ceiling fan rocking

darsunt

I have some old ceiling fans that rock and wobble at certain speeds.
Now would it be worth my time to try to fix these old fans? Or would it just be easier to replace them?
I've heard capacitors might need replacing. Also that blades might need adjusting, but I don't know how to do that. Also I would have to take the blades off to get to some screws inside that might need tighening, but if I take the blades off and put them back on maybe makes things worse?

Thanks for any input.

brclarke

A bit of wobble is normal - uneven distribution of dust alone can do it.

It happened to me once, maybe you might want to check the nails in the back of the box, could be slowly getting vibrated out.

Anyway, I think you should keep it shut off until you can diagnose/repair the problem. If the box is working loose, the whole unit might fall down.

Is the bezel moving, or just the fan?

Check that the mounting screws in the bezel are tight. If they are, it's probably the box coming loose. Depending on how it's mounted, a couple of #10 or #12 screws driven through the back of the box may be sufficient.

Code has gotten stricter over ceiling fan mounting. I prefer to use a piece of 2x4 or 2x6 backing screwed between the joists, mounting the box with several heavy wood screws into the backing. A "U channel" of wood with the sides of the box screwed in to the legs is even better. Very heavy fixtures may need additional brackets straddling the tops of the joists with bolts to hold onto the lower bracket.

Some of the prefab metal brackets are fine too, as long as they're solidly attached.

But if you're not really sure, I suggest you seek help from someone who really knows about this thing. I also got this info from a pro that happens to be my friend, I'm pretty good with racking and shelving stuffs but electronic stuffs are definitely not my thing, so I asked for help.

Giles

I have "balanced" many wobbling celing fans---EVEN NEW (most are made in China)
After checking mounting security as mentioned, start by checking the distance from celing to each blade--rotate by hand and measure from same spot on celing. Shim blades to make them all within 1/16"
If this doesn't help, tape a 1/4" or larger flat washer to the top side, outer edge of each blade. Check one blade at a time by turning fan on medium speed.
This procedure can sometimes be quite involved because you could have more then one lighter blade. It just takes time and patience and might not be worth the effort.
Just yeaterday, I balanced my celing fan by taping a 3/8" flat washer to one blade.
After I was sure it was balanced, I glued the washer to the blade for extra security. (If it comes off, it can do damage to someone or a window)

Mike Swearingen

There are ceiling fan box brackets made for the purpose that you can hand-stick up into the hole from below, and screw tightly between and to the ceiling joists with "teeth" that bite into the wood that prevent wobbling (as long as the blades are balanced) and any danger of falling out. The box is then clamp-bolted to the bracket.
I installed a retrofit ceiling fan/light unit through a ceiling light-only hole with this method for a lady friend recently and it works great.
I would never had put that cf/l over her bed if it wasn't good and solid.
Just look in any big box cf/l and lighting section for the brackets. They had a big display of them in Lowes.
Good Luck!
Mike