Basic Ceiling Fan Maintenance

Maintaining a ceiling fan is a relatively easy proposition in comparison to maintaining other home appliances. The proper installation of a ceiling fan will make the maintenance of your fan easier in the long run.

When you receive your fan, a complete set of installation instructions will (or should) be included. In reviewing a number of these instruction manuals, I have found that most are very complete and detailed and include graphics to help the installer relate to the written description of the steps necessary to get the job done right.

The major issue in self-installation is connecting the wiring correctly. Besides the safety issues involved, wiring (for the inexperienced) can appear to be a complicated process. If you have any doubts about your ability to do this part of the job, listen to that little voice in your head and give serious consideration to finding someone you know who has expertise in this area or hire a licensed, bonded and qualified electrician to do the job.

A fan that is not correctly installed will no doubt cause you some maintenance grief. Incorrectly installed ceiling fans are more prone to wobble or vibrate and require maintenance to correct these problems. Most of the time, correcting a wobbling or vibrating fan is fairly simple and straightforward but on occasion it can become a time-consuming and frustrating job. So, a word to the wise: Get the installation done properly and your maintenance problems will be few and far between.

Assuming you have reversible blade ceiling fans, a good time to schedule minor maintenance is when you are ready to reverse the ceiling fan from winter warming to summer cooling. In the summer the blades should move the air upward where warm air in the house is trapped. In the winter the blades should move the air downward, forcing the warm air near the ceiling down into the living area.

When you are ready to change the rotation to the summer setting, schedule some time for maintenance. Using a stepladder, wash the top of the blades. While you're up there, check the decorative plate that rests against the ceiling. It should be firmly attached to the ceiling. If it's not, you have a bit of a job in store. It will more than likely be necessary to remove the blades and motor housing to get at the decorative plate. Make sure that it's tight against the ceiling before putting the fan back together.

Be sure not to use any cleaning material that will either mar the finish or saturate the blade surface if it is constructed with porous material such as wood. You don't need to soak the cleaning cloth since your goal is not to clean the surface of the blade but rather to remove the dust that has accumulated there during the winter months. A layer of dust can reduce airflow and make your fan work less efficiently.

Depending on the blade surface, consider a light coat of polish such as furniture polish. This will not only make the blade look better, it will also slightly improve the efficiency because it cuts down on resistance

While you are up there, check each of the mounting screws to make sure that they are tight. If you've begun to hear a mild ticking noise as the fan rotates, chances are that the culprit(s) are loosened screws. In the extreme, loose screws can result in a blade wobble or the fan itself beginning to vibrate.

Some homeowners make it a point to clean the surfaces of the fan blades on a weekly basis. While for many, this may be overkill; any dust that has collected on the top of the blades will reduce the airflow and therefore the ceiling fan's efficiency. A paper towel or cloth can be used to give the blades a quick 1-2-3. Again, be careful not to overdo it. A heavy hand can often push one or more blades out of the correct pitch, causing a wobble.

Some homeowners getaway without ever having a fan wobble problem. Unfortunately, enough homeowners end up having this problem that it's worth mentioning some corrective measures you can take to fix a fan that wobbles.

A wobble is always the result of some type of difference in one or more of the blades. The first things to check are the screws that attach the blades to the motor housing. There are usually three per blade and all should be tight. If you find one or more loose screws, tighten them and then run the fan to see if this solves the problem.

If the wobble persists, find a straightedge and, with the fan off, place it vertically against the edge of one of the blades. Rotate the blades slowly; checking to make sure each blade touches the straightedge. If you find one or more blades that don't, gently bend them up or down until they touch the straightedge. This done, all the blades should have an equal pitch (or angle as it's sometimes called). Start the fan again and see if the problem is solved.

If you still have a wobble, you have a little more involved job ahead of you. The basic problem is that one or more of your blades weigh more or less than the others, accounting for the wobble. Fortunately, there's a solution called a balancing kit that is designed to correct this problem.

Purchase a balancing kit at the store where you purchased the fan, a home center or at a large hardware store. The kits are also available on-line.

The instructions often vary from balancing kit to balancing kit but they all are designed to get you the right end result: A wobble-free fan. Follow the instructions carefully and don't take any short cuts no matter what your own personal logic dictates.

The kits include balancing clips which are weights designed to even the weight of the blades. Done properly, the balancing clip(s) placement will solve your wobble problem.

Although working through the balancing kit steps is somewhat tedious and time consuming, most of the problems causing a fan to wobble don't reach this stage and can be corrected by following one of the first two procedures.

With the proper care and maintenance, your ceiling fans will give you years and years of carefree comfort.