How To Repair A Standing Fan That Is Not Oscillating

Download Article

Download Article

Whether the blades aren't spinning or the fan is making tons of dissonance, almost bug with an electric fan are caused by poor lubrication or blockages in the vents. To solve most problems with an electrical fan, disassemble the fan, lubricate the fundamental pin and bearings, and clean out the vent and motor instance. Repairing an electric fan tin can be tough if the problem has anything to do with the motor itself, which may be dead if the fan makes no noise when it'due south turned on and the blades don't turn at all after cleaning and oiling the pivot. Since electric fans tend to be inexpensive, information technology's usually non worth it to bother trying to repair the motor on your own and y'all should consider simply buying a new fan.

1. 1

   Plow your fan on to make sure that the motor works. Plug your fan in and turn it on to the highest power setting. If the fan blades move a little or it starts to plough, the motor is probably withal good. If you don't hear annihilation, put your ear upwards to the centre of the example backside the blades. Press the button to turn the fan off and on again, this time listening closely for the motor. If you hear it humming or buzzing, your motor is likely nevertheless performance.^[i]

   • Check the fan in multiple outlets. Information technology's possible that the circuit breaker on an outlet was flipped and the fan simply wasn't getting an electrical point.

   Tip: For most table and standing fans, it won't exist worth it to tinker with the engine to try and get it to start again. The motor is probably dead anyhow. Yous're better off just buying a new fan if the engine isn't firing. Feel gratuitous to detach the engine if you lot really want to try it yourself though!

2. 2

   Unplug the fan and either unhook the blade guard or unscrew the pin. Pull the fan's electrical cord out to proceed it from turning on randomly while you're working on it. Feel effectually the sides of the blade guards for clips that are holding the 2 parts together. If there are clips, unhook them and remove the front half. If you don't see whatever hooks keeping the blade assembly together, effort turning the circular middle of the fan counterclockwise. If information technology loosens, unscrew it and set the front of the blade example downwardly.^[2]

   • The pin is the slice of metal in the centre of the fan that the blades and instance rotate around.
   • The bract guard, or blade casing, refers to the plastic or metal instance that keeps people from getting injure by the blades. On most fans, it either holds together with clips where the ii pieces encounter, or information technology relies on a cap in the heart to keep the example screwed tight.
   • If you see screws holding the case together, unscrew them with a screwdriver to remove the example that way.

   Advertisement

3. 3

   Plough the blades or washer in the center of the fan counterclockwise to remove them. Every fan is dissimilar, just the blades are either locked in place with a small-scale washer on the pin or by the example of the pin itself. If there is plastic blocking the eye of the blades, twist it counterclockwise until it comes loose and slide the blades off. If there is no washer, twist the base of operations of the blades while holding the pin in place to loosen them off of the pivot.^[3]

   • Depending on the model of your fan, in that location may exist a latch on the side of the pin locking the blades into place. This latch usually slides dorsum and forth to lock or unlock the blades.

4. iv

   Slide the back half of the blade baby-sit off of the pin in the center. Remove any plastic or metal washers that are in front of the back half of the blade guard outset. You may demand to unscrew a few screws to access the back half. Remove any washers and slide the back half of the bract guard all the style off of the pin.^[4]

   • If there was a plastic washer in front of the blades themselves, then at that place likely won't be a washer in the back. If in that location wasn't a plastic washer in the front, information technology'south highly likely that it'due south in the back. The washer usually acts every bit a stabilizer to concord the blades in identify.
   • If there's some plastic embrace or example on front of the motor, unscrew the plate blocking the body of the motor.

5. 5

   Flip your fan effectually and discover the screws in the back. With your pivot and front end motor mostly exposed, turn your fan over to inspect the opposite side of the motor case. On most fans, there will be a plastic vent that allows estrus and air to escape from the motor. There volition exist screws on the back belongings this case in place. Employ a flathead or Philips head screwdriver to remove the screws. Set them bated and pry the instance off.^[5]

   • The case may fall right off the fan later on you remove the screws. If information technology doesn't, insert a flathead or Philips screwdriver into a vent and pry it out.
   • On some tabular array fans, the motor will really be underneath the base. If there's no beefy head backside the blades and there's a broad base of operations, unscrew the bottom of the fan and popular the plastic cover off.

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Turn the pin on the front end of the fan with your hand to see if it rotates. Use your hand to try turning the pin in the eye of the fan. If it's sticking or resisting, the pin probably just needs lubrication. Over fourth dimension, the lubricant on the pin wears down as the fan blades rotate. Re-oiling the pin will usually solve this problem.^[6]

   • A stale out or sticky pin is one of the virtually common reasons for blades to stop spinning.
   • If they spin easily and there's no resistance, try turning your fan on and see if the pin spins. If it doesn't, the problem isn't the pivot and at that place is probably a brusk in the motor. In this case, it'll probably exist easier to go a new fan.

2. 2

   Unscrew any washers or bolts blocking the base of operations of the pin. With the pin exposed, at that place may notwithstanding be 1-2 metallic bolts locking the pin around the frame of the fan. Use a wrench to unscrew these pins and loosen them. You don't demand to remove the completely, merely you lot do need to be able to become underneath them to reach all of the pin.^[7]

   • If in that location aren't whatsoever washers or bolts, simply skip this step.
   • Washers in this office of the fan assembly can usually be turned past hand.

3. 3

   Apply lubricating oil to the front and dorsum of the pin. Get a bottle of lubricating oil with a thin nozzle for pouring. Get a clean rag and concur it under the pivot to catch whatsoever oil that drips. Plough your bottle over at the site where the pin meets the frame of the motor and clasp the bottle over the forepart of the pin. Get underneath the bolts by sliding them abroad from the site that you're lubricating. Repeat this process on the behind of the frame to get both sides of the pin.^[8]

   • Any type of lubricating oil will work. You can buy lubricating oil at any automobile parts shop or edifice supply store.
   • You tin clothing prophylactic gloves if you want to go along oil from getting on your hands. It'due south not toxic or annihilation though, and are easily wiped off before washing your hands with soap.

   Warning: Apply plenty oil to completely coat the pin. You don't want to go any oil on the motor itself though. If yous see it dripping off of the pivot, tap it with the textile to soak upward the excess oil.

4. 4

   Spin the bolts around a lubricated section of the pin while spinning information technology. With your pin totally oiled, slide the bolt back into place. Put the cloth downwardly and agree the commodities with your nondominant hand. Take hold of the pin with your dominant mitt. Slide the bolt back and along over the lubricated section while spinning the pin by hand. Repeat the process for any bolts on the other side of the pin assembly.^[ix]

   • This will ensure that oil gets on the inside of the bolts that concur your pin while it spins. If these bolts aren't oiled, there volition exist friction that prevents the pin from spinning.
   • You can also slide the bolts off and oil them separately if you desire.

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Inspect the back of your motor case for dust or grime and wipe it off. Turn the fan around and await inside the case surrounding the motor. Use a clean microfiber material to carefully wipe the dust away. Piece of work your way all the way around the interior of the example to remove the dust and grime that has built upwardly in the dorsum of your fan.^[ten]

   • Poor ventilation can cause dust and heat to get trapped within the instance of the motor. This tin can crusade your fan to stop operation—especially if your fan has an overheating feature that causes it to automatically close off if information technology gets too hot.

   Alarm: Do not use water to clean the area around your motor. If water gets on the motor, it could cause an electrical short or destroy your fan.

2. 2

   Spray the plastic vent on the back with compressed air. Take the vent cover that you unscrewed before you lubricated your fan and concord it abroad from your motor. Spray both sides of the cover with compressed air to become the grit out of the difficult-to-reach spaces betwixt the vent's confined. Wipe the cover downward with a dry material.^[11]

   • If this vent is completely caked in dust or debris, information technology'southward probably the reason that your fan hasn't been functioning correctly.
   • If you desire to get it totally clean, you lot tin can soak the vent in water and soap before letting information technology air dry. This is usually unnecessary though.

3. 3

   Plug your fan in and turn it on to see if the pivot spins. Before reassembling your fan, plug it back in. Turn information technology on to encounter if the pin spins hands. If it does, y'all tin can reassemble the fan. If it doesn't, you may need to make clean the motor. This tin can be a difficult and intricate process though, and if you're working with an inexpensive fan, it's normally not worth the attempt.^[12]

   • A lot of standing and table fans don't take a removable motor in the first identify, which makes cleaning or adjusting it extremely difficult.

4. 4

   Reassemble your fan by putting the blades, bolts, and case back together. Work in the reverse order that you lot disassembled your fan. Tighten the bolts on your pin with a wrench and put any washers back earlier sliding the blade guard dorsum over the pin. Slide your blades on top so that the back blade guard separates the blades from the motor. Put the plastic vent back on the back of the motor case and spiral it back in. Reattach your front blade guard and lock information technology in place.^[13]

   • Turn your fan dorsum on. If the blades are spinning more slowly than the pin was when y'all tested it, it'south a sign that your motor is dying. It's operating at a power too depression to completely turn the fan.

   Advertisement

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your electronic mail address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver

• Lubricating oil
• Wrench
• Cloth or towel

• Microfiber cloth
• Compressed air
• Screwdriver
• Wrench

About This Article

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 174,174 times.

Is this commodity up to date?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Repair-an-Electric-Fan

Posted by: espinozaevinly89.blogspot.com

Share this post