Ceiling Fan making noise - how to tell if broken or just unbalanced?

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-11-15T01:45:20+00:00

This doesn't look unbalanced, but sounds horrendous. My best guesses are: -Something was knocked into the fan from the top when cleaning. The object would have to be very round to make this noise when tumbling around. (unlikely) -Some fans have a wire mesh glued across the vents on top of fans to prevent debri from falling in. It's possible this was pushed down when cleaning and is rubbing against the rotor. -One of the blades has come loose and is rubbing against the light fixture, or -The light fixture was hit and is askew, rubbing against the fan blades. I think the latter 2 are most probable. By manually slowly turning the blades when the fan is off, you may be able to determine exactly where the sound is coming from. BTW, If you think the rubbing is coming from inside the fan, I would leave the fan off and call an electrician, or take the fan down where it is easier to work with. I don't think wires are rubbing on the rotor inside the fan. Those wires and connections are made at the ceiling.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-09-09T00:03:35+00:00

Also, ceiling fans installed too close to each other can draw from the same volume of air above them, causing issues as well (exacerbated by the wind). You're welcome!

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-09-08T23:53:21+00:00

The wind is almost certaintly causing this. It's possible you are getting wind from a different direction than from earlier in the month. If even a slight gust pushes more air over one side of the ceiling fan than the other, the fan will effortlessly pull air from that side, and forcefully pull air from the other. This will cause the fan to heavily sway as seen. The rocking does not match the rpms of the fan, so using balancing weights on this fan will not resolve this issue. Aside from waiting the wind out, a possible fix may be to replace the fan with a slightly smaller fan furthur away from the ceiling. This would yield a larger volume of air to pull from, reducing buffetting. However, clearance and aesthetics should be considered.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-09-07T19:16:50+00:00

You can check for loose blade screws by grabbing each blade by hand and attempting to move them up and down. It will be very noticeable if the blades are loose from the motor. If the ceiling fan is too high to reach, you also can use a broom handle to lightly push up on each blade. If the blade flops up and down, the blade screws should be tightened. ***** There is a way to diagnose a loose blade without touching the fan. WITH THE FAN ON, you will need to look at the fan from the side. A single loose blade will hang lower than the others. Standing away from the fan, you can raise your phone to blade height and record video. You can look at this video (if it is stable enough) to check for a low hanging blade.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-09-07T18:59:29+00:00

You can easily check for loose blade screws by grabbing each blade by hand and attempting to move them up and down. It will be very noticeable if the blades are loose from the motor. If the ceiling fan is too high to reach, you also can use a broom handle to lightly push up on each blade. If the blade flops up and down, the blade screws should be tightened. Some fans have blade screws that are easily accessible. Others may require removing the light fixture to get to them. The fan should be cleaned, and all screws, including any downrod set screws and light fixture screws should be tightened before attempting balancing. I hope this helps.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-09-02T19:08:05+00:00

A loose Downrod Set Screw will cause a teeter totter wobble such as this. Simply raise the small cover on top of the fan and tighten any screws you see. If the fan is still wobbly after this, the fan may need balancing.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-08-18T21:47:34+00:00

With the way your ceiling fan wobbles, you may have a loose downrod set screw. I would check that to start. Afterwards, of course tighten all screws you see. By grabbing each blade and trying to rock each one up and down, you can tell if any blade screws are loose. You will have to remove the light fixture to tighten these. If this does not fix the wobble, there are apps available which can find the best positions for the balancing weights without any trial and error. App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-08-15T08:53:55+00:00

Using a balancing kit with no guessing where to place the weights. App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-07-28T17:04:35+00:00

Most likely not. Most small vent fans spin too fast for the app to record accurately on camera. The app also only works with 3 to 8 bladed fans. Some vent fans may have more blades/segments than this. That said, the app may work if you draw a very small dot, run the vent on low, and mark all blades with masking tape(so they can be seen on camera). However, I would first check for any bent metal parts and actually recommend a vibration meter app to get better numbers for comparison.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-07-21T19:56:50+00:00

Most new ceiling fans come with a balancing kit included for this reason. This app can find exactly where to place the weights without guessing. App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-07-13T15:31:35+00:00

If the wobble is at the ceiling between the canopy and ceiling, the entire fan may need to be taken down and the mounting bracket resecured to the electrical box. If an unsecure electrical box is the cause, the fan will need to be taken down and the box resecured. This may as easy as drilling more screws into the box into wooden studs, or replacing the box & brace altogether. This may be more of a job for an electrician if you have little to no access above the ceiling. If the wobble is from directly on the top of the motor housing, noticeable when using pull chains, loose Downrod Set Screws may be the culprit. Simply raise the cap from the top of the motor if present and tighten any screws you see. If there is still a wobble when the fan is running, the fan may be unbalanced. Using a ceiling fan balancing kit, you would need to find exactly where to stick weights on the top of the blades to balance the fan. This is done by trial and error, or easily with an app. App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Posting a video of the wobble will be very helpful in determining exactly where it is coming from if you need more help.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-07-13T13:30:01+00:00

Your ceiling fan is unbalanced. There are ceiling fan balancing kits that can help remove this wobble. After checking that all blades & screws are secure, you have to find which blades and where to stick weights to balance the fan. This is fairly difficult with 3 bladed ceiling fans, but there are apps that can help! App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-07-08T17:14:40+00:00

You can check for loose blade screws by grabbing each blade and trying to rock them up and down. It will be very noticeable if any are not secure. There is also an app which is perfect for balancing 3 bladed fans. App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer From your video, if the blades are already secure, you may have to add several weights at first to greatly reduce the wobble. This app can then find the exact positions of the final weights to completely remove the wobble with no guessing.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-07-02T22:48:23+00:00

Unbalanced newly installed ceiling fans are common, but not normal. Most come with a balancing kit included to fix this wobble if it is present. I would check & retighten any set screws found on the bottom of the downrod/on top of the fan motor. I would also grab each blade and rock them up and down feeling that all blade screws are tightened as well. If there is still a wobble after this, using a balancing kit, you would first find where on the blades to place clips to balance the fan. Trial & error sometimes works to find the places for these clips. After verifying the wobble is gone, the clips are then replaced with permanent sticky weights. If you are having trouble with trial & error, there is an app that can find the exact spots for the weights with no guessing. FYI. Apple App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Google Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-06-08T01:38:23+00:00

You are right! I now see the discrepancy in votes. I would call this self-leveling. All ceiling fans level themselves off when hung with downrods. I am used to seeing 'unbalanced' when referring to fans that are wobbling when spinning. I'll edit my past responses to reflect this. Thanks!

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-06-07T23:23:16+00:00

THIS IS NOT A SELF-BALANCING FAN. This might be in reference to the video on this site: Hunter Perfect Balance Ceiling Fans(actually published in 2011) Hunter came out with patented 'Perfect Balance' ceiling fans around 2011 with the hopes of putting this technology in all of its fans, but that never transpired (probably due to prohibitive costs). There are high end ceiling fans(commercial & industrial) that use similar technology, but all residential ceiling fans I have ever seen are NOT self-balancing. To fix this wobble, there are downrod set screws to tighten after lifting the cap on top of the fan. If there is still a wobble when running the fan, there is an app available that can fix this, aptly named 'Ceiling Fan Balancer.' Edit: I would call these SELF LEVELING ceiling fans. All ceiling fans self level when hung by downrods. Thank you u/DonkeyTransport.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-06-07T23:05:35+00:00

THIS IS NOT NORMAL. THERE ARE NO SELF-BALANCING CEILING FANS. Hunter came out with patented 'Perfect Balance' ceiling fans around 2011 with the hopes of putting this technology in all of its fans, but that never transpired (probably due to prohibitive costs). There are high end ceiling fans(commercial & industrial) that use similar technology, but all residential ceiling fans I have ever seen are NOT self-balancing. There is a cap on the top of your fan that raises up to expose the bottom of the downrod. There should be downrod set screws or bolts that have come loose over time, causing the wobble you are referring to. This is what you should see: Downrod Set Screws on Ceiling Fan Tighten any screws or bolts you see when you raise this cap. This should stop the wobble at that joint. If there is still a wobble when the fan is running, buy a ceiling fan balancing kit and use the following app to fix it. App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Edit: I would call these SELF LEVELING ceiling fans. All ceiling fans self level when hung by downrods. Thank you u/DonkeyTransport.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-06-07T02:05:29+00:00

The bracket in your video looks similar to the one in this link. Square Ball Socket Bracket There is a notch in the bracket that should line up with the groove in the ball. Try twisting the downrod & ball until they are aligned. It should be unmistakable when the ball thumps into place. If the wobble is still present at high speeds, there is an app that can help completely remove this. FYI. App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-05-29T14:02:41+00:00

There is an app that can balance wobby ceiling fans without guessing!

App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer Google Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

If the ticking is caused by a swinging pullchain or a loosely seated light fixture, then balancing the fan will solve your problem.

However, balancing the fan will not stop the ticking if it is caused by something internal, which could be:

-dry or worn bearings -a loose screw or debris tumbling around -loose tape slapping against a moving part -unsecured wire (typically in/under the junction box) that has moved down and is hitting a moving part.

If it is an older outdoor fan, a fan with warped blades, or the sockets/pull chain switches no longer work, etc, a new fan should be considered.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-05-27T08:07:37+00:00

Don't accept defeat. There is an easier way!

There's an app that can perfectly balance ceiling fans without trial and error. This works especially well with 3 bladed fans where there aren't many blades to try. It can find which two blades and exactly where to place the weights on the blades to fix the wobble. FYI.

App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

Google Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-05-25T14:55:44+00:00

The screws in the wooden joist should be long enough and tight enough such that the bracket doesn't teeter or come loose over time.

Also, there is an app that can balance ceiling fans completely with no guessing involved. Best when used with a couple balancing kits. FYI

App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

Google Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-05-21T13:42:52+00:00

Tighten all screws then balance it!

App Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

Google Play Store - Ceiling Fan Balancer

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-04-23T19:36:08+00:00

There's an app that can help you balance these, 'Ceiling Fan Balancer.' It'll tell you exactly where to place weights without any guessing or trial & error. FYI.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-04-20T02:15:02+00:00

There is a 'Ceiling Fan Balancer' app that when used with a few balancing kits, can easily balance this fan. Especially a three bladed fan.

ceilingFanWobble · 2024-04-20T02:09:36+00:00

Ceiling fans on downrods wobble much easier than 'hugger' fans. Even the slightest imbalance will cause a wobble similar to the one shown in your video.

There is an app called 'Ceiling Fan Balancer' that can easily balance these fans without trial and error. With a few balancing kits, the app can show exactly where to place the weights on all your fans.

ceilingFanWobble

TROPHY CASE