Why do ceiling fans rattle

Luckily there are some easy steps to silence rattling ceiling fans and stop these annoying sounds. There could also be loose screws inside the motor housing. Tighten them and turn the fan back on to see if it still makes noise. If it still makes noise it could be that there are wires inside the switch housing causing a rattle. Turn off the main power to the fan before checking these connections.

Check all the wire connectors and make sure they are secure, if they are loose tighten the screws but not too tight! The wires could also be moving against each other or against the inside of the switch housing.

Some of the most likely culprits are also the easiest to fix , and you'll check for those first. Dirty blades can cause a fan to wobble and shake because they throw the blades out of balance. Clean both sides of the blades with a dust cloth or, if necessary, a slightly damp cloth or paper towel. The top sides will be much dirtier than the bottom sides. Dry any moisture from the blades right away. Many are made from wood composite or particleboard materials that are easily damaged by water.

While you're cleaning the blades, make sure that each blade is straight and not warped, damaged, or hanging lower than the other blades. If it's hanging lower, try tightening it see below to correct the problem. If this doesn't work, or if the blade is warped or damaged, replace the blade with an exact match from the fan's manufacturer.

Warped, damaged, or loose blades can cause a fan to wobble and can be very hard on the motor and the fan mount. Several different parts can become loose on a ceiling fan and make things noisy.

The first parts to check are the blades—where they mount to their brackets and where the brackets mount to the rotating part of the fan's motor assembly. Blades may be fastened to the brackets with screws or with another type of fastening system, such as keyholes that fit over pins or studs on the bracket.

The brackets usually fasten to the motor unit with screws or bolts. Tighten screws or bolts with a screwdriver or wrench, as needed. If the screws are Phillips-head, note than they may be larger than standard-size screws. The larger screw heads are sized for a 3 Phillips screwdriver tip. The standard size is 2. You can identify 3 screws by a squarish space at the center of the screw head's cross pattern.

A 3 bit which is commonly included in screwdriver sets has a corresponding flat area at the tip's point. If you use a 2 screwdriver with 3 screws, you're likely to strip them. Then, take a damp rag, or even a pillowcase to pick up the dust. Both methods will trap the dust bunnies instead of letting them fall on the floor. If you opt for the pillowcase method, you can put a fan blade inside it, then firmly drag the top layer of fabric over the blade, letting the dust collect inside. However, you should be careful not to dislodge the blades when you do this so that you can avoid causing bigger problems.

Some people also swear by microfiber rags too. Alternately, you can use paper towels and an all-purpose cleaning spray. Most ceiling fan blades get loose over time , anyway. You can do your checkups once or twice a year — personally, I suggest doing it at the beginning of the summer when you start using the fan more often. Usually, fan blades have about three screws each. If you noticed that one or more of the blades were sagging or wiggling when you cleaned them, you should tighten their screws.

Get your screwdriver kit up that ladder and go to town. However, you should also check other parts of the fan for loose or even missing screws. Loosen the canopy — the protective shell hiding the actual mounting plate on the ceiling. Then, you can put the canopy back and tighten those screws. Lastly, if one of the blades is lower than the others, unscrew the central plate at the bottom of the fan. Tightening the screws that connect the blades to the motor should bring the sagging blade back in line with the others.

If you come across any missing screws, make sure to put in new ones. After all, they were probably there for a good reason to begin with. Then, once again, check to see if the noise is gone. Lastly, if your ceiling fan also has a lighting fixture, the noise could be coming from loose light bulbs. Or, the problem could even be in the glass cover that goes over the lights. Some ceiling fan models may need some extra lubrication from time to time.

The fan could also have a specific oil it needs.