Kitchen exhaust fan (or Pryne & Co. Blo-Fan) ??

I have a Pryne Blo Fan in my kitchen - seen 50years of service. Now I want to clean it and cannot get the center cap off to dismantle it. I have tried to pry it off and to unscrew it off. Do anyone know how to get this small center hub cap off? Many thanks.

JohnK

I searched the web for any information on Blo-Fans: your inquiry, and an antique advertising blotter made for the Pryne Co., were about the only entries. I just decided to clean my Blo-fan today, and do know that the center cap just screws off. I couldn't get fan mechanism out of the housing, so cleaned around it. If you figure out how to get that out (once the cap comes off!) let me know. Thanks and good luck.

I've looked around a little bit for a replacement for the worthless Nutone 1210 exhaust fan in our kitchen and can't seem to find anything that would fit in the existing opening.

I'm thinking of expanding the opening and trying to fit something like one of these fantech fx series fans (http://www.fantech.net/fx2.htm) in the expanded hole.

Has anyone done this? Anything to watch out for? Do I need to get the foam roof people out first?

I'd really hate to ruin the look of our kitchen with a drop down hood, but the original exhaust ventilation is pitifully inadequate for cooking.

-Andrew

Some years have passed since these posts, but I do have a Blo-Fan by Pryne that I just put up for sale on ebay. If it doesn't sell in a week, I'll probably just hold on to it until someone follows up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/kitchen-ceiling-fan-Blo-Fan-Pryne-popular-50s-style_...

[Do you still have that fan, if you do I would like to buy it. I cant believe this post, my fan just stopped working. Mine was also Pryne.
Carol
Please email me @ [email protected]

Thank You

JohnK
I just took one off for a customer. I screws off . The whole fan plate comes with it

The inside fan part comes off like this. First unplug the unit, then on the side of the housing there is a clip with a small lever pull the lever down, then the unit will twist out.
it sometimes gets stuck on the rubber gromets but if will come out. hope this helps.

I purchased a replacement fan motor and separate fan blade at Appliance Parts...many years ago. My 1955 Palo Alto Eichler fan was held in by two screws...with the electrical plugging in. Nobody makes a replacement fan that will substitute for the old one. Sometimes the outlet damper sticks and the fan does not work well. When re-roofing, you use a more conventional fan, made to go between two studs, and make a box on the roof to enclose it. It must be covered and have a provision for the air to get out. Service and replacement is done from the inside of the house.
Randy from Dura-Foam Roofing and Solar Center

my kitchen fan no longer has a damper (have no idea why?). Does anyone have a suggestion for replacing it? It's awfully cold this time of year.

We retro-fit new fan covers with dampers on Eichlers almost daily when we install roofs.
Please take a photo of the existing fan cover on the roof and email it to me at Randy....at....durafoamsolarcenter.com

I should be able to suggest an easy retro-fit solution.

You must have missed mine.

We always swap out the original kitchen fan cover on Eichlers. The original is too low, and the damper is usually crusty and stuck partially open. While the fan and motor are accessible from the inside, the damper is part of the housing on this boxy style of fan cover. Please send me a photo of your fan housing.
Randy from Dura-Foam Roofing and Solar Center

I believe Pryne Blo fan is already one of those antique collectible items. I wish they had continued making such an item if it was indeed that durable. Well, I would just suggest you visit your local fan store to find something that would fit the size if you are intending to change it. Well, I do agree that even a small item can be an eyesore for a newly designed room.

You should remove it properly and try to clean the fan. You can do it by reading the instruction on the user guide.

You are getting some great advice. First, reinstall the wheel on your trailer. Then, stop looking for the 58 year old operating instructions for your kitchen fan.
The several fans that I have worked on, came apart similarly. Remove the center nut with the t-handle shape by turning it counter-clockwise. Now the cover should come off.
If this doesn't make sense, post a photo.
Re. Thorsellino's lack of a fan damper in his kitchen: He sent us a photo of a regular 8" roof vent. A kitchen remodel had removed the original, spring-loaded damper. It is possible the damper is inside....right above the fan, but Thorsellino says he can see that there is no damper. Our solution here is to cut off the 8" round vent and retro-fit a box with a fan damper cover right into the roof.
Randy from Dura-Foam Solar Center

Yes, I had this same problem today. The hub is actually three pieces and the design problem is that the center post on the back of the hub spins when the outer edge of the hub is turned. We had to push up with some force to bind the center post, and let it grab the outer part of the hub, so it could be unscrewed normally from the stud coming down from the bracket. Once it was started it came off normally as expected.

Ohio Dog

I have also Pryne Blo fan in my kitchen and 10 years of service. It is good in quality. If you want to change the fan than I suggest you to go into a store nearby you and search for your desire size of fan. Best of luck.

I have a circular ceiling Pryne Blo Fan that I would like to remove to repair (if possible).  I've read all the posts in this thread but I am not certain that any of the descriptions of the removal techniques apply to my fan.  My fan has no obvious screws or levers or latches.  The center hub "cover", which looks like the bottom side of a smooth shallow and wide bowl, wiggles a bit but I did not try unscrewing it.  It looks to have some similarity to the fan that "Ohio Dog" described in a post earlier this year.  In searching for information on this fan I came across an eBay auction for two Pryne & Co catalogs from 1945.  The seller took pictures from various pages of the catalogs.   I found two pages which show a fan very similar to mine.  Surprisingly, there is a brief series of pictures showing how these are installed.   You can see portions of the catalogs by pasting this URL into your browser.   

http://tinyurl.com/ksj6xte 

Unfortunately, the pictures in the auction do not show how the fan is "attached" to the ceiling.  I bought the catalogs hoping that there is more info that will be helpful.  In the meantime, if anyone reading this who is familar with these fans  would be kind enough to offer their expertise, I would greatly appreciate it.  I want to get this fan repaired and operting again.  

Thanks for the read and for any helpful comments.  A direct response to my email will also be appreciated ([email protected])

Keppie

 

 

 

 

 

I have one of these if anyone wants it. It works. I just removed it from my kitchen
Mike
Eight five seven - 5 2 6- six zero five niner.
Text only
Thanks