List of Most Common Ceiling Fan Problems You will Encounter

Have you ever experienced hearing a strange humming sound from your ceiling fan? Have you tried letting it be for a couple of days only to find out that the problem remains? If you’ve experienced this, you’re not alone. In fact, there are other ceiling fan problems a number of homeowners experience from time to time. Unless your fan is really old enough to merit buying a new one, these glitches can still be fixed often for a fraction of the price. So before you panic and jump into the decision of buying a new ceiling fan for your home, it’s important to know the common problems ceiling fans can experience in no time.

Ceiling fan shakes every time it’s turned on

Don’t jump to the conclusion that fan is broken when you see it wobble as you turn it on. In most cases, this is just a product of an improper installation especially if your fan is recently purchased.  Try turning off the circuit breaker and turning it on again. Turn on the fan and observe what happens. If the problem persists, consider uninstalling your fan using the manual that comes with the package and reinstall it. Double check the fan’s blades and make sure that they are tightly screwed without over-tightening especially if they are solid wood.  The newer low-energy DC type motors will do a backwards and forwards shake for a few seconds as part of the motor startup process which is perfectly normal – this is necessary to get the motor turning.  The traditional AC type motors use capacitors to create the initial inductance in the motor to start it.  Also check that the fan is mounted on a solid support structure ie not plasterboard or anything that will vibrate.  This should do the trick. Otherwise, you’ll have to ask for a technician’s assistance to see what the problem is.

The fan blades are wobbling

A properly installed ceiling fan should show no blade wobble whatsoever and is due to an unsure mounting or unbalanced blades. If there is some wobble then first check that the fan is mounted onto a secure ceiling mounting point or wooden cross member.  Then try swapping the blades over to get the position that has the least wobble.  Then using the balancing kit find the position of the small weights that eliminates the wobble completely.  Wobbling is bad for the fan, motor and the vibration can lead to the screws working loose as well as be unsightly and create unnecessary noise.

Ceiling fan light does not function

If after checking the light bulb your fan light is not functioning, then the first thing you need to consider is your electrical connection.  More often than not, a non-functional fan light (and so with other device light connected to a main switch) is caused by a loose connection which can be one of the pins in the snap connectors. Try its basic troubleshooting by turning off the entire main switch and opening the light kit. Check if all the wires are secured and connected properly. Ensure that the pull switch of the light is working. After ensuring that everything’s intact, turn on the main and then the fan light. It should work by then. If not then ask an electrician to test that live is reaching the light bulb or LED plate connection. If it is not then the fan remote control receiver should be changed.  Over time spikes in the electrical voltage can sometimes cause these to fail along with any moisture if it is in a damp or cold location.

Ceiling fan produces a grinding or humming sound

When you hear a grinding and humming sound from your ceiling fan, it’s either something is jammed between the blades or the motor (for example cardboard packaging) or the blades are not balanced. Check for possible obstruction between the blades and remove them. Ensure that the blades and motor is balanced as well. If not, adjust the blades. This should be fine. However, if there are no obstructions and the blades and motor seemed to be positioned right, then it might mean something is wrong on the internal circuits of your fan.  Humming is typically caused by:

1. Unsound and solid mounting point on the ceiling.  Possibly loose mounting screws for the fan base-plate which the fan sits on.
2. Wobbling blades – due to warping or being unbalanced.
3. Electrical breakdown of the motor insulation and steel plates.
4. The speed control capacitor which typically last 7 -10 years maximum. We sell these in our shop here, we will need a pic of the specification on the capacitor to provide the right size replacement. At this point, you’ll need an electrician or competent DIY person to assist you in fixing it.

Ceiling fans can be prone to glitches especially if they are constantly in use. The 4 problems above are commonly experienced by all fan users and they all have their share of resolving though basic troubleshooting.
How about you? Have you recently experienced any problems with your ceiling fan? Feel free to share your issues! We love to hear how you dealt with them!