Humming Noises

Possible Causes of Humming Noises in Fans:
No Blades Attached: Fan blades should be attached to the fan motor. Avoid running the fan without the blades. Many people like to "test" their new fan prior to putting all the blades on. All fans will make noise if run with the blades off.

Wall Speed Control: If you are using a light dimmer switch or a infinitely variable fan speed control on your motor you will often hear humming. Fan motors should have either a set three speed or four-speed wall control. control. To determine how much sound is being caused by your control, take the switch out of the wall and supply live power to the fan and control the fan by the pull chain. Any sound which went away was being caused due to interference by the switch.

Fan Lights: A loose shade of glass or light bulb on a fan light can cause humming. Make sure the glass is not touching the light socket and the light bulb is not touching the glass. Also check to ensure the light is securely attached to the ceiling fan. If your light contains several pieces of glass make sure they are attached to fan (no glass will cause the screws to vibrate.) Enclosed glass globes often make sound. Putting rubber bands around the lip of glass where screws hold the glass will stop the transfer of sound.

Loose Screws: Check that all screws holding the fan together are tight. Review the above section on Clicking noises.

Break in Period: Sometimes a new fan needs to run for a bit to "Break In". Run the fan for 24 hours. Read your installation instruction sheet to see if this is recommended with your model of fan.

Lack of Use: If a fan has not been used for a long period of time it sometimes may make bearing sounds. If the fan is run for a longer period of time the sound may slowly disappear as the bearings become lubricated.

Low Grade Ceiling Fan:. Low priced promotional grade fans will often hum either when brand new or after time and use. If the fan is new, contact your dealer and inquire about getting a new fan. Promotional Grade fans use small motors and with lower quality control standards in order to be sold at such a low price. Using smaller motors will result in the fan working harder which builds up more heat, and which leads to problems down the road with sound.

Still Humming? If your new fan still hums after checking out the above items, contact the store which sold the fan and obtain a replacement under the terms of their return/exchange policy. If your fan is more than 30 days old you may need to contact the fan manufacturer in regards to whether you can obtain a replacement under the terms of the manufacturer's warranty.

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