Noisy / Rattling Heater... Solutions?

[Lyaec350]

As mentioned in my other thread, I have a hanging natural gas heater (Beacon Morris 75,000 BTU http://www.beacon-morris.com/html/garage_heater_bru.asp) and the thing rattles like crazy. The little spring mounted fins that direct the air are the worst offenders, and I have silenced them a little bit by bolting aluminum bars vertically to hold them still against their springs, but now the case of the heater (panels, etc) rattle like mad. Is this a common problem? Any tricks to getting these things quiet?

 

[MXtras]

Dynamically balance the fan thereby eliminating the vibration causing the rattle.

Scott

 

[Lyaec350]

How do you dynamically balance a fan?

 

[MXtras]

I imagine it would be balanced from the factory, but then again they didn't even give you an installation manual....

Contact your local electric motor rebuild shop and ask if they have the capability. If not, they likely know who in your area does.

If it's that bad, I would complain to the manufacturer.

Scott

 

[Lyaec350]

The case doesnt shake at all its just annoyingly loud when its running. That was actually the impetus for the insulation--we don't use the garage frequently enough for the energy savings to offset the cost, its just the ability to keep the place at 65 degrees without the heater running all out.

 

[keepcold]

That's funny that you said that, I just installed the same unit last night and that was the first thing I thought when I fired it up, that the unit was annoyingly loud..I was able to tighten up the bolts on the fan and that seemed to help, but still loud..

 

[scottr]

Assuming the unit is mounted to rafters that have appropriate cross bracings, and are otherwise rigid, you should get too much noise. The ceiling sheetrock should be doing this for you to some degree. How is the vibration of the unit as it is hung now? If you put your hand on the housing and you feel a noticeable vibration, it is probably not mounted securely enough. I ended up hanging my unit on threaded rods with rubber bushings (probably overkill). My 2 cents worth....

 

[Lyaec350]

actually the way that it is installed its just hanging from 2 pieces of predrilled channel across the rafters (needs to be at an angle because its in a corner), maybe that's why it shakes so much?

 

[Willy Victor]

How about some vibration isolators.

Willy