The weather is heating up and the fans decorating your ceilings for the winter months are now needed to push cool air around the room. You haven’t used them in a while and when you turn them on they groan in protest, wobble, limp around or simply give up on working altogether. So how do you work out what’s up with your fans?
Groan – If your fan hasn’t been used in a while things may have shifted a little since it was last run. Sometimes a noise can be as simple as the cabling inside the cowling has moved and it now touches when the fan is in operation. Other times the noise is more of a grind and indicates the motor may be beginning to fail.
Wobble – At times a fan can develop a bit of a lopsided approach to it’s spin. Perhaps it was knocked accidentally or moved out of line while being cleaned. This can usually be put right by re-balancing the fan but if left unchecked can lead to annoying noises and motor burnout.
Limp – If your fan is not working on all speeds it is usually an indication that the fan capacitor at the wall controller is faulty and requires replacement. It may also mean that the motor capacitor is faulty also. You many need to replace one or both capacitors to get the fan working properly.
Give Up – When your fan doesn’t work on any speed or respond to the fan controller at all it may be a sign the motor has seized and the entire fan needs replacing.
What to do about it?
First of all, you need to weigh up the benefits of trying to repair the fan versus replacing it with a new one. This will depend on the type of fan you have installed, a more expensive fan may be worth repairing whereas a standard fan may be more economical to replace. If the fan is in poor condition it is likely the repairs will only be a short term solution and you will need to replace it in the not too distant future. To save yourself a second call out with an electrician it may be more beneficial to have the fan changed at the initial visit.
If you decide the fan needs replacing it’s a good idea to closely look into what to replace it with. New products and new technology are available all the time and living in a coastal, tropical area fans get a real work out. To avoid rusty metal fans or warped timber ones it’s may worth considering plastic moulded blade fans. They have a clean modern look and are easy to maintain.
Contact us for your fan requirements