ceiling fan noise

[easysurfer]

My ceiling fan is starting to make a nose on the high setting. There's no wobble, I cleaned off the dust and made sure the screws of the paddles are tight. From reading on the internet, I think it maybe the bearings are starting to wear. Guess I fell for the bait buying a low priced one as they seem to wear out faster (only about a year old) and I've been cranking up the fan this hot summer.

To noise isn't real bad, but noticeable.

I already bought a replacement fan. But am debating do I go through the task of taking the old one down and replacing with the new one (putting up a ceiling fan isn't something I call fun!) or wait until symptoms get worse?

 

[Semiretired2008]

I have had one that makes a slight noise on high for almost two years...

But, in your case since you already bought the new one - if the old one last another year before you swap them out then the new one will be out of warranty before you find out if it works - you could always take it back and wait and see

 

[easysurfer]

I have had one that makes a slight noise on high for almost two years...

But, in your case since you already bought the new one - if the old one last another year before you swap them out then the new one will be out of warranty before you find out if it works - you could always take it back and wait and see

It may depend on my noise tolerance. Yesterday and the day before, the noise was really bugging me.

But after I got home and was tired and thinking about the task of replacing the fan, the noise didn't seem so bothersome to me .

 

[easysurfer]

I am glad I got a new fan. I wanted a Hunter model (have one in my bedroom that has been flawless for several years). But decided to get another brand as Hunter it seems has decided to mostly abandon regular sized light bulbs and go with the candle type which is too dim for what I want.

 

[kumquat]

Can you lubricate the bearings?

 

[NW-Bound]

Most fans used sealed bearings nowadays, and I am afraid they cannot be re-lubricated if dried out.

I have several fans in the house, but the best one is a Hunter Original Classic. Its 52" blades move a lot of air. It's quiet. This Hunter classic design has a mini oil pan where its bearing sits submerged in. You hang the fan, then pour the provided oil into the pan. The fan body is cast iron. I have had it for more than 25 years, and it never makes noise, never wobbles. This fan is not cheap, but is worth it if one plans to spend the rest of his life in the same home.

I just looked up on the Web. They don't make the motor with cast iron anymore, but still keep the oil bath for the bearing.

 

[ratto]

Most fans used sealed bearings nowadays, and I am afraid they cannot be re-lubricated if dried out.

Without built-in obsolescence, the sale number won't be up, the stock won't fly high and the stock holders will be disappointed. OTOH, if the sealed bearings used in most fans nowadays can be as robust as the wheel bearings in most cars, the cost probably will be too high for a lot of consumers to consider.

I just looked up on the Web. They don't make the motor with cast iron anymore, but still keep the oil bath for the bearing.

That's the one I will get IF it's still made in the future. Buy once, cry once and then forget about it.

 

[easysurfer]

Yes. The bearings are sealed. I guess old fans like orginal Hunter models had a little hole by the bearings to just add some oil to re-lubricate.

 

[easysurfer]

Well, the ceiling fan in my living room is history. I took one making the noise down. Then I thought about installing the one I bought, but that didn't fit right. Then bought one like the old one, but changed my mind and returned both fans.

Instead, I opted to just put a ceiling light there (felt safer that way as a fan may have been too heavy for the ceiling) and got a 20" fan that sits on the ground.

Amazon.com: Lasko 3520 20" Cyclone Pivoting Floor Fan: Home & Kitchen

I got the fan at Menards (love the 11% off rebate deal).

The 20" fan is a beast as far as moving air. On low, it's even more powerful that my ceiling fan was on high. I should have got this fan when my A/C went out and it was 100 degrees about a month ago.