Tilt the fan as far as you can in any direction and wait. The heaviest blade (or blades) will rotate to the most low position. The highest part is where you need to add the weight. This just speeds up the locating process. If the fan is balanced, it will show no preference (will not rotate) when tilted.
@@iggitwilliams4424 Then you know where to put the weights. You move them in or out as necessary and when tilting the fan does not motivate the rotor to turn anymore then you have properly located the weights. I thought this much would be obvious.
Great Video. Two things (may have been already stated) 1: Clean the top of the blades. They can be so asymetrically filthy that it causes a wobble. 2: Make sure to remove any old weights put on by previous owners. Like balancing a car tire, get rid of all the old weights and start from scratch. Removed 2 old weights from my fan and it was already better and I made it perfect with one properly placed weight.
It helped!! I measured the distance between the blades to the ceiling, then figured out that one of them was 2 INCHES lower than the other ones... tightened the screws and it works perfectly now :)
10 cent Fix!! Someone suggested using office clips as practice weights. I grabbed a couple of nickels to hold as extra weights. Fan went from wobbling like it was gonna fall out of the ceiling to SOLID as a ROCK!! Office Clips, Double sided tape, and a couple of nickels. Saved me over $152 dollars. ($150 for the fan $2 for the weight kit 😂) Thanks DirtFarmerJay!! Subscribed and Liked! 😎
After so many years asking my husband to fix this noisy,wobbly ceiling fan and he has always tell me how do you want me to fix it !! And I just got tired of hearing this annoying noise for so many years I start searching and I found you 🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌 and I fix it Thank you!!!
I’m with you Joshua, a lot of people would say heck after 40 years just replace it… if I can spend a little time and keep it working more coins in my pocket…. Good for you!
Great info Jay... I usually just tighten all the screws first before measuring because its so easy... then go to the drudgery of locating the imbalance if tightening doesn't change the wobble. Thanks!
Porsche924Tim - right on. Many times, simply restoring the fan to original condition as it was installed on day one solves the issue. Best Regards, DFJ
Just did this job now. I bought two balancing kits for one fan and stuck on five weights onto two fan blades. Took some patience and lots of trial and error but it’s much better now, barely any wobble at all now. Thanks!
I had to remove a fan blade, it was ready to fall off, problem is I can not get inside the to screw it back in? screws are not on outside of casing? @DirtFarmerJay
Tightening the loose blades is good, but I've found that the blade arm to the motor screws get loose also. That often requires some disassembly of the light kit for access. For blade marking ... I love painters tape.
I'm glad I watched this. My husband one time slid a piece of cardboard between the ceiling and the base of the fan. I never thought about it may be the blades are off kilter. I have another ceiling fan now that wobbles on high, so I'm going to try your plan. Thanks.
I installed more than 2000 new ceiling fans of all types during my 34 years as a service electrician and have serviced many more. When faced with a new or old fan having a wobble, I'd first check the mounting screws and fan blade screws. If it had a light kit then I'd also check the mounting for the light kit and make sure the glass is firmly in place. Many times the problem would be solved at this point. If not, then I would start with the fan blade balancing. It is crazy how many fans I came across which did not have a proper ceiling box rated for hanging a fan. Many used the existing plastic ceiling box which was not rated for fans. I came across a couple of fans which were hung on cut-in boxes! Many others were bouncing around after being hung on a plastic box supported by an adjustable bar hanger. I'm surprised at the ones that did not fall from the ceiling.
Ed, thanks for writing - you have some great insights. We are working on another episode based on viewers' experiences and wisdom. Indeed, I've seen some silly things when it comes to mounting a fan onto boxes that are not rated for this type of duty or mounted only to drywall. Like you said, crazy. We are going to emphasize the properly rated boxes and correct mounting methods as part of that video. Best Regards, DFJ
@@bepamprd If a proper mounting box was used and all the screws are tight then I would measure the distance from the tip of a blade to the ceiling. Do not move the measuring tape but rather spin the blades by hand and note the distance from the ceiling for each blade. If there is a larger gap for one of the blades then that blade may be warped. Try turning that blade over. If the problem is solved and the color of that side of the blade matches the others then you have solved the problem. If the colors do not match then you may need to obtain another set of blades. Of course, there are several other reasons that a fan cannot balanced. Is it mounted on a sloped ceiling? Is it mounted near an air vent? The fan blades needs to be located away from such things since the airflow would not flow evenly across the blades. Good luck.
Great video. I love simple, easy to follow presentations like this because they helps to empower everyday home owners and tenants alike to be more hands-on (if they're not already:) around the home. As an electrician though, having installed scores and scores of ceiling fans over the years, I've found that the most common cause of significant ceiling fan wobbles have more to do with the hanger balls at the top of the down rod assembly not being securely seated in the fan's mounting bracket registry. This registry slot acts like a gravity aided twist lock of sorts that helps to prohibit the torque produced by the ceiling fan from twisting and swaying itself in and off from the mounting bracket. Now of course this isn't always the cause of a ceiling fan wobble, but I would check that first, especially if the fan is pendulating. And sometimes too, it could be that the fan's down rod isn't angled down at a near ninety degrees relative to the mounting bracket and/or ceiling pitch. But if after determining that the hanger ball is indeed seated in the said registry and the down rod is angle straight down, then by all means focus on the blades and the blade irons as the next culprits for inspection along with their mounting screws. Again, great video. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Would it be possible to simplify your explanation further for those of us who know nothing about ceiling fans or those terms that you used? Terms such as registry, hanger balls, down rod, etc?
Onli Mi, forgive me, if my initial previous post wasn't as understandable as it could've been. The terms I used there, those are from the ceiling fan manufacturers. Do an online search and type in "ceiling fan anatomy" and then browse through images. You'll see exploded views of all the major ceiling fans parts along with their names. As to the registry memtioned...once you spin the hanger ball in the mounting bracket with fan's motor attached, eventually it'll fall down into a slot. When that happens, you've found the registry. The ceilong fan anatomy images will help you understand the terms and most importantly, see what they represent.
Thanks for your insights. But what is hanger balls at the top of the down rod assembly? And the fan's mounting bracket registry? I'm not familiar with those. Would I have to take the fan apart?
@@radurautescu3832 No-no, the hanger ball is the half circle that fits into the ceiling bracket, it's usually black....the registry I mentioned is a knob on the bracket that fits into a slot on the hanger ball that prevents the fan's torque from spinning outta wack, keepng the hanger ball, wiring, down rod and motor stationary allowing just the blade irons and attached blades to spin as designed. In short, you spin the whole assembly until the hanger ball "drops" into place and only then is the ceiling "registered" for safe use.
Very helpful video. Measuring the blade tips to the ceiling was the trick. Found the loose blade immediately. Tightened, fixed, no wobble. Many thanks!
WALKED INTO RESIDENTIAL ceiling fan with light fixture wobbling heavy followed your video and on first try of 'clip on' blade I was successful in stabilizing the fan. Thanks for good clear instructions. Tony
I used this video to troubleshoot a very annoying fan and wanted to share that, in a pinch, a penny affixed with some duct tape works as a weight and then you're only out the little bit of tape and the penny for the repair :) Thank you so much for the knowledge share!
Well I just found your video while trying to resolve fan noise. But out of my 7 ceiling fans I have had two that do wobble, figured it was the age (house is in it's 80's and the fans, lord only know's) I am on my way to my local hardware store to get the kit and fix the wobble fans, and get the oil for the noisy one. Thank you so much for this information and showing despite the time how easy it really is, you are a godsend, thank you again.
James McBride, thanks so much for watching and commenting. I'm happy I could help. Nothing more annoying than a wobbling fan! Keep watching and commenting my friend. Best. DFJ
@@DirtFarmerJay We haven't started to build the system yet, but I saved your demonstration video. I'm really looking forward to giving it a try. Thank you again.
The catch 22 situation is this - more expensive fans are better but not everyone can afford them. Guess it's that situation with many items that people purchase. We've had these fans over 20 years and they still work well. Guess we should thank our lucky stars! Best. DFJ
Fantastic, thanks so much. I went through your steps and my issue ended up being tons of dust and random globs of paint on top of some of the blades. Generic furniture polish (like Pledge) made cleaning a breeze then I used a paint scraper to get the globs off and for the 1st time since moving in it's spinning with zero wobble. Amazing.
The ceiling fan in my dining room wobbled the most on medium speed, (which is like high speed on most fans because it's a smaller fan.) After I put the weight on the blade that gave me the most improvement, there is now very little movement.
Hi, Many years ago we purchased 2 ceiling fan lights, one was perfect the other had a wobble. I then read the instructions, they had some square sticky weights and the instructions were similar to your idea, stay in one point measure the drop from ceiling on each blade to see if similar If 2 or 3 were out it asked you to unmount it and move it to another position, then turn it on and check wobble the idea being the odd one out in another place would counter balance other heavier or light ones. Once you had it close it asked to place all weights eg 8 of them on the offender and sticky tape it temporarily ( the weights were in a small plastic bag, then determine if it needed all 8 weight, if to heavy cut it in half and use 4 if to heavy cut in half for 3 etc , it to light add another , they weights were 2 rows of 4 similar to a chocolate bar. If then said if you cant solve it you may need to spread the weights over other blades !!! great forever mix and match The final guessing game was to use your home clothes pegs cliped on the edge and move it in or out and add 2 or 3 or whatever was needed, then when perfect weigh the clothes pegs and weight the plastic weights If you needed more weights you could can the toll free number and they would end more out, or you could use coins and glass / bathroom silastic One of the other comments mentioned weighing all blades and shave down the heavy ones to match the lightest - this will help but some times the overall weight is the same but the blade can be warped from storage eg it sat on a pallet or those racks with metal tubing and is warped that way Regards George
Also, pro-tip… when first placing the stickie weight to do a final test, only peel/stick - corner of the stickie weight until you verify it works as expected, then peel/stick.
We had one where the screws on the bracket were coming loose from the motor. Had to remove the outside cover to fix it. Worked wonders though in fixing the problem.
Kurt, good to hear from you. Indeed, we have one viewer who made the comment that he always starts the process by tightening all the bracket screws and many times that solves the problem right off. Glad to be of help. Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already! Best Regards, DFJ
I've had luck with checking the angle of the blades. Just one having more or less angle than the others will cause drag and wobble. The metal bracket angle can be bent by putting a hand on either side of and holding the blade near the bracket and carefully bending by feel.
Glad it was helpful David Halley. I must admit that we have had these fans for over 20 years. They are the original fans that were installed when we built the house and are still working. Best, DFJ
Well done sir. I also use an angle finder on the blades and make sure they all have the same pitch; I've had to bend a couple blade mounts slightly to get them all at the same angle. Particularly if it's a used fan or one that has been taken down and moved around.
Thanks for watching and commenting. It's "fan season" right now where we live in the Mountain West of the USA and we are using both of our bedroom ceiling fans every night now. The breeze makes it so comfortable to sleep. Best to you, Dirt Farmer Maggie.
This was incredibly helpful. You are a good explainer. Thank you! Mine has been out of whack for years and now it clunking so I can't sleep. Will fix it tomorrow!
I really love that fan! That is a Hampton Bay Huntington three from the late 90s to early 2000s. Those tend to sag. My friends house has two on their back porch and because they sag they wobble really bad. A good solution to sag is to see if you can find blade brackets in brass from another fan.
I’ve just learned a lot from your very helpful video on techniques to rebalance ceiling fans, and I intend to put this knowledge to action quite soon to fix ours. Thank you sir! However, I’d like to know why you didn’t suggest tightening down all of the screws first BEFORE doing anything else. I’m not claiming to be an expert, like you obviously are, but it really seems to me that the FIRST two steps in approaching this problem should be 1) Retighten all the screws, and, 2) Clean the blades of any accumulated dust & debris. … THEN, check the wobble, measure distance of each blade from ceiling, etc etc, as you demonstrated. That’s my two cents worth. And, again, I sincerely thank you for the rest of your extremely helpful advice.
Indeed, it would have been better to start with tightening all the screws. We are working on a second video on this topic and will make sure we start the list with screw tightening. Thanks David Miner! DFJ
@@DirtFarmerJay we actually had to use two weight clips to balance the two fans as one weight was not enough. We ended up putting two of the tape on weights on one blade on each fan. Thanks for the info on checking for loose screws. Both fans had loose screws. Now they are running nice and smooth.
@@535tony Very good, Scott. We are getting ready to publish another video on this topic since we have some great viewer feedback and practices submitted. We are glad our first episode was of help to you. best regards, DFJ
Our ceiling fan had a wobble on it. I took off all the blades and put them on my weigh scale. I found that they all didn't weigh the same. I did add weights using coins and tape to get them all to weigh the same. It worked well.
I weighed each blade holder and found that some were up to two ounces difference. I ground the heavy ones down until all weighed the same. Then I weighed each fan blade and did the same on them.
I have used weights in the past. There is always a danger that the weight will come loose. My method is to simple bend the fan blade. There is some flex in the metal holding the wood blade. This is easy to do, quick and permanent.
I'm not very patient. My plan is to take all the blades off and weigh them on a kitchen scale. Once they all weigh the same, I'll check the tracking. Thanks for that tip because I didn't even think that that would throw it off.
So I tightened the screws, measured, dusted and that didn't fix the problem... However, it did get me to look at the blades more closely to see that one of them was at a much greater angle than the other! Bent that back into shape and all good. Thanks, and don't forget that part apparently!
I like the tilting method but have also videoed the blades with a cell phone and played the video in slow motion to see which blade swings out the most when it goes around. This will be the heaviest blade, and weight can be added on the opposite side of the blade disk. Absent a weight kit, a dime and some duck tape work just fine.
This is a great tip! Thanks for sharing. We'll incorporate your approach in an upcoming Viewers Tips episode on fan balancing and maintenance. Best, DFJ
Thank you so much for your informative video. I checked a couple other videos out there, but your video had one element that helped me where the others didn't. I had one noticeably higher blade while the other four were measurably close. Of course I thought the high blade needed the weight. My problem was solved by putting a weight on the next blade. Doesn't make sense to me, but it worked and I tried it because you had the same issue. Thanks again from this old granny!
That is a Huntington III by Hampton Bay....I had this issue.. Make sure the downrod screw is tightened with the motor housing and also at the ceiling make sure the entire fan is mounted on the bracket properly.
Thanks Mr Gray. We built this house in 2001 and this ceiling fan has been in use since then. I guess it's earned the right to wobble a bit after 20 years. I know I have! Best to you, Dirt Farmer Maggie.
@CRobertGray My newly installed ceiling fan had a slight wobble. I tired the weights and that made things worse. All the screws were tight so I moved the ceiling fan to one side until I heard a light bump sound around the ball mount. Thought I had broken something but it must have repositioned the ball on the mounting hardware because when I turned on my ceiling fan all of the wobble was gone. Thank goodness because I did not want to add that stick-on weight and have it swing off later. Your "make sure the entire fan is mounted on the bracket properly" helped in my situation. Fixed in less than 15 minutes. Thanks
I'd first have tried putting the two blades of different height opposite each other. Good trick with the measuring. Saves on some trial-and-error because it finds the problem blades.
I used the binder paper clips, and by hit or miss slide them up or down thne fan blade, Thebest luck was less than half way down the blade twards the center of the fan. Just clip on and slide in or out on two of the blades. Good luck!.
If you have a tall relative or a tall ex like I had, lol. Getting snipped by a fan blade happens also. Or, simply raising up one's arm and hitting one of the blades while they are spinning also bends the arm plate of a fan blade and offsets them. Good to take it off the ceiling and reinstall each blade tightly and bend back any slight alteration in their curves.
A previous viewer mentioned that they weighed each of the parts FIRST ( blade holders - blades ) to find if individual components are equal weight. That is a PLUS if you are doing an install. After some time, especially if the air has high moisture- say an outside porch or near a hot tub zone, the blades may tend to warp downward. I noticed my blades drooped slightly. So I flipped the blades over. My blades had different decor surfaces on opposite sides...one white, the other like wood grain vinyl. It removed much of the uneven-ness from the blade to ceiling measurements. If the issue is still there after weighing parts and droop, then the clip test will help isolate the wobble. Using temporary painters tape or ordinary masking tape and a weight like a quarter coin near the blade tip will work if you don't want to buy a balancing kit. To fine tune once the coin procedure has identified the main issue, try moving the coin to various locations along the blade that gives the greatest improvement. It is similar to balancing a car tire....both STATIC vs. DYNAMIC balancing. In other words ...weight versus location. Wish you all success. JwgK
Right on, thanks for the tip. We'll mention this on the next video we've got underway with viewer's tips about fan balancing and maintenance. Best, DFJ
Sometimes you can balance the fan by lightly twisting one or two brackets a little bit because I've found on alot of fans that the blades are not set at the same pitch So you also want to take you tape measure and measure both sides of the blade to check the pitch and you can adjust the pitch by twisting the bracket a little bit but be careful not to twist it too much so it doesn't break , If the blades are not set at the same pitch , That will also cause the fan to wobble
What I have done to balance windmill blades is to remove and weigh them at both ends at the same time. In the end, they should all end up weighing the same in summary AND be the same at blade root AND blade ends. I liked your checking of the tracking.
Hey, DF Jay, I found your vid’s today. Watched a couple and sub! I live in Silicon Valley so have lots of tech stuff around me some high, some low. I used what a couple others have used, with the paper/binder clips. They stick well and don’t have to worry about them falling off or glue releasing! Plus I always have a drawer full of them (no extra cost). I start by cleaning the blades, check the screws, measure to the ceiling, then add a clip to the end of the “low blade” if balance gets worse I move to the opposite blade, marking the start point with painter tape and number system on each blade. When I have found the best blade to work with I then move in towards the motor and, like most using binder clips, may have to add to another blade (usually next to the one I start with). I just knocked one out of balance the other day while moving furniture, so will need to do this again… good info though! Keep it up
I use office paper clips to find which blade needs the weight, (the kind that are usually black with the handles that fold). Once blade is found, moving the paper clip along the length of the blade will tell if you need more or less weight. If it gets better as you move closer to the motor, you need less weight. There may be two blades that need weights, so if you do not get complete results with one, start on another blade as well, (usually the blade next to the worst one found).
Amazing! I never would have guessed to try the speed test (it was smooth on medium, but knocked about on low and wobbled a bit on high), or the measuring stick test (all level). I stuck a clothes line clip on the side of the fan blades: on the second blade, the wobble and knocking sound stopped! It’s so quiet! Since the clothespin made it perfectly still, I centered a quarter and two dimes (the same weight as the clothespin), taped individually near the point where I had the pin, but along the centerline, of course. That way, I can move just one of them at a time up and down the length, in case I need to fine-tune later.
I am not a fan of taping weights to the blades. A friend had a fan that wobbled, and he got rid of the wobble with a quarter taped to the proper place. A few weeks later the fan was on high when the quarter came loose and cracked a large fish tank.
Take a piece of chalk or white wax pencil (or crayon) marker and hold at the far point of the blades while rotating. The heavy blade will swing out and up farther and hit the chalk first, then weight the opposite blade. (Or blades)
Some of the newer cheap fans have warped blade holders. They cool unevenly during manufacturing and the blades end up with different twist angles. That causes each blade to have different thrust and it wobbles.
I found that the blades sometimes are not spaced equally around the perimeter. To eliminate wobble I first correct any height mismatches and blade pitch inequalities, and then I balance the fan by adjusting the blade spacing and not bothering with weights.
I have put up dozens ceiling of kinds .I have never had one wobble With that saying as long as the electric box mounted right and all screws are tight like it suppose to be . Also all fans blades must be clean once in a while ,I have lint hanging off the blade .also the ceiling box screws holes must be flush with the ceiling so the fan bracket can be flush with the ceiling
The electrical box in the ceiling needs to be a special kind of box that is rated for the weight of a fan. Also, the box should be mounted with multiple screws into a strong support structure, preferably to a joist. Re-mounting my boxes more secure has solved all wobble and noise issues.
I think I just found the grandfather I never had. Thanks for the teaching lesson.
sorry you got the wrong Godfather. He is mine
@@trueforum378 What the bloody hell are you talking about?
Thanks for watching and commenting alwayssearching1. We have 16 grandkids....what's one more!! Best to you, Dirt Farmer Maggie.
Tilt the fan as far as you can in any direction and wait. The heaviest blade (or blades) will rotate to the most low position. The highest part is where you need to add the weight. This just speeds up the locating process. If the fan is balanced, it will show no preference (will not rotate) when tilted.
GREAT IDEA BOGY WAN KENOBI We will share this suggestion in a future follow up video and give you all the credit!!! Best. DFJ.
That's great! Thank you.
Then what?
@@iggitwilliams4424 Then you know where to put the weights. You move them in or out as necessary and when tilting the fan does not motivate the rotor to turn anymore then you have properly located the weights. I thought this much would be obvious.
@@bogywankenobi3959 In the "Dude Where's my car Korean ladies voice"... And thennn?!
Great Video. Two things (may have been already stated) 1: Clean the top of the blades. They can be so asymetrically filthy that it causes a wobble. 2: Make sure to remove any old weights put on by previous owners. Like balancing a car tire, get rid of all the old weights and start from scratch. Removed 2 old weights from my fan and it was already better and I made it perfect with one properly placed weight.
It helped!! I measured the distance between the blades to the ceiling, then figured out that one of them was 2 INCHES lower than the other ones... tightened the screws and it works perfectly now :)
Wahoo! We LOVE IT when our viewers "Just Do It Yourself!". Best to you Chenxi Gao. DFJ
10 cent Fix!!
Someone suggested using office clips as practice weights. I grabbed a couple of nickels to hold as extra weights. Fan went from wobbling like it was gonna fall out of the ceiling to SOLID as a ROCK!!
Office Clips, Double sided tape, and a couple of nickels. Saved me over $152 dollars. ($150 for the fan $2 for the weight kit 😂)
Thanks DirtFarmerJay!!
Subscribed and Liked! 😎
Just saw this! Thanks for the tip, writing, AND subscribing. Best, DFJ
After so many years asking my husband to fix this noisy,wobbly ceiling fan and he has always tell me how do you want me to fix it !! And I just got tired of hearing this annoying noise for so many years I start searching and I found you 🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌 and I fix it Thank you!!!
Excellent!
Wow! This works. With this video, my 40 year quest on how to stop a ceiling fan from squeaking and wobbling came to a successful end. Thanks!
Thank You, I no longer need to replace my 40 year old Livingroom ceiling fan. The frugal side of me is happy.
Glad to hear my wife is not the only one with a frugal side these days! Best to you Joshua. DFJ
I’m with you Joshua, a lot of people would say heck after 40 years just replace it… if I can spend a little time and keep it working more coins in my pocket…. Good for you!
Great info Jay... I usually just tighten all the screws first before measuring because its so easy... then go to the drudgery of locating the imbalance if tightening doesn't change the wobble. Thanks!
Porsche924Tim - right on. Many times, simply restoring the fan to original condition as it was installed on day one solves the issue. Best Regards, DFJ
Just did this job now. I bought two balancing kits for one fan and stuck on five weights onto two fan blades. Took some patience and lots of trial and error but it’s much better now, barely any wobble at all now. Thanks!
Ian, glad to hear it! Thanks for writing. Best, DFJ
Thank you for sharing this. First home buyers and feel so clueless about home repairs. I've put in in my tool belt to accomplish with confidence.
Thank you so much. One of my blades screws was loose and had dropped over two inches from the others. You saved my sanity.
Thanks for watching and commenting Richard Bellamy. Glad I could help. Best to you, DFJ
I had to remove a fan blade, it was ready to fall off, problem is I can not get inside the to screw it back in? screws are not on outside of casing? @DirtFarmerJay
Tightening the loose blades is good, but I've found that the blade arm to the motor screws get loose also. That often requires some disassembly of the light kit for access. For blade marking ... I love painters tape.
Every time I open this channel I learn something new, thanks And greetings from Chihuahua México.
Rene, Glad to hear it! Thanks being a part of our viewer family! Best Regards, DFJ
I'm glad I watched this. My husband one time slid a piece of cardboard between the ceiling
and the base of the fan. I never thought about it may be the blades are off kilter. I have
another ceiling fan now that wobbles on high, so I'm going to try your plan. Thanks.
Your hubby is a dummy 😃
I am now a "fan" of yours from watching this video!
I installed more than 2000 new ceiling fans of all types during my 34 years as a service electrician and have serviced many more. When faced with a new or old fan having a wobble, I'd first check the mounting screws and fan blade screws. If it had a light kit then I'd also check the mounting for the light kit and make sure the glass is firmly in place. Many times the problem would be solved at this point. If not, then I would start with the fan blade balancing.
It is crazy how many fans I came across which did not have a proper ceiling box rated for hanging a fan. Many used the existing plastic ceiling box which was not rated for fans. I came across a couple of fans which were hung on cut-in boxes! Many others were bouncing around after being hung on a plastic box supported by an adjustable bar hanger. I'm surprised at the ones that did not fall from the ceiling.
Ed, thanks for writing - you have some great insights. We are working on another episode based on viewers' experiences and wisdom. Indeed, I've seen some silly things when it comes to mounting a fan onto boxes that are not rated for this type of duty or mounted only to drywall. Like you said, crazy. We are going to emphasize the properly rated boxes and correct mounting methods as part of that video. Best Regards, DFJ
Help! We installed 3 fans, 2 wobble and 1 does not. I have checked every screw and tried the balancing kit!
@@bepamprd If a proper mounting box was used and all the screws are tight then I would measure the distance from the tip of a blade to the ceiling.
Do not move the measuring tape but rather spin the blades by hand and note the distance from the ceiling for each blade. If there is a larger gap for one of the blades then that blade may be warped.
Try turning that blade over. If the problem is solved and the color of that side of the blade matches the others then you have solved the problem. If the colors do not match then you may need to obtain another set of blades.
Of course, there are several other reasons that a fan cannot balanced. Is it mounted on a sloped ceiling? Is it mounted near an air vent? The fan blades needs to be located away from such things since the airflow would not flow evenly across the blades.
Good luck.
Great video. I love simple, easy to follow presentations like this because they helps to empower everyday home owners and tenants alike to be more hands-on (if they're not already:) around the home.
As an electrician though, having installed scores and scores of ceiling fans over the years, I've found that the most common cause of significant ceiling fan wobbles have more to do with the hanger balls at the top of the down rod assembly not being securely seated in the fan's mounting bracket registry.
This registry slot acts like a gravity aided twist lock of sorts that helps to prohibit the torque produced by the ceiling fan from twisting and swaying itself in and off from the mounting bracket.
Now of course this isn't always the cause of a ceiling fan wobble, but I would check that first, especially if the fan is pendulating. And sometimes too, it could be that the fan's down rod isn't angled down at a near ninety degrees relative to the mounting bracket and/or ceiling pitch.
But if after determining that the hanger ball is indeed seated in the said registry and the down rod is angle straight down, then by all means focus on the blades and the blade irons as the next culprits for inspection along with their mounting screws.
Again, great video. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thanks for commenting Godfrey. Our tagline is "Just Do It Yourself" and sounds like that is fitting for you as well! Best to you, DFJ
Would it be possible to simplify your explanation further for those of us who know nothing about ceiling fans or those terms that you used? Terms such as registry, hanger balls, down rod, etc?
Onli Mi, forgive me, if my initial previous post wasn't as understandable as it could've been.
The terms I used there, those are from the ceiling fan manufacturers. Do an online search and type in "ceiling fan anatomy" and then browse through images. You'll see exploded views of all the major ceiling fans parts along with their names.
As to the registry memtioned...once you spin the hanger ball in the mounting bracket with fan's motor attached, eventually it'll fall down into a slot. When that happens, you've found the registry.
The ceilong fan anatomy images will help you understand the terms and most importantly, see what they represent.
Thanks for your insights.
But what is hanger balls at the top of the down rod assembly? And the fan's mounting bracket registry?
I'm not familiar with those.
Would I have to take the fan apart?
@@radurautescu3832 No-no, the hanger ball is the half circle that fits into the ceiling bracket, it's usually black....the registry I mentioned is a knob on the bracket that fits into a slot on the hanger ball that prevents the fan's torque from spinning outta wack, keepng the hanger ball, wiring, down rod and motor stationary allowing just the blade irons and attached blades to spin as designed.
In short, you spin the whole assembly until the hanger ball "drops" into place and only then is the ceiling "registered" for safe use.
Very helpful video. Measuring the blade tips to the ceiling was the trick. Found the loose blade immediately. Tightened, fixed, no wobble. Many thanks!
Glad it helped! - DFJ
WALKED INTO RESIDENTIAL ceiling fan with light fixture wobbling heavy followed your video and on first try of 'clip on' blade I
was successful in stabilizing the fan. Thanks for good clear instructions.
Tony
Fantastic! Glad it helped, Anthony. Thanks for watching and writing! Best, DFJ
very well done. A simple and deductive approach to finding the challenge. Some times its the little things that do the most good.
I used this video to troubleshoot a very annoying fan and wanted to share that, in a pinch, a penny affixed with some duct tape works as a weight and then you're only out the little bit of tape and the penny for the repair :) Thank you so much for the knowledge share!
Nice work!
Well I just found your video while trying to resolve fan noise. But out of my 7 ceiling fans I have had two that do wobble, figured it was the age (house is in it's 80's and the fans, lord only know's) I am on my way to my local hardware store to get the kit and fix the wobble fans, and get the oil for the noisy one. Thank you so much for this information and showing despite the time how easy it really is, you are a godsend, thank you again.
James McBride, thanks so much for watching and commenting. I'm happy I could help. Nothing more annoying than a wobbling fan! Keep watching and commenting my friend. Best. DFJ
Thank you Jay. We have a fan that has wobbled from day one and will give your method a try.
Linda, did the method work? How did it turn out? Best, DFJ
@@DirtFarmerJay We haven't started to build the system yet, but I saved your demonstration video. I'm really looking forward to giving it a try. Thank you again.
Thank you so much! I really needed this info, have 3 fans that need this! 😁
Glad it helped! Best, DFJ
Nice methodical explanation. Thanks!
Why can't the manufacturers make us some better fans?
The catch 22 situation is this - more expensive fans are better but not everyone can afford them. Guess it's that situation with many items that people purchase. We've had these fans over 20 years and they still work well. Guess we should thank our lucky stars! Best. DFJ
I am very impressed with this tutorial. thanks
Fantastic, thanks so much. I went through your steps and my issue ended up being tons of dust and random globs of paint on top of some of the blades. Generic furniture polish (like Pledge) made cleaning a breeze then I used a paint scraper to get the globs off and for the 1st time since moving in it's spinning with zero wobble. Amazing.
Thanks for the video. Very well- done. Your directions were concise and "blew" me away. I'm sure you've acquired some new "fans".
Thanks for the comedy! (Don't quit your "day job") Best to you, DFJ
The ceiling fan in my dining room wobbled the most on medium speed, (which is like high speed on most fans because it's a smaller fan.) After I put the weight on the blade that gave me the most improvement, there is now very little movement.
Thanks,
Your TH-cam information was right on. Tightening the screws is what made all the difference for me. :)
Thanks for the info. When we replaced the capacitor & put it back together it started wobbling, now we will know what to do to fix it👍🏻
Thanks for watching and commenting vicki Linsdau. Best, DFJ
I'm obsessed with ceiling fans
Great video! For me, it was the height of the individual blades that were off. I bended by hand two of the brackets and now it's dead still 👍
Thanks for all the tips! Im trying it this evening when i get home.
Good luck!
Hi, Many years ago we purchased 2 ceiling fan lights, one was perfect the other had a wobble.
I then read the instructions, they had some square sticky weights and the instructions were similar to your idea, stay in one point measure the drop from ceiling on each blade to see if similar
If 2 or 3 were out it asked you to unmount it and move it to another position, then turn it on and check wobble the idea being the odd one out in another place would counter balance other heavier or light ones.
Once you had it close it asked to place all weights eg 8 of them on the offender and sticky tape it temporarily ( the weights were in a small plastic bag, then determine if it needed all 8 weight, if to heavy cut it in half and use 4 if to heavy cut in half for 3 etc , it to light add another , they weights were 2 rows of 4 similar to a chocolate bar.
If then said if you cant solve it you may need to spread the weights over other blades !!! great forever mix and match
The final guessing game was to use your home clothes pegs cliped on the edge and move it in or out and add 2 or 3 or whatever was needed, then when perfect weigh the clothes pegs and weight the plastic weights
If you needed more weights you could can the toll free number and they would end more out, or you could use coins and glass / bathroom silastic
One of the other comments mentioned weighing all blades and shave down the heavy ones to match the lightest - this will help but some times the overall weight is the same but the blade can be warped from storage eg it sat on a pallet or those racks with metal tubing and is warped that way
Regards
George
Fantastic explanation! My old boss knew how to do the weight setting and all that and I remember seeing him do it but i just never picked it up
Glad to you liked it. Thanks for taking time to write!
Before I even had this fan question you made a video answering my question, thanks! Thumbs up and subscribed!
Also, pro-tip… when first placing the stickie weight to do a final test, only peel/stick - corner of the stickie weight until you verify it works as expected, then peel/stick.
Great tip, bobby kelley! Best, DFJ
We had one where the screws on the bracket were coming loose from the motor. Had to remove the outside cover to fix it. Worked wonders though in fixing the problem.
Kurt, good to hear from you. Indeed, we have one viewer who made the comment that he always starts the process by tightening all the bracket screws and many times that solves the problem right off. Glad to be of help. Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already! Best Regards, DFJ
I've had luck with checking the angle of the blades. Just one having more or less angle than the others will cause drag and wobble. The metal bracket angle can be bent by putting a hand on either side of and holding the blade near the bracket and carefully bending by feel.
Good advice!
I invested 2 bucks in mine. Glued a Toonie ( 2 dollar Canadian coin ) on the light blade. Also I will never be broke. LOL
Now THAT'S ingenuity!
Excellent description how to balance a fan. Well done.
Glad it was helpful! Best, DFJ
You had this fan for 15 years!!! And now, you are just getting to fixing it??? Wow.... :)
Yes we had the fan for 15 years but fixed it when it started to wobble. Best, DFJ
You inspired me to fix my kitchen fan. Thanks
Huh.. this is what us helicopter crew chiefs call rotor track and balance.
I was wondered how ceiling fans balanced thanks
I have my first ceiling fan to install and this was very informative. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful David Halley. I must admit that we have had these fans for over 20 years. They are the original fans that were installed when we built the house and are still working. Best, DFJ
That is Hampton Bay Huntington III. Most fans wobble most on high.
Well done sir. I also use an angle finder on the blades and make sure they all have the same pitch; I've had to bend a couple blade mounts slightly to get them all at the same angle. Particularly if it's a used fan or one that has been taken down and moved around.
Thanks for watching and commenting. It's "fan season" right now where we live in the Mountain West of the USA and we are using both of our bedroom ceiling fans every night now. The breeze makes it so comfortable to sleep. Best to you, Dirt Farmer Maggie.
Mine was just the screws on the fan blade. As a tradesman I was very upset with myself lol thanks for the video
Ryan, I'm glad the fix was that simple! Best, DFJ
This was incredibly helpful. You are a good explainer. Thank you! Mine has been out of whack for years and now it clunking so I can't sleep. Will fix it tomorrow!
Glad I was able to help DivineMizE. Happy dreams!
I really love that fan! That is a Hampton Bay Huntington three from the late 90s to early 2000s. Those tend to sag. My friends house has two on their back porch and because they sag they wobble really bad. A good solution to sag is to see if you can find blade brackets in brass from another fan.
I’ve just learned a lot from your very helpful video on techniques to rebalance ceiling fans, and I intend to put this knowledge to action quite soon to fix ours. Thank you sir!
However, I’d like to know why you didn’t suggest tightening down all of the screws first BEFORE doing anything else.
I’m not claiming to be an expert, like you obviously are, but it really seems to me that the FIRST two steps in approaching this problem should be 1) Retighten all the screws, and, 2) Clean the blades of any accumulated dust & debris.
… THEN, check the wobble, measure distance of each blade from ceiling, etc etc, as you demonstrated.
That’s my two cents worth. And, again, I sincerely thank you for the rest of your extremely helpful advice.
Indeed, it would have been better to start with tightening all the screws. We are working on a second video on this topic and will make sure we start the list with screw tightening. Thanks David Miner! DFJ
This helped us alot. We ended up balancing two fans.
Scott, glad we could be of help! - DFJ
@@DirtFarmerJay we actually had to use two weight clips to balance the two fans as one weight was not enough. We ended up putting two of the tape on weights on one blade on each fan. Thanks for the info on checking for loose screws. Both fans had loose screws. Now they are running nice and smooth.
@@535tony Very good, Scott. We are getting ready to publish another video on this topic since we have some great viewer feedback and practices submitted. We are glad our first episode was of help to you. best regards, DFJ
Our ceiling fan had a wobble on it. I took off all the blades and put them on my weigh scale. I found that they all didn't weigh the same. I did add weights using coins and tape to get them all to weigh the same. It worked well.
I weighed each blade holder and found that some were up to two ounces difference. I ground the heavy ones down until all weighed the same. Then I weighed each fan blade and did the same on them.
JumperDumper - that's a great insight. Thanks for sharing! Best, DFJ
I’m surprised that you found that much difference. Interesting.
I balanced each blade on a triple beam scale reinstalled them and it made zero difference ☹️
I used binder clips to check the balance of the wobble.
I have used weights in the past. There is always a danger that the weight will come loose. My method is to simple bend the fan blade. There is some flex in the metal holding the wood blade. This is easy to do, quick and permanent.
Great information,thank you I did this to my fan and it fixed the wobble!
I'm not very patient. My plan is to take all the blades off and weigh them on a kitchen scale.
Once they all weigh the same, I'll check the tracking. Thanks for that tip because I didn't even think that that would throw it off.
So I tightened the screws, measured, dusted and that didn't fix the problem... However, it did get me to look at the blades more closely to see that one of them was at a much greater angle than the other! Bent that back into shape and all good.
Thanks, and don't forget that part apparently!
Jeremy, thanks for the insight. We are planning another episode based on viewer feedback and tips. This is a good tip! Best, DFJ
I like the tilting method but have also videoed the blades with a cell phone and played the video in slow motion to see which blade swings out the most when it goes around. This will be the heaviest blade, and weight can be added on the opposite side of the blade disk. Absent a weight kit, a dime and some duck tape work just fine.
This is a great tip! Thanks for sharing. We'll incorporate your approach in an upcoming Viewers Tips episode on fan balancing and maintenance. Best, DFJ
Thank you so much for your informative video. I checked a couple other videos out there, but your video had one element that helped me where the others didn't. I had one noticeably higher blade while the other four were measurably close. Of course I thought the high blade needed the weight. My problem was solved by putting a weight on the next blade. Doesn't make sense to me, but it worked and I tried it because you had the same issue. Thanks again from this old granny!
Surprised they still using these fan ...good tips by the way..Thanks for sharing..
Ivette Colon, the amazing part is that there are the original fans we installed when we built our house 20 plus years ago! Best, Dirt Farmer Maggie.
That is a Huntington III by Hampton Bay....I had this issue.. Make sure the downrod screw is tightened with the motor housing and also at the ceiling make sure the entire fan is mounted on the bracket properly.
Thanks Mr Gray. We built this house in 2001 and this ceiling fan has been in use since then. I guess it's earned the right to wobble a bit after 20 years. I know I have! Best to you, Dirt Farmer Maggie.
@CRobertGray My newly installed ceiling fan had a slight wobble. I tired the weights and that made things worse. All the screws were tight so I moved the ceiling fan to one side until I heard a light bump sound around the ball mount. Thought I had broken something but it must have repositioned the ball on the mounting hardware because when I turned on my ceiling fan all of the wobble was gone. Thank goodness because I did not want to add that stick-on weight and have it swing off later. Your "make sure the entire fan is mounted on the bracket properly" helped in my situation. Fixed in less than 15 minutes. Thanks
I used some 2-sided sticky tape and 2 quarters after finding the off-weighted blade. It's so much quieter now at all 3 speeds. Thanks!
Congrats Vinyl Rescue. Sounds like you are a poster child for our "Just Do It Yourself" tagline. Good Job! DFJ
Thanks, the tool came in the package, now I know how to use.
Thanks for sharing,, very informative
Thanks, Mitchell. Good to hear from you! Best, DFJ
I'd first have tried putting the two blades of different height opposite each other. Good trick with the measuring. Saves on some trial-and-error because it finds the problem blades.
Wow !
Never had a clue this was fixable
very nice presentation, great video..
I put a penny on one of my blades that needed it and worked perfect 👍
Sometimes it’s the mounting cover at the ceiling. Shims usually solve the wobble.
I used the binder paper clips, and by hit or miss slide them up or down thne fan blade, Thebest luck was less than half way down the blade twards the center of the fan. Just clip on and slide in or out on two of the blades. Good luck!.
Thanks Jay and God bless you. Very clear. Really helped 👍🏼👍🏼
Glad to help!
If you have a tall relative or a tall ex like I had, lol. Getting snipped by a fan blade happens also. Or, simply raising up one's arm and hitting one of the blades while they are spinning also bends the arm plate of a fan blade and offsets them. Good to take it off the ceiling and reinstall each blade tightly and bend back any slight alteration in their curves.
Yes, indeed. Thanks for writing. Best, DFJ
Yay! Thank you so much! Very easy to follow instructions without any extra BS.
Glad it helped! Keep watching and commenting Tiffany Russll. Best, DFJ
A previous viewer mentioned that they weighed each of the parts FIRST ( blade holders - blades ) to find if individual components are equal weight. That is a PLUS if you are doing an install. After some time, especially if the air has high moisture- say an outside porch or near a hot tub zone, the blades may tend to warp downward. I noticed my blades drooped slightly. So I flipped the blades over. My blades had different decor surfaces on opposite sides...one white, the other like wood grain vinyl. It removed much of the uneven-ness from the blade to ceiling measurements. If the issue is still there after weighing parts and droop, then the
clip test will help isolate the wobble. Using temporary painters tape or ordinary masking tape and a weight like a quarter coin near the blade tip will work if you don't want to buy a balancing kit. To fine tune once the coin procedure has identified the main issue, try moving the coin to various locations along the blade that gives the greatest improvement. It is similar to balancing a car tire....both STATIC vs. DYNAMIC balancing. In other words ...weight versus location. Wish you all success. JwgK
Blu Tack! Infinitely adjustable. 👍🏼
Right on, thanks for the tip. We'll mention this on the next video we've got underway with viewer's tips about fan balancing and maintenance. Best, DFJ
One blade was off like in step 2 and that fixed our problem thanks for the video
Sometimes you can balance the fan by lightly twisting one or two brackets a little bit because I've found on alot of fans that the blades are not set at the same pitch
So you also want to take you tape measure and measure both sides of the blade to check the pitch and you can adjust the pitch by twisting the bracket a little bit but be careful not to twist it too much so it doesn't break , If the blades are not set at the same pitch , That will also cause the fan to wobble
What I have done to balance windmill blades is to remove and weigh them at both ends at the same time. In the end, they should all end up weighing the same in summary AND be the same at blade root AND blade ends. I liked your checking of the tracking.
Hey, DF Jay, I found your vid’s today. Watched a couple and sub! I live in Silicon Valley so have lots of tech stuff around me some high, some low. I used what a couple others have used, with the paper/binder clips. They stick well and don’t have to worry about them falling off or glue releasing! Plus I always have a drawer full of them (no extra cost). I start by cleaning the blades, check the screws, measure to the ceiling, then add a clip to the end of the “low blade” if balance gets worse I move to the opposite blade, marking the start point with painter tape and number system on each blade. When I have found the best blade to work with I then move in towards the motor and, like most using binder clips, may have to add to another blade (usually next to the one I start with). I just knocked one out of balance the other day while moving furniture, so will need to do this again… good info though! Keep it up
Thanks for your helpful comments. Keep watching and commenting. Best to you, DFJ
I use office paper clips to find which blade needs the weight, (the kind that are usually black with the handles that fold). Once blade is found, moving the paper clip along the length of the blade will tell if you need more or less weight. If it gets better as you move closer to the motor, you need less weight. There may be two blades that need weights, so if you do not get complete results with one, start on another blade as well, (usually the blade next to the worst one found).
Great info DannyB1954. Thanks for sharing! Best, DFJ
Amazing! I never would have guessed to try the speed test (it was smooth on medium, but knocked about on low and wobbled a bit on high), or the measuring stick test (all level). I stuck a clothes line clip on the side of the fan blades: on the second blade, the wobble and knocking sound stopped! It’s so quiet! Since the clothespin made it perfectly still, I centered a quarter and two dimes (the same weight as the clothespin), taped individually near the point where I had the pin, but along the centerline, of course. That way, I can move just one of them at a time up and down the length, in case I need to fine-tune later.
Katya, we're glad you were able to get the issue addressed. Best, DFJ
I am not a fan of taping weights to the blades. A friend had a fan that wobbled, and he got rid of the wobble with a quarter taped to the proper place. A few weeks later the fan was on high when the quarter came loose and cracked a large fish tank.
Take a piece of chalk or white wax pencil (or crayon) marker and hold at the far point of the blades while rotating. The heavy blade will swing out and up farther and hit the chalk first, then weight the opposite blade. (Or blades)
This method is used to check helicopter blades.
I'll have to give this a go. My wobble is on med and high speed.
I had a fan that wobbled horribly. Sold the house and never looked back.
LOL! That made me laugh. Thanks for watching and writing. Best, DFJ
🤣🤣
That’s one way to fix the problem and, many more, LOL…
Just getting to this video now…still a top comment! Thank you!!
I can't wait to try this tomorrow!!
In a pinch hang a 15 pound weight to give the center more mass. It does work.
My technique came from the Red and Green Show… Duck tape the chains together so they quietly hit the sides.
Red Green
My grandmother has ceiling fans from the 80s installed some of then have been wobbling for 30 years they still work perfectly.
Some of the newer cheap fans have warped blade holders. They cool unevenly during manufacturing and the blades end up with different twist angles. That causes each blade to have different thrust and it wobbles.
Another great reason to spend a bit extra & buy quality rather than jun... err cheap.
Thanks Jay!
I found that the blades sometimes are not spaced equally around the perimeter.
To eliminate wobble I first correct any height mismatches and blade pitch inequalities, and then I balance the fan by adjusting the blade spacing and not bothering with weights.
THANKS ...
COOP
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Great video. We used to tape penny to the blade. It worked. Old School. LoL
Thank you so much! My fan was sligjtly hitting the pipes above it and I didn't know how to fix it.
Awesome DarcieGlam. Doesn't it feel good to "Just Do It Yourself!!" Best to you, DFJ
I have put up dozens ceiling of kinds .I have never had one wobble With that saying as long as the electric box mounted right and all screws are tight like it suppose to be . Also all fans blades must be clean once in a while ,I have lint hanging off the blade .also the ceiling box screws holes must be flush with the ceiling so the fan bracket can be flush with the ceiling
The electrical box in the ceiling needs to be a special kind of box that is rated for the weight of a fan. Also, the box should be mounted with multiple screws into a strong support structure, preferably to a joist. Re-mounting my boxes more secure has solved all wobble and noise issues.
When I clean my 9 ceiling fans it's easy to lose your place. I use painters tape to mark my starting point. Then I pull it off when they're all clean.
Fabby Navarro - thanks for this technique! We'll be doing another episode on this subject and we'll mention your approach. Best Regards, DFJ