how to change fan speed on a trane furnace

In other units, it may be 2, 3, and 4 that are programmed. ASE Certified Master Auto Technician If you have not read that yet, I would encourage you to do so! Heres What It Means, Why You Should Monitor the Humidity Levels In Your Home. Step 2: Create a Safe Workspace When working with any unit connected to electricity, it's important to turn off the power to prevent electrocution and damage to your furnace. I want it for the same reason as cliff--the top floor of my house is colder than the main floor and I'd like to even things out by moving more air around. The low pitched whine stops when fan is in high speed. . New XV80 Trane furnace makes noise when blower runs at low speed. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Possibly you could do the same here (turn down blower and gas). Air filters are measured by Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV). We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange! It only takes a minute to sign up. Remove the air handler. After a bit of research, (translated: "mad google skills") I found an article claiming that lowering the blower speed may increase efficiency. enjoys making jams and jellies during fruit season along with cooking meals. The ohm meter should read very close to zero. I know I need to replace a dying blower motor in a 1992 Trane XL80 gas furnace. Because the slower air velocity over the heat element is transferring fewer BTU units into the circulated air and they simply go up the exhaust pipe. However, they are limited based on the total external static pressure (TESP) in the duct. (Variable & Multi-Speed Types) In this HVAC training article, we will be discussing how to adjust the fan speeds on an indoor ECM variable speed blower motor and an ECM constant torque/multi-speed blower motor. With a one-gallon-per-hour burner nozzle that saves me AT-LEAST 30% on fuel oil plus another 20-30 min of blower run time or at least 30-50% run time savings. and our However, during the time period while the compressor is not engaged I need to circulate more air on the second floor or it becomes stale. charts are usually found on the air handler inside door to controls. 80% would be great for me. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. A continuous green light means the IFC circuit board needs replacing. Compatible with Trane systems or any standard HVAC system. Now that its gotten cold, we've noticed that several of the heat register barely have any air coming out of them. Can I retrofit a 2-speed or variable speed blower on a Payne PG8UAA forced air furnace? I'd go with logging temperature differential (inside temp - outside temp) vs. energy consumption every day for a month with the blower on high and then for a month with the blower on low. Variable Speed Blower Motor ( Genteq 2.3, 16 pin connector). I'm not sure exactly the formula I'd use to normalize the results, but I'm pretty confident I could come up with some correlation if I had the data to play with. My heat is running cold! I guess you are talking about a 3 speed direct drive motor with 1/2 shaft. This will help prevent injury and damage to the furnace fan. (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=2ba02a33-c319-4410-bba7-f8321a13bed3&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: "2ba02a33-c319-4410-bba7-f8321a13bed3" }).render("00499ba9282e4d1b985fa8af14d29c2b"); }); On my furnace IFC, the black (high speed) wire is connected to the air conditioning (cool) terminal, and yellow (medium-high speed) is connected to the (heat) terminal. How does a furnace work? homininet 8 mo. Western VA. Nov 28, 2009. Step 3: Find the furnace draft inducer. On the furnace / air handler board you should have two wires on the "Y2" connection, assuming a two-stage cooling system. This will show what speed each numbered tap is programmed as. The blower is set for 400 cfm for a 4 ton outdoor unit, and comfort-R is not enabled (all factory). If the Delta T continues to rise, this is due to low indoor airflow. You have to switch the wires to the blower motor. Air Filter - Be sure to check the air filter and replace if necessary. And I'd guess you're not supposed to push it too close to the limits as things may change slightly over time (filter will get dirtier, blades dirtier). Thoroughly rinse the filter. BarnArtist, locate the wiring schematic on your furnace. I just moved into a house with a Trane XR80 furnace (several years old). If you are a homeowner looking to repair your own appliance, understand that the voltages can be lethal, the fuels are highly flammable and high pressures are used. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. When one of the taps is powered with 24v, the motor will turn on and run at the selected speed. Move the high-speed wire to low. Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? If you remove the common and place it on another terminal, it can burn out your motor not how you want the new furnace season to begin. It is about 1300-1400 sq feet, but then the basement was finished at some point, more or less doubling the square footage. Craig creates educational HVACR articles and videos which are posted at https://www.acservicetech.com & https://www.youtube.com/acservicetechchannel & https://www.facebook.com/acservicetech/. If the pressure switch is functioning properly . I connected a second thermostat to the circuit board to run the blower (R to G). The fan speed is very low when not heating/cooling. Can a furnace with a variable speed blower be used in a multistory house? When the humidity is high for what its set at. Secure the old speed wire by twisting a wire nut over the end. But the 'real' one will be the one connected with a twist on cap to the fan motor. I was reading the Trane XL824 thermostat installation and setup manual. The product data guide, and label on the inside panel indicate the air . I got the sv96 100k btu 2stage furnace with variable fan and the xl18 4ton ac unit. We welcome your comments and The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Top Ten Interview Tips to Land that HVAC/R Job! Remember that CFM stands for Cubic Feet Per Minute. Motor is an ECM and it makes a low pitched whine sound when in CIRC or when the blower is ramping up or slowing down to stop. Fortunately, theres a simple fix if you look at your furnaces Integrated Furnace Control (IFC) board. There is no humidistat. you will get the better dehumidification with the lower setting. A properly fitted filter can also trap unwanted, and oftentimes unseen, pollutants from the air in your home, including: Start with the return vent. Yes: you will save electricity costs by running your blower on low. During the awake hours I Hold the fan speed at either low or medium. How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates, Linear Algebra - Linear transformation question. No need for direct trane replacment motor. air flow is inadequate to match demand and duct size. Not every AC or furnace filter will have an arrow printed on the frame, but when it does the arrow indicates the direction the filter must face. Thanks for all your continued support! Has anyone done this and can anyone give me a reason why I shouldn't do this? See our Privacy Policy for more information. 1 to 1.5 hours | Install the new motor, adjust it (multispeed and variable speed blowers only), run and test the furnace Installing a blower wheel with the motor shouldn't affect installation time, since the old wheel typically has to be removed to replace the motor. Match the positions to the desired pictures within the manufacturer's installation literature. One fan is inside the house, and one is outside the home. Unlike a conventional systemwhere the furnace goes on, blows hot air into the house at full force for a few minutes, and then shuts offa variable-speed or variable-capacity system runs the blower for longer periods at lower speeds. It had been set on the higher speed, but that was too harsh, so I lowered it to the slower speed. (Variable & Multi-Speed Types), In this HVAC training article, we will be discussing how to adjust the fan speeds on an indoor, In order to measure air flow you could use a flow capture hood, a rotating vane anemometer, or a, I hope this helps you understand how to adjust the airflow speed on ECM Blower Motors! Make sure power is off when doing any adjustment. Trane XR80 Troubleshooting After examining the flashing system you should check the green light speed. Connect with our Customer Care team about your products, warranties, and dealer concerns. Another common place with a schematic is on the back of the blower fan door. Why is my furnace blower running at low speed? Switch the power back on and test it. Using a hammer, lightly tap out the blower motor shaft (fig.6.7) to loosen the blower motor from the fan shroud (fig.6.8). Each is associated with a different blower speed. Mine. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Trane Home Customer Support via email at help@tranehome.com or call 1-877-288-7707, Monday-Friday 9 . This can be done through an independent dehumidistat or through a thermostat's DEHUM terminal (if available). This will cause the "Cool" terminal on the control board to be connected to to the #4 terminal on the motor module via the black wire. You may freely link to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. You could also use the Temp Rise Formula which you can learn about in our "HVAC Temp Rise Formula used to Measure Airflow CFM" video. Remove battery from the thermostat (or disconnect thermostat altogether). He has been DIY since childhood and is now a septuagenarian. For homeowners who want to upgrade rather than replace an existing furnace, Emerson Electric offers an exclusive replacement blower motor called the Mark Z that can be set by the homeowner on a continuous, slower-than-normal speed. Here's what to record, in order of importance: The last two (5 and 6) aren't as important, but more data is always better. I simply am unable to put my hands on the schematic. So if you are actually moving 1250 CFM then you are at 357 CFM/ton, which is a good setup for dehumidifying. Roughly 400 CFM is needed for every 1 ton (12,000 BTU/HR) of Heat Removal Capacity in Air Conditioning Systems. If there isnt one in your home, turn it off at the breaker box. In the pictured example above, if the #5 speed tap is programmed for 1600 CFM and #4 is programmed for 1200 CFM and #5 is presently connected to the "Cool" terminal on the control board via the black wire, we know that the unit is running at around 1600 CFM as long as the TESP across the unit is not too high. The gas is shut off and the induction motor stops running while the blower . The problem is, the furnace control module doesn't use a separate speed when the unit is running in continuous FAN mode. HVAC system for small church has twin Trane XR90 units installed in 2009 to replace a unit with a much larger single blower. If power is getting to the blower motor, but the motor does not run, the motor may be burned out. I want to do what is best. one room doesnt get as warm or as cool as the others. Oil Furnaces may have a temp rise of 50-60F. There is a modification that will allow the VS fan to run on high speed at all times while in the AC mode and with the fan "ON" mode. It accounts for the amount of air in circulation for precision airflow. The wire's color will determine the speed settings that the motor will run at. the module must be a trane furnace model specific programmed and is available separate from the motor. Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. When changing the AC or furnace filter, the arrow should face the furnace and point away from the return duct. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commissions at no cost to you. Here are some of them: Better circulation of heated and cooled air. Change the speed. Additionally, they can be identified by the presence of a removable module/bell on the end of the motor. Are there downsides to this. How exactly could I test this? I understand the reason for slowing the air to remove humidity. Solution: Install a new sequencer AND a new fan relay, just to be safe. Can this be adjusted In humid climates, 350 CFM per ton can be selected in order to remove more moisture from the air. Upon initial installation, these dip switches need to be adjusted for the particular unit, size, and application. That will give you the most reliable results for your particular system. Disconnect between goals and daily tasksIs it me, or the industry? For 240v units, both the L and N are hots. Most residential furnaces were installed by the low bidder. If a clear distinction between the blower speeds isn't obvious in the data, then you're probably not going to save much money either way, so go with what's most comfortable for you. Bus Driver/Substitute Teacher Website operating The noise is there in heat or AC. Air filters are typically found behind the return vent door, often located in the ceiling or wall in the central portion of your home. I've already had a few HVAC vendors give me some specious arguments about moisture buildup, another even told me he'd "lose his license" if he touched the job. Air filters should be changed every 90 days unless otherwise indicated on the packaging or by the manufacturer. Step 4: Take out the inducer motor. Typically the colors are: White = neutral speed Red = low speed Yellow = medium speed Black = high speed I'm also going to go through and make sure there are no visible leaks or damage to them. This video is to show how you can figure out the blower speed setup in your HVAC system, and what you can do do adjust said speeds. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. In order for the filter to work properly, the right size is crucial. The S8X1 blower has 9 speeds. At night with an . In fact, there's no need to worry about the fan wearing out or breaking down because it's designed to run continuously, and there's an array of benefits connected to this. This will increase the number. You will need to look at what the programmed speed designations are for M1/M2/M3/M4/M5 on the wiring diagram of the HVAC unit. I'm not in enhanced mode. Not every AC or furnace filter will have an arrow printed on the frame, but when it does the arrow indicates the direction the filter must face. The NET difference of the above two figures is your savings or cost. 81K views 2 years ago In this video, we are changing the blower speed on a Trane XR 95 furnace so that the forced air furnace circulates more air on heat mode. No problem with the boiler. She has experience researching and creating a wide range of home improvement and garden projects, and especially enjoys learning about fireplaces and exterior design. The A/C will run according to the thermostat settings. I'm not completely convinced on this, since the claim is made by a company that sells variable speed blowers for retrofitting HVAC systems. The heat exchanger can be overheated and burned out if the blower does not remove enough heat. I could imagine possibly fewer "warm up cycles" (which also include having to power on the fan) might save something (as well as lower fan speed=less electricity)but as others have noted, while its running (esp. This control board is out of a variable speed furnace with a modulating gas valve that has a variable speed inducer motor. These blower motor versions can be found in furnaces, air handlers, and packaged units. Cookie Notice When the summer air conditioning season transitions to the fall heating season, increase the blower speed by switching the wires on the cool and heat terminals. Now, I haven't done the measurement to learn how much electricity my blower uses on low vs high. Warmup.com mentions that it was the original design of radiant floor heat systems by the Romans. Here's the sequence: Furnace gets call for heat. Sometimes you have to add more ducts to achieve the proper pressure and velocity. Your AC or furnace is designed for a specific type of filter. The noise of forced air is annoying. After understanding what speed each tap is programmed for, we can make proper airflow adjustments. with a wiring harness for the fan. The heat exchanger warms up the incoming air and a blower or air handler sends the warm air throughout the home. By pressing "submit", I understand that I am providing express consent for Trane Residential to contact me about this request or similar topics. According to the manufacturer's documentation, your furnace should have a 3 or 4 speed blower motor. It allows three constant fan speeds as well as an automatic fan speed and a variable burn rate and compressor and fan speed. How to Convert a Furnace Blower Fan Into a Stand Alone Fan, What to Do When a Furnace Blower Fan Won't Start, How to Replace the Resistor on Air Conditioner Blower Fans. I have also measured that on low speed my furnace requires AT-LEAST 1 hour of constant running to raise my home temp by 6 deg F. On high speed it takes 30-40 min. Proper duct sizing can resolve the issue you are having. Follow us on Facebook for Quick Tips and Updates here! You may freely link This means that any time cooling is called for by the control board, 24v will be present on the #4 terminal of the motor module to turn the motor on and to run at roughly 1200 CFM. Second-stage auxiliary heating for heat pumps and multi-stage furnaces. A MERV 16 filters particles at a level near that or a HEPA. I'll just run the heat pump through the leaky ductwork and heat the crawl space. Narrowing that hysteresis loop will: Leading to a smaller Hysteresis loop, increasing motor efficiency by reducing iron eddy current losses. Does that have any impact on the efficiency of the unit? Most furnaces have a relay switch on the door cover. First, make sure that power is getting to the motor. Turn off the emergency HVAC shutoff switch Remove top and bottom cover panels on the air handler / furnace unit (fig.5.1). Bundle Packs are a great way to save and get faster shipping! Run a jumper from "R" to "Y2" and the blower will run continuously at the second-stage cooling speed. I have a Carrier furnace/heat pump with an expensive control thermostat that talks directly to the heat pump. One of these wires will be coming from the thermostat and the other will go to the outside unit. 3 of the wires will likely terminate with just a twist on cap. http://www.inspectorsjournal.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8998&, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Test your knowledge with our 1,000 question workbook along with the answer key! If the blower motor is burned out, replace it. So clearly, running your furnace blower on low is only more efficient IF-and-ONLY-IF the cost of the heating fuel is much much less then the cost of the electricity to run the blower that little bit faster. I would think adjusting the heating element would save more energy than reducing the blower's electric consumption, but I didn't do a study on it myself. Test the new speed. The installation instructions for this furnace are needed in order to be able to know how to set these dip switches. To start, ECM stands for Electronically Commutated Motor which means that the motor is capable of electronically controlling it's own speed, and therefore CFM, according to the desired output. The installation guide clearly describes how to set airflow for heating mode and cooling mode. @Dave: Those were my thoughts as well. Comfort R should be off if you are using . Turn off the power source that is connected to the furnace blower. -The "Blower-on and Blower-off delay" time period can be selected. The manometer tells you the CFM number. lower efficiency furnace) it is drafting exhaust up the flue which can't be good. Dave. We have been heating the crawl space in our house for several winters because the ductwork was all torn up from rats. I'd like to get some second opinions. how to change fan speed on furnace to get more heat from your unit HVAC STARTUP TECHNICIAN 4.6K views 1 year ago Trane XV80 or XC80 Variable Speed Motor Blower Fan Not Working - $9. I hope this helps you understand how to adjust the airflow speed on ECM Blower Motors! Inventor with two patents (weight training – anti-rollback for manual wheelchair) home improvement and repair website. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". Soak the filter in warm water in a bathtub or sink. I know I need to replace a dying blower motor in a 1992 Trane . At night with an even lower set point I switch the fan speed to automatic. Related: a two stage furnace works by actually shooting less gas out, which might improve its efficiency. A slim, removable cover will reveal the filter location. My gas furnace has two options for the blower speed: MED, and MED-HI. In Dungeon World, is the Bard's Arcane Art subject to the same failure outcomes as other spells? video below! He has several years experience as a professional cabinet builder, and he is an accomplished auto repairman, having operated an auto repair business for many years. I have another question about my new Trane XV95 Furnace. Put the air handler back. If it goes out of spec then on "very cold days" (when the furnace runs a lot) it could trigger an automatic shut off when the exchanger doesn't end up getting cooled enough, FWIW. Step 3. Your R value shouldn't change, and daily average wind speed and precipitation should have a minimal effect on the convection coefficient. Identify the blower fan and the speed wires. If you do, you may not have enough air flow over the heat exchanger, resulting in overheating and eventually a shorter exchanger life span. I've gone through the process of adjusting the manual zone louvres on the main ducts (and on registers) and checked them with my camera for blockages. AC Service Tech HVAC Training is made possible by continued support from our visitors, customers, and support from these Sponsors! But I guess my question is, can the air flow problem really be a simple as upping the blower speed? As a side note, lowering furnace (heating) blower speed should apparently only be done if it doesn't reduce the "heat rise" (difference in temperature between the intake and supply air, if I understand it, also known as the "delta T") past the manufacturer recommended value for that furnace. Since hot air is much lighter . How do I check if this furnace switch the blower to second speed. He owned and operated a manufacturing business building Compact Utility Vehicles for homeowner use. By regularly changing your filter, you can improve your indoor air quality and extend the life of your heating and cooling system. Again, this can usually be found in the upper-left corner. The MERV scale rates filters from 1 to 16. The system might not work properly. The arrow should point toward the unit. In a gas furnace, (the most common type of furnace used in homes) natural gas is ignited in the burner and the flames heat up the heat exchanger. The arrow should face the direction the air is flowing. So the blower motor is dead. I suppose I probably won't do so it, but out of curiosity what kind of downside might one run into? Based on some randomly googled comments here: http://www.inspectorsjournal.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8998& seems to agree it decreases efficiency but may increase comfort [ex: cold spots or noise level] :). A 90 percent-plus furnace needs 150 cfm per 10,000 Btu of input. I.e., maybe more heat is now escaping through the exhaust. *Based on third party testing of particle removal efficiency down to 0.3 microns (2005). Presently the settings for the cooling mode is speed 7 (C1.7), heating mode at speed 5 (H1.5), and continuous fan mode is set at the lowest speed (CF.1). When you open the panel, it kills the power to the furnace. The gas kicks on and is lit by the ignitor. He is experienced in wood and metal construction, having designed and built several houses and metal buildings. We recommend our users to update the browser. All rights reserved. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Certified Welder We welcome your comments and suggestions. In this HVAC training article, we will be discussing how to adjust the fan speeds on an indoor ECM variable speed blower motor and an ECM constant torque/multi-speed blower motor. Changing the fan wire connection between the fan-on relay and the fan motor, selecting a high, medium, or low speed right on the fan motor itself Changing jumper positions on the control board (printed circuit board shown below) in the air handler Changing a dip switch or small slider switch position provided on some air handler control boards