Action suit. and request to our represenative and senators to Ban all their product from coming in to this country.
All of you folks need to gather all related e-mail and info dealing with these issues and contact you Attorney Generals Office, Senators and Rep. I want my money back. These are a piece of junk that they put together to get our money with no intentions of servicing or standing behind them. Also boycott all their other products. Grill etc.
OK...I am on my second stove, a Napoleon NPI40 and it is JUNK also. It has been running for a month and I already have a new fan installed....the new fan is as loud as ever. I also noticed that the hot air is only being blown out of the left side of the heat tubes. I plan to make a call to BAC sales who handles the warranty and ask them to come get the stove. I am doing some research on a better stove for around $2500.....any ideas???? To sum it up, two stoves and 4 fans in less than 1 year......
I bought a Nepolian gas fire place from Zooblers that's worked great for two years. When I bought the sales people spent a long telling me in detail about the fireplace. So I was thinking about a free standing Nepolian stove for my basement. But what a difference two years make. Zooblers service took a serious dive. I won't go near Zooblers now or Nepolean products now. Thank goodness for this site. bjr23
Hi,
I too have a NPI40 that I purchesed from zoobler. It stopped working a few weeks ago. The pellets won't drop into the pot. I removed all pellets and cleaned out where the pellets are place in. I couldn't find anything that was blocking the pellets. I have always kept the stove clean with my ash vacuum cleaner. The light goes on indicating that it "thinks" that pellets are dropping but they don't drop.
I tried to find someone to come fix it but no one will come to my house. I don't live near any pellet repair places.
Does anyone have any ideas how I can get the pellets to drop?
BTW- Zoobler has been awful. It took about 6 months for my stove to arrive. It came without the air control rod. That took a few more months to get. Then it wouldn't start. That took a few more months to fix. I'm an unhappy NPI40 owner but I want to get it working soon to save $$ on oil bills. Thanks, Wally
I too have a NPI40 that I purchesed from zoobler. It stopped working a few weeks ago. The pellets won't drop into the pot. I removed all pellets and cleaned out where the pellets are place in. I couldn't find anything that was blocking the pellets. I have always kept the stove clean with my ash vacuum cleaner. The light goes on indicating that it "thinks" that pellets are dropping but they don't drop.
I tried to find someone to come fix it but no one will come to my house. I don't live near any pellet repair places.
Does anyone have any ideas how I can get the pellets to drop?
BTW- Zoobler has been awful. It took about 6 months for my stove to arrive. It came without the air control rod. That took a few more months to get. Then it wouldn't start. That took a few more months to fix. I'm an unhappy NPI40 owner but I want to get it working soon to save $$ on oil bills. Thanks, Wally
Been reading this thread off and on the past year or so. I bought my NPI40 in March 2009. Last week they replaced the convection fan for the second time. And today this third fan started hinting at noise. I can't complain much about my dealer - they have been helpful and understanding. I left them a message about this new noise.
My primary complaint is with Napoleon like much of yours is. I do believe the fan itself is good, but the mounting location that Napoleon put the fan in behind the stove allows it to draw dust into the motor and that's my theory. ymmv
My father has had a pellet stove for almost 20 years (different brand) and the bearings on his convection fan are greasable so he has the ability to keep it lubed. He's on the same convection fan still. We do not have this ability.
I have toyed around with the idea of taking it apart to see how possible it would be to drill a hole for adding my own grease in both the front and rear bearings. Of course this would "void my warranty" which I still have a year on. But the annoyance is crazy when it starts and the dealer does not stock these fans (big surprise). Has anyone done this?
The other option - although much more involved - is actually physically relocating the fan from it's location on the stove and having an HVAC person rig up some sort of vent pipe to move the air from the fan to the stove, thus hopefully prohibiting the fan from sucking in dust and making it last many, many years. And as a by-product... maybe the stove would be quieter. My concern tho in addition to the cost and engineering - is the heat output from the stove would be lower, even at high speed.
As you can tell, I've thought about a new solution for awhile. Anyone else try something "outside the box"?
My problem is that my firebox (originally an open fireplace) is so small, I barely have 1/2" of clearance above the stove so the NPI40 was about the only one I could find that fit. So if I wanted to replace it with something from another manufacturer, I fear I wouldn't find one that fits top to bottom.
Other than the fan issue, I love the stove. Looks good and puts out good heat for my 1700 sq ft tri-level.
My primary complaint is with Napoleon like much of yours is. I do believe the fan itself is good, but the mounting location that Napoleon put the fan in behind the stove allows it to draw dust into the motor and that's my theory. ymmv
My father has had a pellet stove for almost 20 years (different brand) and the bearings on his convection fan are greasable so he has the ability to keep it lubed. He's on the same convection fan still. We do not have this ability.
I have toyed around with the idea of taking it apart to see how possible it would be to drill a hole for adding my own grease in both the front and rear bearings. Of course this would "void my warranty" which I still have a year on. But the annoyance is crazy when it starts and the dealer does not stock these fans (big surprise). Has anyone done this?
The other option - although much more involved - is actually physically relocating the fan from it's location on the stove and having an HVAC person rig up some sort of vent pipe to move the air from the fan to the stove, thus hopefully prohibiting the fan from sucking in dust and making it last many, many years. And as a by-product... maybe the stove would be quieter. My concern tho in addition to the cost and engineering - is the heat output from the stove would be lower, even at high speed.
As you can tell, I've thought about a new solution for awhile. Anyone else try something "outside the box"?
My problem is that my firebox (originally an open fireplace) is so small, I barely have 1/2" of clearance above the stove so the NPI40 was about the only one I could find that fit. So if I wanted to replace it with something from another manufacturer, I fear I wouldn't find one that fits top to bottom.
Other than the fan issue, I love the stove. Looks good and puts out good heat for my 1700 sq ft tri-level.
Another quick point not related to the NPI40 fan issue - if you purchased the stove in 2009, you are eligible for a tax credit. The NPI40 is eligible. Up to $1,500. This will hopefully make dealing with the fan issue a bit less harsh to deal with.
See (broken link removed to http://www.napoleonfireplaces.com/Company/taxcredits.html)
See (broken link removed to http://www.napoleonfireplaces.com/Company/taxcredits.html)
While I hate to admit it, I did have a period when my Napoleon fan made a horrid high pitch noise. It would come on, I would shut the stove off or try other settings. Seemed to work, then it came back. My stove is in the downstairs level of our split. So, frustrated, I just left the room and let it screech. After a week, the screeching stopped an never came back. Now runs very quiet. I clean the fan only by use of the leaf blower in the exhaust outside, and by using the vac (so far). I do have concerns that the blower may "cake" up with ash/shoot. That leaf blower method seems to take ever bit of loose ash out of my stove and the exhaust system. I know what works today, may not remain true for tomorrow, but that is where I am at this time with no regrets.
Been reading these posts and I have had the NOISE too. When we had service in it was QUIET. i have noticed if i turn it much over 3+ it whines like a ....., has to be a heat issue in the blower bearings.
had a nps40 since 08, harman since 01. had to have the first exhaust motor replaced the first yr. after that nothing has gone wrong. i had to take off the exhaust motor last spring to do a full cleaning. bought a new gasket for $9 man that alot. so i just went to the auto parts store and got some felpro gasket sheets and made a gasket out of that and put the fan back in and been rockin the heat this yr with no problems.
its sad to see all these people have problems, since i have 5 other family members with the insert model doing fine no problems in 2 yrs. but making substantial purchases from online dealers is a no go for me, i have to talk face to face with the person id buy it from.
its sad to see all these people have problems, since i have 5 other family members with the insert model doing fine no problems in 2 yrs. but making substantial purchases from online dealers is a no go for me, i have to talk face to face with the person id buy it from.
I am now in the middle of my second season running the NPS40 and just started experiencing this problem regularly (high pitched squeal from the exhaust blower). I have kept this stove and the vents very clean (including the leafblower trick). I have a call in to Napoleon.
Does anybody know whether there is a choice of part makers for a replacement fan? It sounds like others who have replaced their exhaust fans under warranty end up having the same problem again. It's bad enough I have to replace this fan... I'd like at least to find a replacement part that does not have the defect. Thanks.
Does anybody know whether there is a choice of part makers for a replacement fan? It sounds like others who have replaced their exhaust fans under warranty end up having the same problem again. It's bad enough I have to replace this fan... I'd like at least to find a replacement part that does not have the defect. Thanks.
I can't believe with all the complaints and proof (video is an exact match of the issue in this thread) that Napoleon ignores the issue. I've started another thread for this accidentally but I have reached out to Fasco the maker of the blower. Figure if Napoleon has done nothing by now with the complaints and threats to go to the BBB then that won't change any if I call.
The nice production manager at Fasco got back to me and stated this blower is in a lot of pellet stoves and there's no known issue with them.
I've read elsewhere on the internet that someone swapped out the sealed ball bearings and tried sleeve bearings which worked. He spoke with Steve Arnold at Fasco which helped them. I'll be talking with him tomorrow, specifically, for details and help because there's some mixed messages from others at Fasco that ball bearings are better for high temp environments than the sleeve bearings. Apparently, the gentleman used the sleeve bearing instead and no further noises and ran at higher rpms (3500 compared to 3000). Unfortunately, that person did not follow up with many other details to help other people out.
At this point I am willing to try anything. I spent a lot of $$ on this stove yet can't use it because the noise is unbearable. I can't keep spending $200 a whack for new blowers!
The nice production manager at Fasco got back to me and stated this blower is in a lot of pellet stoves and there's no known issue with them.
I've read elsewhere on the internet that someone swapped out the sealed ball bearings and tried sleeve bearings which worked. He spoke with Steve Arnold at Fasco which helped them. I'll be talking with him tomorrow, specifically, for details and help because there's some mixed messages from others at Fasco that ball bearings are better for high temp environments than the sleeve bearings. Apparently, the gentleman used the sleeve bearing instead and no further noises and ran at higher rpms (3500 compared to 3000). Unfortunately, that person did not follow up with many other details to help other people out.
At this point I am willing to try anything. I spent a lot of $$ on this stove yet can't use it because the noise is unbearable. I can't keep spending $200 a whack for new blowers!
i dont have a napoleon stove but i have an englander stove for about a year now and am on my 4th room air blower motor. they all started making the same nose that is in your youtube viedo. im back and forth with englander now and the latest is they say its a squirl cage blower and is noisy... its frustrating and they say the same thing that there is no known issues and if there was alot of stoves use this blower.
have you guys found any fix? other brands?
i took apart a motor today and found its the rear bearing making the niose the balls are actualy blued. i think heat is the issue and th rear bearing had no air over it and no metal heat sinc such as the metl squirl cage on the front bearing.
have you guys found any fix? other brands?
i took apart a motor today and found its the rear bearing making the niose the balls are actualy blued. i think heat is the issue and th rear bearing had no air over it and no metal heat sinc such as the metl squirl cage on the front bearing.
This issue has been around for a while and not just one brand of stoves. Breckwell has had the issue too! They and Fasco came up with these beauties to help curve the heat issue.
They are c-frame shaded pole motors with fans at both ends to cool the bearings, Open frame also helps reduce noise issues overall. Enviro and Harman have used them on the combustion motors for years!
They are c-frame shaded pole motors with fans at both ends to cool the bearings, Open frame also helps reduce noise issues overall. Enviro and Harman have used them on the combustion motors for years!
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j-takeman said:
Wow that's awesome. I don't know how I haven't come across that in all my searching. Seems like that would do the trick. Do you know how I would go about getting a direct replacmet for my room air blower.
hnkstang50 said:
Unfortunately, No. I don't have any numbers from these blowers to play around with. I see you have a thread posted on this. Maybe Mike H. has some info for you.
Did you save any of the old blowers that you swapped out?
j-takeman said:
Yea. I sent one back. I took one apart and one is still together. I'm hoping Mike can help. This noise is so frustrating.
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