Gemmy Inflatable blower repair attempt, complete disassembly

Limited success was achieved, I am not a professional motor repairman. None of my steps should be considered as professional, not responsible for any damage you may do to yourself or your property. Motor ID is th-bl3-10-1. I personally believe that this motor was not designed to repair as none of the parts appear to be available except for a new replacement unit.

[@thesherwoodpiper2414]

My wife came to me a few days ago saying our inflatable stopped working, so I told her I'd take a look. Now, most people are smarter than I am, but for those on my level..... I had the thing about half disassembled before I realized I hadnt asked my wife if the lights came on. She said they didnt, so I finally gave the power cord a look. Sure enough, there is a small fuse inside it that had blown. A replacement was already in the plug. Check that first if the problem seems to be an electrical one. Hope that might help someone!

[@kennethausten]

I completely removed the armature out of the motor. Found a temperature sensor open circuit in the field windings. I bypassed it and worked fine. Meanwhile I managed to obtain some temperature sensors. Very small, look like a diode. It's buried under the winding insulation. Just remove insulation. Where cable entry is and there it is. Have found this on loads of motors likes this on many products.

[@unforgettableprojects312]

I have a few motors and inflatables someone let me pull out of their trash. All of the inflatables are not in good shape, but I plan on doing more motor videos in the future. Thank you for your comment and further information provided!

[@Brandon_the_inflatable_expert]

If the fan is not strong enough then its the fabric. I recommend using water based polyurethane on the fabric to get it to hold air again

[@ultraalvafa4962]

Hello there, how's that supposed to work? I get one that includes a "water" bag, but we dont know how to used 🤔

[@dianneclanton7762]

My motor runs intermittently. Any clues as to why it no longer runs consistently?

[@Brandon_the_inflatable_expert]

@@dianneclanton7762 is it a small back fan?

[@Joaquin-mp8ub]

How do u call that black tool you used at 3:22?..... i need one of those

[@unforgettableprojects312]

This was not a true snap ring, so it did not have a spring effect. With a real snap ring you need to always use safety glasses, this was just a "Magnetic Pick Up Tool" that I used to attempt to stop the metal ring from going flying.

[@BlackCrow7]

Is the fan supposed to run constantly while infatuated ?

[@holidaykingmanmoirlawncare4511]

Yes

[@dominicguelfi5302]

I have this same issue. So you basically just lubed the bearings?

[@dominicguelfi5302]

I lubed the bearings and the fan still won't kick on. The lights work, just not the fan. The wire splices look good too. 🤷‍♂️

[@angelosmith797]

What’s the longevity of the motors inside of these inflatables?

[@daviddruyan3652]

For me? One or 2 seasons

[@floridaman5125]

Mine says 2004 and died in 2023, but I bought it used.

[@funsk8ermom]

I have a 9 ft cat & pumkin. No holes and the fan works, just not powerful enough! Where can I take this to get fixed, I don't have the tools to do this myself

[@unforgettableprojects312]

Unfortunately you are probably better off looking up what your motor is and buying a replacement motor for it. These motors do not look like they were designed with repair in mind and I have not been able to find parts anywhere.

[@whiteknightcat]

How long have you had the inflatable, and did it work properly at the beginning? If it's not that old, and it worked initially, it may simply need a little cleaning as shown here. These devices are not meant to last very long, though, in my opinion. They're cheaply made import products that don't last long in order to get you to keep buying new ones. You likely won't be able to find anyone to work on them professionally as it would cost more to do what this presenter demonstrated than to just buy a whole new decoration. Note: This demonstration was for a 120V motor. These techniques would not work on the smaller 12V decorations that require an adapter.

[@funsk8ermom]

@@whiteknightcat it worked beautifully! It will stand but not fully inflate! I had a 12 plus foot snowman that I had for over 10 years and he lasted through ruff winds too! He just finally ripped as the fabric started to rot after all this time from the weather, Ice and snow🥺

[@whiteknightcat]

@@funsk8ermom OK, if it inflates but won't stand, it sounds like a leak. The tricky bit will be finding if it's a small rip or tear, or if the fabric is just worn to the point where it won't hold air. There are other videos on KZbin demonstrating how to use clear spray finish on the fabric to make it harder for air to pass through.

[@tk4family707]

If the fan is spinning slow oil it. just put some oil on the shaft coming out of the motor. Also look for leaks.

[@kickazz2730]

Just buy a new inflatable. It's cheaper than the motor itself.

[@unforgettableprojects312]

This is not correct, a new motor would be about 40-60 dollars, this duck does not seem to be made anymore {or sold out} and the only ones I could find were in the 300-400$ range. Generally speaking, the motor is not cheaper than an inflatable of this size (although you would be getting a new non-warn unit without material problems if you did buy a new inflatable). Sometimes the motor is not the issue and the material is the problem so it is very important to identify what the actual problem is before deciding to buy a new motor or a new inflatable.

[@kickazz2730]

@@unforgettableprojects312 I had an 8ft snowman for about 10 years. I changed the capacitor but the motor is still not running. These cheap motors cost just as much as the new inflatables. Bought an on sale new 8ft snowman with an online extra 25% off. The new inflatables now have LED lights too. The cost was less than $30. Now I'm thinking of putting the old one in the trash.

[@josephralph7570]

@@unforgettableprojects312 how are you supposed to know if the fan is not the problem?

[@floridaman5125]

You must be rich.