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Wobbling Ceiling Fans

R

Robert B.

Jan 1, 1970
0
I have a ceiling fan in my masterbedroom that wobbles and shakes when it is
running and making a rattle noise of what appears to be the fixture chain
tapping the fixture globe. What might be a suggestion to be done to make
the fan stop shaking and making such a noise?
 
D

Dean Hoffman

Jan 1, 1970
0
Robert said:
I have a ceiling fan in my masterbedroom that wobbles and shakes when it is
running and making a rattle noise of what appears to be the fixture chain
tapping the fixture globe. What might be a suggestion to be done to make
the fan stop shaking and making such a noise?

Have you tried a balancing the fan? There are kits available to do
that.
 
R

Rich.

Jan 1, 1970
0
Robert B. said:
I have a ceiling fan in my masterbedroom that wobbles and shakes when it is
running and making a rattle noise of what appears to be the fixture chain
tapping the fixture globe. What might be a suggestion to be done to make
the fan stop shaking and making such a noise?

Run the fan and then take a piece of chalk and slow bring it in toward the
edge of the moving paddles. As soon as the chalk is hit by a paddle turn the
fan off. Once the fan stops look for the chalk mark on the paddles. The one
with the mark will be the heavy side...just in case you end up wanting to
know this.

1. First make sure all of the blades are evenly spaced. Most fan motors have
screw holes to accommodate 4 or 5 paddles. I have seen the wrong holes used,
making the fan wobble.

2. Loosen each of the paddle mounting screws 1/2 a turn, pull each paddle
outward one at a time from center of the fan and retighten the screws.

3. Try swapping two of the paddles around to see if a difference can be
achieved.

4. If all else fails, stop and buy a paddle fan balancing kit. The
instructions come with the kit.
 
K

krw

Jan 1, 1970
0
Run the fan and then take a piece of chalk and slow bring it in toward the
edge of the moving paddles. As soon as the chalk is hit by a paddle turn the
fan off. Once the fan stops look for the chalk mark on the paddles. The one
with the mark will be the heavy side...just in case you end up wanting to
know this.

You can also measure the distance from the blade tip to the ceiling to
find the heavy side. The fan can be gently rotated to measure from
the same spot in the ceiling (if it's mounted to a beam, for example).
I guess if it's suspended 6' from the ceiling (like my great room) a
piece of chalk... ;-)
1. First make sure all of the blades are evenly spaced. Most fan motors have
screw holes to accommodate 4 or 5 paddles. I have seen the wrong holes used,
making the fan wobble.

2. Loosen each of the paddle mounting screws 1/2 a turn, pull each paddle
outward one at a time from center of the fan and retighten the screws.

3. Try swapping two of the paddles around to see if a difference can be
achieved.

4. If all else fails, stop and buy a paddle fan balancing kit. The
instructions come with the kit.

A large washer (weight) and a small piece of good double-stick tape
(stuck to the ceiling side) work too. Put the weight in the middle of
the high blade top surface. Turn it on again and find the high side
again. Move the weight out on the blade if this is still the high
side blade or in if this blade is now the low side. Repeat - rinse.
 
D

Dean Hoffman

Jan 1, 1970
0
krw said:
You can also measure the distance from the blade tip to the ceiling to
find the heavy side. The fan can be gently rotated to measure from
the same spot in the ceiling (if it's mounted to a beam, for example).
I guess if it's suspended 6' from the ceiling (like my great room) a
piece of chalk... ;-)


A large washer (weight) and a small piece of good double-stick tape
(stuck to the ceiling side) work too. Put the weight in the middle of
the high blade top surface. Turn it on again and find the high side
again. Move the weight out on the blade if this is still the high
side blade or in if this blade is now the low side. Repeat - rinse.

Another trick I read of is to temporarily use clothes pins. Move
them around on the blades to see where they reduce the inbalance.
There are some self adhesive wheel weights that might work for the
actual balancing. Example here: http://tinyurl.com/n3593s
I bought some at the local auto parts store some time ago. I thought
they were considerably cheaper.
 
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