The blower in your HVAC system gets a lot of work. The blower is used with your air conditioner, furnace, and fan. It could potentially work during all months of the year. That could mean the blower wears down faster than the furnace or AC parts that only work part of the year. Here's a look at some of the blower parts, why they might malfunction, and what an HVAC repair technician might do to keep the blower functional.

Parts That Keep The Blower Going

The thermostat in your system needs to be operating properly so it can trigger the blower to turn on. The blower system is composed of a fan, a capacitor, and a motor. The blower fan looks like a wheel with fins on it. The capacitor is a large silver cylinder that works like a battery. The capacitor gives a charge to the motor so the motor can start the fan turning.

Malfunctions That Affect The Blower

Since the blower fan spins, it can sometimes vibrate loose. This can make loud noises and interfere with the ability to push air through the ducts. If the fan gets stuck because it's unbalanced, that could cause the motor to strain to turn the fan and burn out.

Another problem with the blower system is when the capacitor goes bad. Capacitors don't usually last as long as the HVAC, so they could potentially go bad and keep the fan from spinning. Plus, when the capacitor goes bad, the fan motor can burn out.

The blower fan motor might fail due to bad bearings or because it burns out when there is a problem with the fan. When the motor goes, the fan won't spin and air won't circulate through your home.

Repairs The Blower Could Need

When the blower isn't working, the HVAC repair technician may need to use a multimeter and start at the thermostat and work their way to the blower motor to find the bad part. A bent fan can be replaced, and if the fan is just loose, it can be tightened. A bad capacitor can't be repaired, so the HVAC repair technician will replace it with a new one of the same type. A burned-out motor needs to be replaced too.

If you notice your ducts aren't putting out a strong stream of air or if your blower makes odd noises when it kicks on, you may want to turn your furnace, fan, or AC off and call an HVAC repair company. Running the blower when it's malfunctioning can ruin the motor and make the repairs more expensive.