Fix a Squeaking Ceiling Fan

Even a quiet little squeak from a ceiling fan can become annoying and aggravating. This noise can also be a warning of serious troubles, too, so don't ignore it.

Steps

  1. Turn the ceiling fan off, and allow the blades to coast to a complete stop.
  2. Grasp each blade and wiggle them to see if any of the fasteners (usually phillips type screws) are loose, and if so, tighten them. It is unusual for loose blades to cause a squeak, but possible in some instances. Also check that the light bulbs are securely in place; they can rattle around in their sockets.
  3. Look for excess dust accumulated on the blade surface, especially the top. The weight of this dust can create an out of balance situation which can put unequal pressure on the fan motor bearings, causing them to squeak, and wear out prematurely, as well.
  4. Check the globe or globes on the light kit if the fan is equipped with one. Some light kits come with a rubber band-like accessory that is wrapped around the "neck" of the glove to isolate it from the metal flange, to prevent squeaking if the unit is slightly out of balance or wobbles.
  5. Tighten the set screws that holds the globe in place. These are knurled headed screws which should only be tightened finger tight; excess pressure can cause the glass to break if too much force is applied.
  6. Test the fan to see if any of the above steps have helped quiet the squeak. If not, proceed to the next troubleshooting steps.
  7. Rebalance the blades on your ceiling fan. This can be done with a "Balancing Kit" sold at home centers and electrical supply stores. These kits have a weighted, self-adhesive material similar to very thick tape that is attached to the top of the fan blades. Follow package instructions, or if you are very patient, attach small pieces of these weights by trial and error to balance your blades.
  8. Recheck to see if the squeak is diminished or not. If not, there is a possibility the bearings in the fan motor are wearing out, and this can cause a fan motor to overheat and "short out". This, in turn, can be a serious fire hazard. Most ceiling fans come with sealed bearings which cannot be lubricated, but if someone really wanted to salvage the fan, you may be able to disassemble the motor and use a light machine oil on the bearings if you can get access to them.

Tips

  • Squeaking ceiling fans usually result from the blades being out of balance, so by first cleaning accumulated dust, etc. from the blades, then balancing the blades if needed, you can usually decrease or eliminate the squeak.
  • Some other things that may cause a fan to squeak are: screws holding the blades are loose, fan is not firmly mounted to ceiling, fan blades are not the same distance from ceiling when measured at the tips, set screw not tight against down pole or fan blades are not all the same pitch. Checking these things are usually a lot more effective than messing with balancing kits.
  • Light kits that have loose parts may also squeak if there is sufficient "wobble" to cause parts to rub together.

Warnings

  • Disconnect power before disassembling the fan unit, especially those equipped with pull chains, since voltage is present in the assembly even when they are switched off.
  • Never try to adjust, or otherwise tamper with a ceiling fan while it is running.
  • If you use a ladder to reach the fan to clean or adjust the blades, use safe techniques on it.

Things You'll Need

  • A suitable cleaning product for cleaning the blades.
  • A ladder if the fan is too high (or you are vertically challenged) to reach.
  • A balancing kit for the fan blades.

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