Aerovent IM-745 User Manual

IM-745

August 2014

General Installation, Operation and Maintenance Instructions For Aerovent Products

Heavy Duty Composite Fiber Fans

CONTENTS

Introduction .........................................................................1

Shipping and Receiving .....................................................1

Handling .............................................................................. 1

Short Term Storage ...........................................................2

Long Term Storage............................................................2

Foundation and Supporting Structures ............................2

Fan Installation ...................................................................3

Bearing Installation .............................................................3

Bearing Maintenance ......................................................... 4

Drive Installation .................................................................4

Drive Maintenance .............................................................. 4

Flexible Coupling Installation ............................................4

General Motor Maintenance .............................................. 5

FRP Maintenance ...............................................................5

Wheel and Shaft Maintenance ......................................... 5

Housing Maintenance......................................................... 6

Structural Maintenance ...................................................... 6

Duct Connections ...............................................................6

Optional Accessories ......................................................... 6

Fan Operation – Safety .....................................................6

Operation Checklist ............................................................ 7

Troubleshooting Guidelines................................................ 7

Troubleshooting Problems ................................................. 7

Air Capacity Problems ..................................................7

Noise Problems .............................................................7

Vibration Problems ........................................................ 7

Bearing Problems .......................................................... 8

Drive Problems .............................................................. 8

Motor Problems ............................................................. 8

Limitation of Warranties and Claims ............................. 10

INTRODUCTION

This manual has been prepared to guide the users of
heavy duty composite fiber fans in the proper installation,
operation, and maintenance procedures to insure maxi­mum equipment life with trouble-free operation. These
fans are made from a corrosion resistant reinforced plas­tic (FRP). It is the responsibility of the purchaser, install­er, and user to provide qualified personnel experienced in
the installation, operation, and maintenance of composite
fiber air moving equipment.
Since many fans of this type have custom features or
components, please refer to the attached appendices for
additional information. When manufacturers of compo­nents provide detailed installation and operation manuals,
they will be provided. Because of the wide variety of
equipment covered in this manual, the instructions given
here are general in nature.
Additional product and engineering information is avail­able at www.aerovent.com.
For safe installation, startup, and operational life of this
equipment, it is important that all involved with the equip­ment be well versed in proper fan safety practices and

read this manual. Please review the safety section before
beginning any work. It is the user’s responsibility to make
sure that all requirements of good safety practices and
any applicable safety codes are strictly adhered to.

SHIPPING and RECEIVING

All Aerovent products are carefully constructed and
inspected before shipment to insure the highest stan­dards of quality and performance. Compare all compo­nents with the Bill of Lading or Packing List to verify
that the proper unit was received. Check each unit for
any damage that may have occurred in transit. Any
damage should be reported immediately to the carrier
and the necessary damage report filed.

HANDLING

Handling of all air moving equipment should be con­ducted by trained personnel and be consistent with safe
handling practices. Verify the lift capacity and operating
condition of handling equipment. Maintain handling
equipment to avoid serious personal injury.
Units shipped completely assembled may be lifted
with slings and spreader bars. (Use well-padded chains,
cables, or nylon straps.) On most units, lifting lugs are
fashioned to protect the fan and fan housing from dam­age. Never lift a fan by the inlet or discharge flange,
shafting or drives, wheel or impeller, motor or motor
base, or in any other manner that may bend or distort
parts. Never lift with slings or timbers passed through
the fan inlet.
Partial or disassembled units require special handling.
All composite parts should be handled in a fashion
which protects the laminate structure plus its outer gel
coat surface from damage. All composite parts should
be handled such that forces are not concentrated to
avoid bending or distortion. Never allow the outer gel
coat surface to be damaged due to any sudden impact
forces or any stress that may cause the gel coat to be
cracked.
The fan housing should be lifted using straps and
spreaders. Do not distort the fan housing (scroll and side
plates) when lifting.
Bearing pedestals should be lifted using straps or
padded chains. Under no circumstances should an
attached or separated bearing pedestal be lifted by the
shaft, bearings, drives, motor, or impeller.
The single width shaft and wheel sub-assembly may
be lifted using a hoist with a sling around the shaft at
a point nearest the wheel. Take care not to scratch the
shaft where the bearings or drive will be mounted. Never
lift or support the sub-assembly by the wheel. Never lift
the shaft and wheel sub-assembly by the wheel blades,
wheel cone, or the wheel back plate. Always support
the sub-assembly by the shaft when lifting or storing.

©2014 Aerovent

Never transport the shaft and wheel sub-assembly by
rolling the wheel to its desired location, as this will dam­age the gel coat and can affect the wheel balance. Do
not support the shaft and shaft sub-assembly on the fan
housing sides.
Bent shafting is a source of vibration and bearing
failure, so handle the shaft with care. Any scratches on
the shaft may be removed with a fine grit emery cloth,
crocus cloth, or whetstone.

SHORT TERM STORAGE

If fan installation is to be delayed, store the unit in an
environmentally stable and protected area. During storage,
the fan should not be subjected to vibration or shock
loading from external sources, as bearing damage may
occur. The unit should be reasonably protected from any
impacts. Cover the fan to prevent any foreign material or
moisture from entering the fan inlet or discharge. Protect
the fan bearings, drives, and motor bearings from moisture.

LONG TERM STORAGE

Extended storage requires monthly inspections to be
performed and documented.
Fan bearings tend to take on moisture if the atmo­sphere they are stored in is not at a constant temperature.
To avoid corrosion, it is necessary to keep the bearings
full of grease and to rotate the fan shaft periodically. Even
when full of grease, bearings will take on moisture, so it
is necessary to purge the bearings with new grease to
expel moisture every thirty days. It is recommended that
when the bearing are being greased, that the fan shaft is
rotated by hand. Do not use high pressure greasers as
they may ruin the bearing seals.
The drive and belt should be removed if the fan is to
be stored for a prolonged period of time. Exposed
machined surfaces on the sheaves, fan shaft, and motor
shaft are to be suitably protected against rust. The drives
should be labeled for service and stored in a dry place.
Belts should be coiled without kinks, placed in a heavy
carton, and stored in a dry, well ventilated place. Storage
conditions should not exceed 85°F (29°C) and 70% humid­ity to prevent belt deterioration.
If the unit was supplied with a motor, the motor should
be stored in a clean, dry, vibration-free location. The motor
windings resistance should be measured at this time and
recorded for comparison prior to placing into service. The
winding temperature should be kept slightly above that of
the surroundings to prevent condensation from occurring.
This can be accomplished by energizing the motor’s inter­nal heaters, if it is so equipped, or by using space heaters.
If it is impossible to heat the windings, the motor should
be wrapped tightly with a waterproof material which also
encloses several bags of desiccant. Replace the desiccant
regularly to prevent moisture problems. The motor rotor
should also be rotated monthly to assure the bearings are
well covered in grease.
If the fan housing was supplied with a drain connection,
this plug should be removed to prevent any moisture from
accumulating in this portion of the unit during storage.

Fan Storage Procedure – Fans should be stored indoors
whenever possible in an area where control over tempera­ture, moisture, shock, and dust is reasonably maintained.
If units are to be stored outside exposed to the elements,
they should be covered with a water-resistant material.
Stored equipment should be stored on a clean, dry floor
or blocked up off the ground on blocks to prevent unit
from setting in any water. The floor or blocks upon which
the fans rest upon must be stable and capable of provid­ing continuous support to the fan structure which will

2

prevent uneven loading of the fan structure. The fan bear­ings should be shielded individually from water and dirt;
however, do not tightly seal the bearings to avoid trapping
condensation. If shock or vibration will be present during
the storage period, the unit may need to be placed on
some type of vibration dampening material to aid in pre­venting brinelling of the bearing surfaces.

Periodic Check – On a monthly interval, the equipment
should be checked to ensure that it has remained in an
acceptable stored condition. Make sure there is no corro­sion, no damage to the unit, and that there is no debris
within the fan housing.
The fan (and motor, if supplied) should be rotated sev­eral times by hand while adding enough grease to replen­ish the bearing surfaces with fresh grease and to maintain
a full bearing cavity. Grease used must be compatible with
that already supplied in the motor and fan bearings. The
fan impeller should be left at approximately 180° from that
of the previous month to prevent the shaft and impeller
from taking a set in one position.
Consult the motor manufacturer for proper storage,
space heater connection, and lubrication, if applicable.
Storage records should be maintained which indicate the
above requirements have been followed.

Prior to Start-Up – When the unit is removed from stor­age, all grease in the fan bearings should be purged and
replenished with fresh grease as per the lubrication decal.
Spherical roller bearings split pillow block housings should
be recharged with grease. The bottom half of the housing
should be 1/3 full.
The motor winding resistance should be measured to
verify that it is still at a satisfactory level compared to the
value recorded prior to storage. Motor is to be installed
on the fan per original location. Motor shaft and fan shaft
to be cleaned to bare metal.
Drives are to be cleaned to bare metal, installed, and
aligned per manufacturer’s recommendations.
If belts show signs of deterioration, they should be
replaced prior to start-up. Belts are to be installed and
tensioned per manufacturer’s recommendations.
Replace the fan housing drain plug, if applicable.

FOUNDATION and SUPPORTING
STRUCTURES

The preferred means of floor mounting a fan is on a
well-designed, flat, level concrete foundation. The foundation
should have a mass of at least three to five times that of
the supported assembly. The foundation should extend at
least 6” beyond the outer dimensions of the fan and driver;
however, it should be no more than twice the area required
for the equipment. If it is made larger, the mass should be
increased accordingly to resist rocking modes of vibration.
“J”, “L”, or “T” type anchor bolts of sufficient size should
be used and should be tied into the foundation reinforcing
bar. After the concrete is poured, a pipe sleeve with a
diameter of 2 to 2-1/2 times the anchor bolt diameter
should be provided around each anchor bolt to facilitate
final adjustment (see Figure 8). The mounting surface of the
foundation should be smooth for good shim contact. When
deciding the thickness of the foundation, approximately 1"
to 1-1/2" in height should be allowed for shimming, grouting,
and leveling nuts.
If a structural steel base or platform is to be used for
fan mounting, the support structure must be designed for
the weight of the fan, the live loads imposed by rotation of
the rotor and driver, and any external live loads. The struc­ture should be designed to ensure that no natural fre­quency will be present within 30% of the fan speed and

Aerovent IM-745

motor speed. This is especial true if the structure supports
more than one fan.
Fan inlet and outlet ducting should have independent
support. Do not use the fan to support ducting as the fan
housing or pedestal may become distorted or cracked. Flex
connectors at the fan inlet and discharge will isolate the
duct loads from the fan plus eliminate transmission of vibra­tion. Use stainless steel fasteners with large washers under
the head and nut to increase the load bearing area. Do not
tighten the fasteners to the point of crushing the flange.

FAN INSTALLATION

Follow proper handling instructions as given earlier.

1. Move the fan to the final mounting position.

2. Remove skid, crates, and packing materials carefully.

3. If vibration isolation is to be used, place isolation base
on mounting bolts. Line up holes in fan base with
bolts.

4. Place the fan on mounting structure. Carefully level
the unit (checking the level on the fan shaft) on the
foundation and shim as necessary using stainless
steel shims on both sides of each anchor bolt. Be
careful not to force the fan to the mounting structure/
foundation. This may cause the bearings to become
misaligned or pinched, which can cause vibration and
premature failure.

5. Check the alignment of the bearings. Shim or reposi­tion the bearings if necessary.

6. Check face alignment of sheaves on belt driven units
(reference Figure 4). Check tension of belts to see if
it is sufficient. Sheaves on belt driven fans are often
provided with taperlock bushings. When tightening
bushing bolts, proceed in a progressive manner to
avoid cocking the tapered surfaces between the bush­ing and the sheave.

7. Check alignment of factory mounted couplings, as
they are subject to misalignment during shipping and
installation. Realign to within 0.002" offset and paral­lel. Allow for thermal growth of the motor by setting
the motor 0.001" low for each inch of shaft up to

0.005". NOTE: Grid-type and gear-type couplings
require lubrication.

8. Check the tightness of the foundation bolts, motor
bolts, sheaves, and bearings. Make sure there is no
rubbing or binding and that the wheel-inlet cone
clearances are correct.

9. Check that bearings are fully lubricated. For spherical
roller bearings with split pillow block housings, the
bottom half of the housing should be 1/3 full of
grease. For oil lube bearings, the oil level should
submerge the bottom-most roller halfway.

10. Install any accessories that were shipped loose from
the factory.

11. Grouting is the final installation step. Check all stain­less steel shims before grouting to make sure the fan
is resting evenly on all points with anchor bolts
secured to hold the shims. Use shims with sufficient
space allowed for working the grout. The concrete
foundation should be clean and well moistened before
pouring grout. Use a commercial grade non-shrinking
grout and be especially sure when pouring grout that
the anchor bolt sleeves are filled. Refer to Figure 8
for a detail of a proper foundation, grout allowance,
and anchor bolt sleeve.

expansion and expansion bearings. The position of these
bearings cannot be interchanged.

Spherical Roller Bearings with Split Pillow Block
Housing

1. The bearings should be disassembled, taking care not
to interchange parts between bearings. Parts of one
bearing are generally not interchangeable with parts
from another bearing.

2. The lower bearing housing should be bolted loosely
to the pedestal and seals, bearing, and adapter sleeve
assembly should be placed loosely on the shaft.

3. The rotor assembly with the seals and bearings
should next be positioned over the housing and care­fully placed into the lower housing.

4. The thrust locking ring should be installed in the bear­ing closest to the drive sheave or coupling unless
otherwise noted in the drawing.

5. When installing adapter sleeves, tighten for reduction
in clearance per manufacturer’s instructions.

6. Bend down a tab on the lockwasher after finishing
adjustment.

7. Grease or oil according to manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Install the bearing housing cap and cap bolts. Tighten
bearing housing cap bolts and bearing mounting
bolts. Torque to bearing manufacturer’s instructions.

Solid Pillow Block

1. Slide shaft in bearing bore to proper location. Note:
Shaft should slide easily if self-aligning feature of the
shaft is within its limits. Sling the rotor assembly into
place and loosely bolt the bearings in place.

2. When bearings are in place, torque the base bolts
using values from Table 1, and tighten the collar
setscrews to manufacturer’s specification.

3. Grease the bearings per manufacturer’s instructions.

Figure 1.

SUPPORT STAND

(HOUSING FRAME)

MOTOR

SHAFT

PEDESTAL

WHEEL / IMPELLER

HOUSING

BEARINGS

INLET FUNNEL

Figure 2. Wheel Placement

Size

165 182 200 222 245 270 300 330

A

16.50 18.25 20.00 22.25 24.50 27.00 30.00 33.00

B

0.44 0.56 0.63 0.69 0.75 0.88 0.97 1.06

Size

365 402 445 490 542 600

A

36.50 40.25 44.50 49.00 54.25 60.00

B

0.94 1.03 1.13 1.25 1.38 1.56

BCSF Wheel Placement

BEARING INSTALLATION

The following section gives some general instructions
on bearing installation. When bearings are field installed,
the specific installation manual for the bearings should be
followed carefully. Always make sure to check the fan
assembly drawing or instructions for location of the non-

Aerovent IM-745

A

DIA

B

3