Maintenance of Ceiling Fans

Maintaining your ceiling fans

A mild anti-static agent can be used to clean the blades and the motor housing. An occasional coat of furniture polish may be applied to protect and enhance the wood. Never saturate a cloth with water to clean your ceiling fan. Water introduces the possibility of electrical shock and blade warping. Always be certain the fan control is in the off position before attempting to clean.

My fan wobbles!

Ceiling fans may wobble for a variety of reasons. A small amount of wobble may be encountered at high speeds.

Inspect the fan

Make certain that all of the blades are firmly screwed into the blade holders.
Make sure all of the blade holders are firmly screwed into the motor.
Using a yardstick, 'track the blades'. Place the yardstick vertically against the ceiling next to one of the blade tips. Note the distance from the ceiling to the blade tip. Leave the yardstick in the same place and manually rotate the blades, measuring the distance from the ceiling to all the blades. All measurements should be the same. If not, at least one of the blade holders is bent and may need to be replaced.
Turn the fan on and check for wobble. If the above steps do not eliminate the wobble problem, you need to balance your fan.

Balance the fan

Dynamic balancing involves 'counter-weighting'. by using a small weight opposite to teh point of wobble, you can in almost all cases eliminate the wobble. The prodedure requires much trial and error, so be patient.

Determine which fan speed causes the most wobble. This will almost always be the highest speed.
Turn the fan off. Select any one blade and place the blanace clip half way between teh blade tip and blade holder on the rear edge of the blade.
CAUTION: Be careful to stay clear of the blades when running. If the clip is not secure, injury may result from the clip flying off.
Turn the fan on (use the speed that causes the most wobble). Observe if the wobble is better or worse. Turn the fan off and move the clip to the next blade. Do the same for all blades and note on which blade the clip reduces the wobble most.
Place the clip on the blade which showed the most improvement and by trial and error, move the clip in and out along the blade to find the position which most improves the wobble.
Once the exact position is determined, place a wieght on top of the blade on its centerline, directly inline with the clip. Press on the weight firmly to ensure it is firmly attached to the blade. Remove the clip and discard it.