Raypak Heat Pump Fan Motor Guard H000040

The Raypak H000040 is the fan motor guard for the 5350, 6350 and 8350 heat pump pool heaters. The same units are sold under the Rheem and Ruud names, and the part is listed for those as well.

Two jobs at once

The guard sits over the fan opening at the top of the heat pump cabinet. Its obvious job is safety: keeping hands away from a large blade turning at speed on a unit that lives out in the open next to a pool deck. Its less obvious job is protecting the fan, since a heat pump spends its life outdoors under whatever is above it. A dropped branch or a pool toy landing on an unguarded blade can bend it, and a fan that is even slightly out of balance starts working its motor bearings to death.

When to replace

Guards get stepped on, crushed by covers, and corroded at the fixing points. If yours is bent into the fan path, badly rusted, or missing entirely, replace it rather than running the unit open. Airflow through the guard is part of how the heat pump is designed to breathe, so a flattened or blocked guard also costs you performance.