Late Friday Night

It’s late one Friday night and you are on a call with a bad OFM (outdoor fan motor). The OFM has seized bearings and you don’t have a replacement on your truck. What do you do? How can you get the customer going?

As field technicians, there isn’t always a by-the-book solution to solve a problem. I want to encourage all techs to think outside the box when solving problems in the field. There is an emergency temporary solution to this; HOWEVER, I caution to only use this as an emergency solution. If you receive a call regarding a bad OFM which is seized and need to buy a day or two to get the correct OFM, here is a trick that may help the customer and you.

Most likely the bearing has dried out and seized. You may be able to do this without completely removing the OFM. Start by removing power from the unit. Next, remove the OFM from the unit. Drill an 1/8” hole in each bearing cap on each end of the motor.

Take your favorite oil/lubricant and spray in the hole you just drilled. This part may take a few extra minutes. Slowly start rotating the fan shaft back and forth until the shaft spins free. You may need to use a small adjustable wrench to help rotate the shaft making sure not to damage the shaft in this process.

Lastly, reinstall the OFM in the unit and turn the power on. I highly recommend taking amp readings from the motor to ensure the motor is not over amping. After all this is done, please visit your local Mingledorff’s to get the correct OFM.