On 5/14/2016 2:44 PM, ZM wrote:
replying to Don Y, ZM wrote:
Thanks for the replies.

So should I go ahead with the replacement? Or save the $700 for the time
being.. I mean seriously, it's never worked better since we bought this house..

Look at the bearing/bushing. Move the "wheel" off to one "side",
try it; move it to the other side, try it. If there's slop or
a noticeable difference in performance, inspect more closely and
see if you can just replace the bearing/bushing.

You may find that it sounds good *now*. But, over time, the
wheel "moves" into a bad spot that makes the noise more
pronounced. I'm just suggesting you do that NOW, manually,
and see if such a spot exists; then figure out WHY it exists!

E.g., swamp coolers (here) have a large squirrel cage blower...
like 2 ft in diameter by 1 ft wide. They tend to be supported by
sintered bronze bushings that wear, over time. Replacing the
entire squirrel cage would cost more than the cooler itself!

OTOH, swapping out the bushings is an hour's work and $30...