Trying to ID woodburning fireplace insert.

[DanF]

I have the same issue with mine. The wife isn't happy with the noise they make, especially when trying to watch TV in the room. When I removed the fan assembly, to address another issue, I did note that there didn't appear to be any bushings between the fan frames and the mounting plate. As mentioned earlier in this thread, there should be several possible replacement fans available aftermarket. In the spring, once the burning season is over, I intend to look into replacing the fans, with some that are a bit quieter, I hope. If one were to try to install bushings in an attempt to quiet the fans, the material the bushings would be made of would have to take in to consideration the operating temperatures in the chamber under the firebox.

I tried lubricating the fans to no avail. I have now ordered a pair of Dayton fans from Grainger and will report back on how it works. I have to admit that I went with lower CFM fans in preference to the lower DBa ratings. I will let you know how it all works out in a few days.

 

[TechWrench]

I tried lubricating the fans to no avail. I have now ordered a pair of Drayton fans from Grainger and will report back on how it works. I have to admit that I went with lower CFM fans in preference to the lower DBa ratings. I will let you know how it all works out in a few days.

I would be interested in how the new fans work out, as far as noise goes. I want to make sure I understand your post correctly. You said "I have to admit that I went with lower CFM fans in preference to the lower DBa ratings." Do you mean that you did not buy the fans based on a DBa rating, and instead went with a lower CFM rating? If that is correct, are you hoping that the lower CFM rating will result in a quieter fan?

When I did my original research on replacement fans, in response to an earlier post, I didn't specifically check for DBa ratings on any of the fans. I plan to be more specific in my search when I get ready to get replacements for my unit.

Good luck with the new fans.

 

[DanF]

I have the same issue with mine. The wife isn't happy with the noise they make, especially when trying to watch TV in the room. When I removed the fan assembly, to address another issue, I did note that there didn't appear to be any bushings between the fan frames and the mounting plate. As mentioned earlier in this thread, there should be several possible replacement fans available aftermarket. In the spring, once the burning season is over, I intend to look into replacing the fans, with some that are a bit quieter, I hope. If one were to try to install bushings in an attempt to quiet the fans, the material the bushings would be made of would have to take in to consideration the operating temperatures in the chamber under the firebox.

The new fans are much quieter. Thank you for posting the link to the Grainger web page with the fan listings. I ended up ordering two of the (broken link removed) fans. Yes, I know that they are half the CFM rating but they seem to push enough air. I don't want to misrepresent anything; the fans still do make some noise but it is much quieter. I was able to use the wiring harnesses that were already present so I only purchased the fans themselves.

Thank you to all who were posting!

 

[TechWrench]

The new fans are much quieter. Thank you for posting the link to the Grainger web page with the fan listings. I ended up ordering two of the (broken link removed) fans. Yes, I know that they are half the CFM rating but they seem to push enough air. I don't want to misrepresent anything; the fans still do make some noise but it is much quieter. I was able to use the wiring harnesses that were already present so I only purchased the fans themselves.

Thank you to all who were posting!

Thanks for the feedback. I think I am going to look at fans with a bit higher CFM rating considering my situation. I have an open floor-plan layout, and a high cathedral type ceiling which opens up to a loft area above the kitchen/dining room. Naturally, with this type of setup, a lot of the heat generated by the fireplace winds up in the loft area first, and then works it way down to the 1st floor. I have two ceiling fans, one above the living room and one in the loft, which I use to help move the air around. If I run the fireplace all day, I can get the 1st floor to maintain a temp of 70-72, and not use very much of the oil baseboard system. This is without using the fireplace fans, with an average outside temp of 25 or above. If the outside temp gets much lower than 25, then I need the fireplace fans to increase the heat output. The house is well insulated, but the fireplace is trying to heat a large area. I also noted that the fans you ordered use a sleeve type bearing. It has been my experience that the sleeve type bearings are fine when new, but they tend to deteriorate over time, and get noisy. I intend to look for fans that use a ball-bearing system. They do tend to be a bit more expensive, but are generally much quieter over time, and tend to last longer. We will see how it goes.

 

[begreen]

If 4 11/16" axial fans work you are in luck. There are lots to choose from.
75cfm, ball bearing
https://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-Square-Axial-Fan-3LE76
105 cfm ball bearing
https://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-Square-Axial-Fan-6KD76

And if you don't mind spending a bit more I have always been a fan of Pabst axial fans. They are quiet, vibrate less, use less power and last a long time. This one is 106 cfm, ball bearing:
https://www.grainger.com/product/EBM-PAPST-Square-Axial-Fan-40N384

 

[debduluth]

I was aware that Mendota started out making wood burning fireplaces, but I’ve never actually seen one.

I loved my mendota insert! I had to leave it in the last house unfortunately.

Hello. We installed this same unit on our home around 1991. Thanks for all the great info - my husband was able to locate and print the manual on-line. Question: We remember being told or saw a brochure at the time of sale that referenced a gas -conversion kit. There is not one listed on the parts list in the manual. Do you or anyone know of a gas-conversion kit option for the Mendota Hearth MHW-1E? Thanks!

 

[Eric09]

I know this is an old post. I bought a house with the Mendota MHW-1 fireplace. I can't find the owner's manual anywhere. Curious if I could/should use a firegrate and what kind.