Noises when heat is on?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

hambo

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Posts
92
Reaction score
0
Location
illinois
First Name
Ian
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
k20
Engine Size
454
I know next to nothing about heater systems. Just the basics. Heres the problem. My truck is an a/c truck but the previous owner took the whole a/c system out to gain a little HP. Now when I turn the heat on through the vents, I hear noise coming from under the passenger side of the dash. when its on defrost, it doesnt seem to be as noisy but its still there. Also, the noise seems to be worse when im just idling in traffic. Anyone know what is wrong? Bad blower motor? I can barely feel the heat blowing out of the dash. Thanks for any help anyone can give!
 

highdesertrange

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2013
Posts
1,066
Reaction score
211
Location
kalifornia
First Name
mike
Truck Year
1978
Truck Model
k30
Engine Size
454
what does the noise sound like? highdesertranger
 

Boone83K10

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Posts
841
Reaction score
42
Location
Boone, NC
First Name
Benjamin
Truck Year
1983
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
If it is a high pitch whirring, count on getting a new blower motor. They are cheap anyway and easy to install. If it is a rattle then there is something in the duct work like leaves, rat or a midget.
 

hambo

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Posts
92
Reaction score
0
Location
illinois
First Name
Ian
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
k20
Engine Size
454
If it is a high pitch whirring, count on getting a new blower motor. They are cheap anyway and easy to install. If it is a rattle then there is something in the duct work like leaves, rat or a midget.
Okay yeah its kind of a constant kinda high pitched whirring noise. Would any auto parts store have a new blower motor for my 87 k20?
 

Boone83K10

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Posts
841
Reaction score
42
Location
Boone, NC
First Name
Benjamin
Truck Year
1983
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
But you need an a.c. blower motor even though it is removed
 

83kid

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2014
Posts
321
Reaction score
1
Location
Massachusettes
First Name
John
Truck Year
1983
Truck Model
k10
Engine Size
350
Hey, im having a similar problem, it sounds like a flap kind of is moving back and forth really fast

If its a new blower motor, how would i know if my truck previously had AC? I have heat, but i dont have the AC pipes under the hood, yet one day i put the slide on the dash to the cold section and it blew out cold air... not sure if it was AC cold or just a little colder than outside
 

chengny

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Posts
4,086
Reaction score
1,023
Location
NH
First Name
Jerry
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
K3500
Engine Size
350/5.7
Um... you might want to look at this a little more closely before going out and buying a new fan.


Okay yeah its kind of a constant kinda high pitched whirring noise.

That could be an indication of a failing fan - if the fan speed was constant. Maybe try cycling the speed switch from LOW to HIGH and noting whether the frequency of the sound tracks up and down along with the fan speed.

Better yet, have an assistant move the switch through the speeds while you stand outside with your hand on the blower motor. As the helper changes speeds, see if you can feel any indication of the blower cage rubbing or any problem with the shaft bearings. Also, you should be able to feel the vibration of the motor/fan change as the dash switch is cycled.

Now when I turn the heat on through the vents, I hear noise coming from under the passenger side of the dash. when its on defrost, it doesnt seem to be as noisy but its still there

I suppose there could be some sound dampening that occurs by changing the air flow from the floor to the dash board, but the distance from the fan is about the same in either mode - and you would think that since the defrost vents are actually closer to the driver's ears, the sound would intensify when in defrost.

It most likely is a problem with the blower fan/motor, but it is worth the few minutes to check it out a bit before going through the trouble & expense of changing it.

Loose dampers or gaskets/seals inside the air handler can make weird noises (humming & buzzing) as the air passes over them.
 

chengny

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Posts
4,086
Reaction score
1,023
Location
NH
First Name
Jerry
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
K3500
Engine Size
350/5.7
how would i know if my truck previously had AC?

Things may have been modified (and parts stripped out of the engine compartment) but these two features generally survive. Mostly because they work with either system and they cost a lot of money to change.



An A/C equipped control panel looks like this:

You must be registered for see images attach


A non-A/C control panel looks like this:

You must be registered for see images attach


The blower housing (and evap casing) on an A/C equipped truck looks like this:

You must be registered for see images attach


And a heat only system looks like this:

You must be registered for see images attach



I have heat, but i dont have the AC pipes under the hood, yet one day i put the slide on the dash to the cold section and it blew out cold air... not sure if it was AC cold or just a little colder than outside

If there are no refrigeration components in the engine compartment, it's a fairly safe bet that the cold air you felt was not from A/C.
 
Last edited:

hambo

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Posts
92
Reaction score
0
Location
illinois
First Name
Ian
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
k20
Engine Size
454
But you need an a.c. blower motor even though it is removed
Is there only a blower motor in a/c trucks? Is there a separate one for heat and a/c? Or do I just need an a/c specific blower motor because my truck used to have the a/c?
 

chengny

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Posts
4,086
Reaction score
1,023
Location
NH
First Name
Jerry
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
K3500
Engine Size
350/5.7
The motor/bower combo that came with the truck was specifically sized for the additional air flow required with an air conditioning system.

Sufficient heating capacity can be achieved with much less air flow through it's heat exchanger (the heater core) than is required by the A/C system to cool the same space.

This is due to the disparity in temperature differentials (of the media flowing through the heat exchangers of the two systems).

In the warmest setting of the heat/defrost mode, engine coolant at an average of about 175 F (across the heater core) is used to raise the temperature of the air coming out of the various cabin vents. The change in temperature is from ambient (lets say 40 F) to about 100 F. A 60 degree difference.

With the A/C system operating at the coldest setting, refrigerant at an average temp of about 35 F (across the evaporator coil) is used to lower the temperature of the air going to the vents from ambient (let's say 85 F) to approximately 45 F. That's about a 40 degree difference.

So while the change in the temperature to the vent supply air, as it flows through each system's heat exchanger, is fairly close (60 F in heat / 40 F in cool) - the temperature differential between the heating/cooling media and the air supply is huge.

In the heater core of the heating system, a virtually unlimited supply of 175 F coolant is available to raise the cabin air supply by 60 F.

On the other hand, in the evaporator coil of the cooling system, a finite amount of 35 F refrigerant (limited by the capacity of the refrigerant system components) is available to drop the cabin air supply by 60 F.

So, as you can see, the heating system - with it's unlimited supply of much hotter water than the air being heated - can get by with a much lower air flow rate through it's heat exchanger. This is because the coolant is so much hotter than the air.

The cooling system doesn't have a huge supply of refrigerant available to it's heat exchanger. And, what it also does not have, is that big temperature differential that exists in the heater core. To compensate for these limitations the evaporator coil is sized somewhat larger than the heater core.

But the primary modification that had to be made when the A/C systems were designed for these trucks was in the flow rating of the blower motor/fan assembly. It needs to be much bigger.

Having said all that, the answer to your questions are:

Is there only a blower motor in a/c trucks? No,heat only trucks also have a blower and motor to drive it. Both the fan cage and the motor are smaller than the AC version.

Is there a separate one for heat and a/c? Yes they have different capacities and physical dimensions.

Or do I just need an a/c specific blower motor because my truck used to have the a/c?

You cannot use the lower capacity blower (even though you no longer have an A/C system) for the simple reason that it wont fit. I don't think it will anyway - though to be honest, I have never tried put a heat only fan in a A/C housing.

The AC blower cages are quite a bit bigger (length & OD) but the shaft diameters are the same, so I suppose you could try mounting an AC cage on a heater motor shaft and hope that the fan doesn't overload the windings. As far as whether the mounting flange on a heat blower can be mounted on an AC housing...IDK.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
44,173
Posts
950,868
Members
36,288
Latest member
brentjo
Top