How to Remove a Mini Split Fan Wheel!

[@povoljan13]

As a new hvac tech, I really appreciate videos like these. Thank you

[@jonathanraul4086]

Great video! Thank you. One important thing I learned a lot of years ago is before I get to the machine I tell the customer please turn on machine. Make sure it is operating correctly and we check the temperature what it's coming out

[@marzgtp]

Great video! I just cleaned my Diakin unit . Had a little trouble putting the drain pan back in but just take your time it’ll go in.

[@thepatrioticmistersnevets9850]

These infernal units are too easy to break. One of the worst aspects is when the customer watches, and when they see how flimsy the parts are, they get buyer's remorse.

[@JohnSchwing]

😊😊😊

[@CommercialGasEngineerVideos]

Thanks for the video, nice steady camera too

[@YTsux24-7]

The older VW Bugs could be disassembled with a flat head screw driver. This is a prime example of why I dislike mini-splits. There are too many plastic parts that can be cracked or broken. Here in Colorado plastics become brittle within a few years of use.

[@chrisdeanndavison3626]

I agree. I'm always afraid I'm going to break something unintentionally when I work on them.

[@joansparky4439]

The plastic on my Fujitsu units is still OK after 10 years.. had them apart 2-3 times (2 with wheel+motor out) for cleaning. What destroys those devices is the corrosion+mold in the evaporator areas that can't be cleaned, even with the wheel out. To be able to clean there and do some corrosion prevention/treatment the evaporator needs to come out, which requires HVAC tools+knowledge (and licenses).

[@YTsux24-7]

@joansparky4439 as I mentioned, the dry climate here in Colorado Springs at 6200+ feet in elevation makes plastics brittle long term. I'm sure lower elevations with higher humidity keeps plastic resilient. What tools and licenses are you assuming I don't have?

[@joansparky4439]

​ @ YTsux24-7 here in AUS one requires HVAC licenses to be able to work with refrigerants (R136A, etc.) and unhooking the indoor unit (i.e. the evaporator) from the cycle requires to collect the refrigerant in the outdoor unit, and later on using a vacuum pump before letting the refrigerant back into the whole cycle. YMMV? I'm on 750m ASL, 17 deg south, so not quite as high as avg CO but also not SL. We also got plastics/rubber that goes bad, but the Fuji-AC plastic seems pretty tough.

[@denverbraughler3948]

@@joansparky4439 : Recovering the small amount of refrigerant, opening the evaporator coil to atmosphere, removing, cleaning, or replacing it, vacuuming it, and restoring the charge, would cause wear and tear, lose some refrigerant, and introduce contaminants. It’s impractical even for annual cleanings, not to mention the labor cost. Does the manufacturer recommend this?

[@btrained8760]

Great job, Brandon! Very informative!!

[@paulsilver1625]

Try doing this on a unit 10 years old. Brittle as hell. Rusted corroded and needs to be replaced. Spend hours doing the clean. Only for it not to go back together. Seriously easy on a brand new air handler.

[@joansparky4439]

Yep, corrosion and designed to not to "really" be maintainable is limiting the lifespan on any of these.

[@jgm3796]

Indeed, easier to avoid removing the seized blower wheel and just use one of those elastic drapes to wash off all the accumulated debris.

[@AceStrife]

@@jgm3796 As someone who just did this after about 5 years of ownership....... I'm disassembling the entire thing in panic because it didn't work, and it looks like a colony of growth all over the blower fan. 6 passes and it didn't come off (yet wipes off with a q-tip, and is very gooey). It's disgusting and I'm perturbed. Swapping the unit is an ordeal and requires HVAC tools and knowledge.. we're still going to try it, but this is an emergency situation. The room smells so toxic it's insane.

[@danielgrove7782]

Yep..total junk i regret buying this the installer screwed up didnt address unit...all the local service managers told me there was no addressing( i worked on robots for a decade worked with guys that drive the mars rover so f them) i did get a good tech but this thing wont last through a good cleaning

[@danielgrove7782]

Throw 1/2 the parts away and screw it back together

[@fmashockie]

Great video! Just a quick note on Fujitsu models. Not all of them have a blower wheel with a set screw that can be easily accessed via the method you show in this video. For example, my apt is equipped with Fujitsu ASU9RLF units. The set screw cannot be accessed via the grill at the bottom. For some reason, they did not extended the airflow grill from the evaporator all the way to the end of the unit like in your model shown. Instead, there is a black plastic cover that is connected to the rest of the base of the unit blocking the set screw. You need to lift up the entire evaporator and while holding it in one hand, remove the set screw with the other. It is a real pain. Also, the wired grill cannot be easily removed like you show here. There are two screws on either side holding it in place that are almost impossible to remove without removing the entire evaporator. It just makes cleaning this one a lot more difficult. Nonetheless, your video was still very helpful as a resource! Final thought: if you are an HVAC tech not removing the blower like this to clean these, you are ripping off your customers. There is no way you are removing the gunk off the blower wheel (completely) without removing the blower wheel. The grime on the inside of the wheel fins is particularly difficult to remove. Thanks again for sharing this!

[@whiggins13]

I have one of the models you are talking about. It is such a pain! Thanks for calling that out and providing some info.

[@freonpeon472]

Bought a SpeedClean CoilJet Coil Cleaner battery power washer a few years back and will never go back. Their cleaning solution does an amazing job. It's far faster than doing all this unnecessary labor saving our customer money not to mention potential problems demoing/reassembling unit.

[@joansparky4439]

u are not going to clean the mold out of the unit properly when relying on spraying fluids into the unit blindly.. LOL

[@raulgarcia528]

Waooo Creo que El Daikin fue El mas facil para acceder. Gracias por compartir

[@BernWag]

Have these gotten easier over the last couple of years? My 2 ton DuctlessAire is 5 years old and a huge pain ITA to clean the blower wheel.

[@moss8448]

same here with an older model Fujitsu (ASU9RL2) the coil is surrounded by styrofoam with no easy access to the blower wheel. I ended up because it hadn't been cleaned in 6 yrs (and I smoke a lot) is to just clean by spraying hell out of it and blowing hell out it. It runs but is dirty as all get out.

[@robertgregory2618]

@@moss8448 Imagine your lungs.....

[@Rhahdhdn]

Easy enough when it’s at eye level and nothing is in the way…

[@andysantos8286]

Exactly!

[@Chainsaw600]

Yep. Just popping the top off when the installer did not maintain space above the unit is my favorite.

[@RoastedHVAC]

Settle down... It's good information. We all know the challenges.

[@paulblueosyter1472]

Bib and coil jet

[@elwooddowd6683]

That would be a bad install on several levels.

[@pedrojuarez5834]

I must confess that I did not clean the mini split blower wheel now I'll do it right the next time

[@HvacKat]

Like legit stuck my temp probe to far in and broke the fan blade in front of custy and wanted it replaced… not even making a difference. Needed this thank you.

[@ashveersanilal1699]

Your aircons are very easy to work with

[@Jytimbalero4632]

Helo, thanks a lot for such a very educative video. By the way, is there any table or any rule of thumb for choosing a fan blower replace in terms of diameter and lenght whenever the original piece is not available? I have trouble to find the right diameter and length, the closest I can get is a blower 5% bigger diameter and just less than. 1% in lenght. It actually fit the space. Best regard.

[@chasemanhart]

I have a unit full of mini splits, all different models. Absolutely despise them. Any advice for cooling interior units with no windows?

[@chrisosbourn596]

What is the best grease to use on the blower wheel shaft?

[@jamesw6200]

You just saved me $325 and a 2 week wait!!!

[@alvinderama3196]

Any tips for the HAIER brand? I have no idea where to start dismantling it

[@luisarriaga3545]

Excellent video...thanks

[@Maraxion]

Hello. Did this on an fd heat mitsubishi kirigamine. Previous cleaned it aswel. After putting all parts back its all blinking green on all 5 light and not turning on. Any ideas?

[@robertgregory2618]

My 2009 unit got so bad a few years back that there was no air flow. They don't tell you about why that may happen when you buy these things. Any way mine was top of the line model and the job was difficult. But when I pulled that thing out I was shocked at how much gunk and fungus was on it. They tell you to keep filters clean well that's easy it's these darn blowers that are the problem. I have to admit that they don't look that hard now to do.

[@Melee2Kil]

One of my split systems is right up against a wall on the left side, makes it impossible to get the blower wheel out without wrecking the fins on the radiator. Not really sure how much I move it upwards without it breaking

[@LeeJooLeong]

Hi, Mine is multisplit Mitsubishi Starmex 2018). I unscrew and removed the set screw but the blower wheel is still stuck to the motor and I am unable to pull it out. I have used screw driver as a crowbar to try force it out but it seems stuck to the motor. (I have already loosen the cooling coil). Any suggestions? Thanks.

[@jgm3796]

Same issue with my LG, set screw removed but it seems seized to the motor shaft. The motor shaft does have some visible corrosion. 🫤

[@papajhova]

I just did this with my Fujitsu and getting the blower wheel on and off were the hardest parts. I thought I was going to break it!

[@sherryberry2394]

Mine was seized last time I cleaned my unit. I managed to get it off rather easily, but this time it seemed worse. I was able to get it off with a firm pull, just got lucky I guess. But when I reassembled, the set screw won't grab to the motor shaft. I have tightened the set screw, and don't want to over tighten, but it's not gripping the motor shaft. Suggestions?

[@oloyang431]

@@papajhova I managed to remove the blower wheel on my fujitsu, which is pretty much exactly the same as the one in the video, but it seems impossible to put it back on. I am using so much force I feel I'm going to break it. I still haven't managed to put it back on. Any suggestions?

[@papajhova]

@@oloyang431 honestly I wrestled it for a good 10 mins and all I did was mess with the angle that I was pushing, and idk what I did, but it popped back on. I thought I was going to break it too... and/or pop a vessel.

[@tielkgate]

Thank You. Great video.

[@rubey07]

What lubricant do you recommend for the blower wheel?

[@hollylynn7024]

I have a new floor model CH-12MMC-230VI and need to clean the blower fan! Could you help with this or make a video please?? I cant find it anywhere online

[@stringtwister7654]

How would it be done on a della mini split?

[@paulmartin5525]

Any suggestions, the screw on blower won't turn

[@zyrtec455]

I suggest that their should have more models that can’t remove water tray such as, Mr.Cool, Pioneer etc. that manufactured from Chinese Factories.

[@ashveersanilal1699]

Can you please post a video doing a gold air 12000btu blower wheel removal and drain pan removal. Cos this aircon is difficult to remove. Blower wheel locked on the shaft motor and no screw to remove to loosen blower wheel out.

[@littlehawk8491]

is it just as easy to clean the blower wheel on a GREE ductless mini-split? Dealer/installer said it was heavy work requiring 2 people and wants to charge me $750 for the work.

[@rubey07]

Or what type of lubricant?

[@lancewolf2451]

I just use about 90 psi with a long tube air blow gun and blast off all the gunk on the aerodynamic part of the blades..seems to work ok.

[@jerronbigbee9545]

What do you recommend for cleaning evap coil? Bibb kit and water or no rinse coil cleaner?

[@joansparky4439]

mold+corrosion doesn't go away with "no rinse cleaner" and even pressure washing isn't going to do a lasting job.. ideally the evaporator coils should be taken outside for a proper clean, but those systems are not designed for that.

[@u2tipsy]

Great video! The music is a little "screwy" though. 😂

[@ashveersanilal1699]

Hi its very difficult to remove the blower wheel on a gold air 12000btu indoor unit non inverter unit. The drain pan has no clips to drop it down and blower wheel has no screw attached to it.

[@salvatoregiovanni8967]

I have a 36k Gree mini split, and my blower fan wheel is a two piece design due to the indoor unit being so long. All the videos I see show one piece wheels. I’m trying to figure out how to replace my right hand fan (closest to blower motor). Do you know how?

[@deanriver9388]

The older Fujitsu heads are an absolute nightmare to take apart most of the pieces break

[@rehannaseemsiddiqui1970]

hello brother I think damage inside cooling coil frence

[@jmuir6097]

HI Brandon what about a lennox

[@jasonshearer1870]

Nice job!

[@gatgat01]

So got to the point of the apparent drain pan but theres no clips or anything. Its a rovsun.

[@sherryberry2394]

I totally believe in getting that blower wheel out and cleaning it really well with hose water. I clean my 2 Mitsubishi units once or twice a year. It's not easy, but I just think it needs to be done, otherwise there's no way to get all the gunk out. Your place will smell like nasty tennis shoes if you don't do this. At the moment, I can't get setscrew back on to motor shaft-- it won't grip the shaft for some reason. I don't have a flat side on the motor shaft. 🤷‍♀️. So I only have one unit running at the moment. Pooh 😫. Anybody have suggestions?

[@samhaazratechnicalsupport]

Very niece sir ❤

[@abcjj02]

How about a Mr cool unit?

[@christian81846]

Hey what happened to Craig

[@scottseddon9122]

You should remove one where the set screw isn’t accessible inside the blower wheel, but on the outside of the blower wheel.

[@brockbeckstedt6483]

What a nightmare this can take some time and nobody wants t I pay hours on cleaning and still take a chance on breaking the plastics they sure didn't make it simple to clean therefore cleaning won't be done well leaving the end user with half ass cleaning.

[@joansparky4439]

mold+corrosion within the evaporator fins/coils gives those things a lifespan of 10-15 years (if run frequently) and due to how the system is being designed those areas can't be cleaned properly anyway as those parts have to stay in place..

[@denverbraughler3948]

These clearly aren’t designed to be cleaned. I’ll call it bad engineering.

[@joansparky4439]

to properly clean the evaporators (going outside with them) the refrigerant cycle would need to be disconnected (HVAC knowledge + tools needed) or the system would need a glycol based (2nd) cycle to carry the heat/cold from outdoor to indoor with pumps and leakage potential (to be able to disconnect them easily).

[@denverbraughler3948]

@@joansparky4439: Or the coil could be left in place, sprayed with cleaning foam, and rinsed into the condensation drain. You know, like systems with better engineering that can be cleaned without major disassembly.

[@joansparky4439]

​ @ denverbraughler3948 What systems would that be please? I'have to replace mine in the next 5 years, so would be good to have an alternative - if it exists?

[@denverbraughler3948]

@@joansparky4439 : For a mini split, I don’t know. Most horizontal package and split units can be installed to permit the evaporator coil to be easily washed without major disassembly of the air handler. Ease of maintenance, especially routine cleaning, should be an engineering specification.

[@LarryChingkwake]

great video but this guy is obviously double jointed on his thumbs right ???

[@byronlentz4825]

I have a couple of Friedrich units. They don’t seem to be anything like this. I have no dealer support, so I’m on my own.

[@smyejhamza]

The set screw is not in the middle on the blower wheel, it is on the shaft of the motor which is at the right of the unit. You will.have a screw right beside a beige insulator where the copper diffuser is then there is one behind de electrical compartment ( at the left of the compartment but on the right of the unit. Next wiggle the black drain pan downward and your set screw is under the yellow plastic cover protecting the motor. Hope this help

[@Cain-x]

This is a dirty secret that manufacturers will never talk about or just glance over - deep cleaning these split systems annually, maybe twice a year if in very dusty and humid regions. Is there some other maintenance plan that helps keep the blowers from collecting dirt/mold and without doing a full dismantle?

[@azzeddine4135]

سلام عليكم انا احد التابعين للقناة وارجو ان تكون هناك ترجمة للعربية مصاحبة للفيديو thank you

[@Youngsuperman17]

Nice

[@brichusi]

Mine is in my RV right above my bed I was wondering why I have been feeling well. I looked into the fan area, very dirty wet. 😂😢

[@wolfsden3812]

No carriers ? Gee thanks

[@andysantos8286]

Damn! Was this evaporator buried?

[@lifechanges4097]

I can't get this cheap everwell to do this.....

[@yf6682]

What he keeps calling a gasket, is the shaft bearing.

[@bytorprairiedog700]

Remove these two little clips at two minutes and 28 seconds How the hell did you remove those clips? For the life of me, I can’t figure it out

[@paulsilver1625]

Not a gasket. Omg. It’s a poor excuse of a bearing.

[@joansparky4439]

quiet-running = rubber with ceramic-sleeve-bearing is the BEST choice

[@paulsilver1625]

Why don’t the manufacturers make it easier. Profit I guess

[@mackenziegray2090]

Once you do it couple times is pretty easy.

[@thepatrioticmistersnevets9850]

Job security.

[@joansparky4439]

the refrigerant cycle can't be disconnected on any of those, so the evaporator has to stay in place - corrosion+mold in them destroys the unit depending on usage.. mine are running frequently and even after cleaning them from the inside (wheel out) every 2-3 years are going to need to be replaced after 15 years tops. Plastic is still good though (got Fujitsu units) - Mitsubishi seems to be easier to maintain IMHO.

[@letstravelsandadventures8326]

I need to know how I can cancel my Patreon subscription to your channel.

[@acservicetechchannel]

Hello! Reach out to our email, [e-mail], with your patreon information and we will help you cancel your subscription!

[@dylanvilkofsky8180]

Gotta mention there's older dumber models that have no set screw and need to remove the motor with the wheel

[@CsykKrit]

I've watched like 30 videos, I must have a magic unit because I cannot remove that lower portion without the whole uunit coming off the wall ffs

[@c21meister]

Mini splits are annoying

[@billevans3262]

From15

[@klabkebash]

Or.. Just use the cleaning kit with plastic bag to drain into the bucket and use a moderate pressure washer with cleaning solution. No breaking of plastic clips and messing around for hours with 1 blower trying to put the blower wheel securely on the motor. 😎💩

[@ryanmoore2779]

Not Fujitsu 😂. Nobody likes the F word

[@anthonygasparini1734]

The only time I have seen wall units this dirty is when the rest of the house wasn't kept clean! A dirty environment leads to a dirty wall unit.

[@joansparky4439]

bull.. just run them in a tropical climate and ANY will look like that within 24 months top - no matter how clean the house is.