Ceiling fan repair or replace?

[Dusty Britches]

My ceiling fan in my bedroom makes a scraping and clicking or banging sound in the motor. If I turn it off for a few hours, it is quiet when I turn it on but by the time I go to bed it is so loud I can't sleep. It is not a rhythmical sound, either - there's no pattern to it. As soon as I turn it off, even though the blades are still rotating it stops, so I'm inclined to think it is the motor.

Is this something that just needs to cleaned or oiled or should I replace it?

[JayB]

Fans are cheap. Unless you have a high end one, they are easier to replace.

Some of the older Hunter's had a location to add some oil drops.

[BrianL]

Unless it is a higher end fan, just replace. You can look at it when you are taking it down, but based on what you said it might be hard to find.

[roughneck266]

Trash it if its less than 50 years old. New ones are disposable. Not meant for repair with a few (very pricey) exceptions.

[Dusty Britches]

okay! Thanks guys!

[flywise]

I had a customer call me to investigate this same thing with her fan. I found that the wiring harness had come loose from a small clip and was rubbing on the motor where the fan blades attach. 5 min fix.

[critter69]

Yea I as going to say, take it apart and see if there’s an obvious reason as to what’s doing it. Sometimes it a simple wire, screw or something super simple. If you get it apart and can’t find it, buy a new one. This is pretty much how I “ diagnose” every thing. Many times it’s a simple fix. If not it easier to put in the trash in pieces rather then whole thing anyways.

[Dusty Britches]

Ok, I'll try that first. I thought most of the ceiling fans in my house have lifetime warranties on the motors.

[El Bigoton]

Getting warranty to cover is a nightmare. Try reversing the rotation for a few days and reverse it again, worked for me.