Mystery blower...

[Ron Bishop]

This blower appears to supply air to a fireplace. I found it in the crawlspace below the fireplace. The house was built in 1910, and the fireplace and chimney appear to be original. Does anybody have an idea why this wwould be necessary, and what it's intended function might be?
Thks Ron

[Scott Patterson]

Could be that they are forging iron. :D

[Bob Harper]

Nice installation. I see it is "grounded", heh, heh.

If they have that plastic slinky entering any part of that fireplace, it is at the very least a clearance issue. There is no provision in any codes for powered makeup air, either pro or con. Where does this enter the fireplace- through the ash dump?

Aside from the professional wiring job, I think it is safe to say this is a DIY job that needs to go away.

Now, if they felt the need for a fan to feed the fireplace, doesn't that tell you this fireplace was having operational problems? Time to dig deeper (Level II). What other goofy things have they done?
Bob

[Ron Bishop]

Great info...thank you kindly, Bob!!

[Rick Hurst]

I'd take a guess that someone is trying to create some cross ventilation of the crawspace. Was the vent passing through a exterior wall vent opening?

JMO

Rick

[Jerry Peck]

Radon mitigation?

[Rick Hurst]

ODOR REMOVER

[Ron Bishop]

The crawlspace is not ventilated, and that could account for the use of this blower....radon is not common in this area.

[Jim Robinson]

Isn't that called a supercharger in a car? As opposed to the turbocharger, which I think would be on the flue side of the fireplace. I was never much of a mechanic.

[Jerry Peck]

Isn't that called a supercharger in a car? As opposed to the turbocharger, which I think would be on the flue side of the fireplace. I was never much of a mechanic.

A supercharger is driven by the engine, taking power from the engine, of course, though, it helps generate much more power than it robs. A supercharger is 'always on' when the engine is running, as soon as the engine is running. Floor a supercharged car and your are off.

A turbocharger is typically (always?) driven by the exhaust gases, thereby taking much less power from the engine. A turbocharger needs to 'spool up' to speed before it can do any good. Floor a turbocharge car and you are off and gaining as the engine spools up in rpm.

Both the supercharger and turbocharger has "waste gates" which release excess pressure (boost) so you don't blow the engine apart. Not that a supercharger or turbocharger can 'blow the engine apart' on their pressure, but the extra air they force in also allows/forces in more fuel, which is what makes the engine blow apart if the boost (pressure) is too high - allows too much fuel in.