Balancing Ceiling Fans

While the advantages of installing ceiling fans throughout your home are numerous, most homeowners who use these attractive, energy saving appliances, usually experience a problem that is variously described as wobbling or lack of proper balance.

Consider the basic anatomy of the ceiling fan. It's a rotating set of blades that can usually be adjusted for the speed desired for proper cooling or heat circulation. As such, each blade must be angled the same and, most importantly, must weigh the same. The most frequent cause of ceiling fan wobbling is that one or more blades differ in weight.

A properly balanced fan rotates smoothly and provides the greatest efficiency of airflow. The culprit, when it comes to an unbalanced unit, is usually time and use. Like most everything mechanical, the ceiling fan is subject to efficiency problems after extensive use. When a fan is out of balance the motor works harder, reducing its efficiency and increasing electrical usage. In addition, unbalanced fans tend to be noisy and typically produce a cyclical sound that can be quite irritating when you're trying to sleep or carry on a conversation.

Fortunately, correcting the problem is usually a fairly simple, inexpensive and straightforward proposition.

The first thing to check is the attachment of each blade to its respective holder. Ceiling fan blades are attached with screws (usually three) and the problem may be as simple as tightening any of the screws that have come loose over time. If you find this to be the case, after tightening the loose screws, run the fan and see if the problem has been solved.

If not, the next thing to try is switching blades that are across from each other. After switching one set, turn the fan on and see if the wobbling has stopped. If not, follow the same procedure with another set to see if this solves the problem.

If not, the next thing to check is the angle or alignment of each blade. Use a piece of wood or a yardstick and place it vertically on the outside edge of one of the blades. Manually rotate the blades slowly to make sure that each blade is in alignment. If you notice any blades that are not, carefully bend them up or down until they are in alignment with the other blades. Turn the fan on and see if this solves the problem.

If the problem persists, you have a problem with one or more of the blade weights. Many ceiling fans come with weights that attach to the top of a blade. These are called balancing weights and are used to compensate for differences in blade weights that can occur particularly with wooden blades. Sometimes one of these weights can be accidentally knocked off when the blades are cleaned. If your fan was not supplied with balancing weights, they can be purchased, usually as a kit, in either lighting fixture stores, home centers or in some hardware stores.

These kits are inexpensive and will usually stop the wobbling when the other suggested remedies have failed. Put a balancing weight on one of the blades and then spin the fan by hand. Do this with each blade until you have determined which blade is out of balance. You may find that more than one blade will need a balancing weight.

Move the weight(s) close to the motor and turn the fan on. If there is still a wobble, stop the fan and move the weight(s) further from the motor. As the weight is moved further from the motor, the effect of the weight increases. Continue to experiment until the weight(s) are positioned in such a way that the wobble stops.

Although this process is somewhat time consuming, it will take care of the problem when all else fails. With your ceiling fan back in balance, it will run smoothly and efficiently providing a pleasant cooling effect in the hot summer months and circulating warm air in the cold winter months.

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