Replacing bearing in fan - Vent Axia Sentinel Kinetic High Flow unit

[Weebles]

Following the 2 excellent posts by @DOIGAN and @Stones I’m posting this as our Vent Axia model (408451) is different again and it might help someone else to be able to order the bearings before starting to take apart the unit. We are half way through. Bearings now on order 608-2Z from Bearing King (thanks for the recommendation).

 

We heard a noise (humming, but way louder than normal) and had a weird smell (like burning but not quite, though could be the failed fan in the network switch - both problems turned up on the same day). Thanks to googling “MVHR weird noise” this site came up!

 

You can’t get to the fans without taking off the side panel. You can’t take off the side panel without taking it off the wall. And to do that you have to disconnect all the extract / intake ducts. The photos below start from once we got to this point.

 

We identified which fan had the problem. When spinning them both one of them stopped a lot quicker. 
 

Was an effort just to get the fan housing out due to it being stuck in with lots of sealant. 
But here it is, finally out. Prised out with a flathead screwdriver.

 

Then we removed the black rubber bit on the top. That took some prising out too once the screws were out.

 

 

Then we pulled the section housing the circuit board off. Again, it didn’t come away easily. 
 

 

 

Then we popped the black button bit off

 

 

The next bit was surprisingly hard as @Stones had said - the c-clip was really hard to remove. We used a couple of screwdrivers to force it open and a third to pop it up, and it bounced around the plant room fortunately landing at our feet. 

 

The first bearing took some effort to get out but it looks alright - we will still replace it as maybe the dirt around it is early signs that it’s done. Part number easily seen. 608-2Z

 

 

Then the magnet holding this section in was so strong it took a fair force from the other end to get it out and see the other bearing. 

 

 

This bearing was so hard to remove. Others have said they just popped out. Not ours. But this might be why….

 

 

 

So we’ve done as much as we can today. Hopefully the bearings will get here soon so we can rebuild it all whilst we sort of remember how to…

 

For interest, just out of 5 year warranty period, installed in 2018/2019 and powered up for the first time in November 2019.  Huge thanks to previous posts without which we’d not have known where to start and would have been buying an expensive replacement fan or, worse still, paying a Vent Axia engineer to replace the fan. Hope this helps someone with this model as it does look a bit different inside. Will update when we put it back together again.

[trialuser]

I've got a Brink, but this type of post is excellent, thanks very much.

 

[Weebles]

Update: Bearings arrived yesterday (3 day delivery - excellent service from Bearing King) and last night after work both fans were fitted with new bearings (2 in each). Unit put back together and now back on the wall, in full working order. Thanks again for great posts to help us DIY fix this. No hideous noises. Runs smoothly and quietly again.

Edited February 27 by Weebles