How to Fix a Wobbly Ceiling Fan in Five Easy Steps
A wobbly ceiling fan can be more than just annoying. It can pose safety hazards if the fan moves around so much that it comes into contact with the person or object below.
The same issue happened to me and I consulted one of my friends who guided me about what to do. Remember attempting to fix this problem on your own can be risky. But with the proper steps and tools, you can do it without putting yourself or others at risk of injury.
Here’s how to fix a wobbly ceiling fan in five easy steps!
Introduction
If you have to fix a wobbly ceiling fan, don’t worry! Ceiling fans can often be fixed by loosening or tightening the screws that hold the fan motor.
Follow these five easy steps and you will soon have your fan running smoothly again:
- Locate the screws that are holding the motor onto your ceiling fan
- Use an adjustable wrench or screwdriver to loosen each of the screws until they are all loose enough to spin freely
- Once all of the screws are loose, turn one screw counterclockwise by one-eighth turn at a time (you should only have to do this for 2-3 of them)
- After you’ve turned any screws counterclockwise, tighten them back up with your wrench/screwdriver
Check the Fan Box or Fan Brace
The first thing you should do is check the box or brace that holds the fan up. This can be found on the ceiling or on the bottom of your fan. If there are no screws holding it up, you might need to buy some new ones and replace them.
In case the screws are loose, tighten them and try again. If this doesn’t work, then it could be something wrong with the motor. You’ll need to call an electrician for help with that!
Check the Blades
You may have noticed that the blades on your ceiling fan are not spinning smoothly, or maybe they’re wobbling up and down.
This may be an indication that the blades need to be tightened.
It’s pretty simple to do: just unscrew the screws on each blade until it is tight enough so that it spins smoothly without wobbling up and down.
Check the Mounting Bracket
The mounting bracket is what attaches the ceiling fan to the ceiling. The bracket can be attached with screws or bolts.
When you notice your fan is wobbling, it’s time to check the mounting bracket and make sure it’s tightly secured. Loosen any bolts if needed and then tighten them securely.
If there are any screws that need tightening, use your screwdriver for this step as well. Check all of the brackets on your ceiling fan for looseness before continuing with step three.
Check the Blade Arms
To check if your blade arms are loose, use your hand to squeeze each of the three blade arm joints. If they wobble, apply some additional pressure until they stop.
If you’re unable to find the problem and the fan still wobbles or makes noise, it might need a new set of blades or motor. You can also try tightening the screws on the back of the motor housing with an Allen wrench.
Balance the Blades
Balancing the blades of your ceiling fan is an easy way to fix a wobbly fan. To balance the blades, you’ll need pliers, a screwdriver, and a flathead screwdriver. Follow these steps:
- Remove any screws holding the blades in place and remove the blade (if possible)
- Use pliers or your fingers to bend the metal tab which is sticking out of the bottom side of the blade, up towards the top. Do this for each blade
- Make sure all tabs are bent upward on both sides of each blade
FAQ’s
Ceiling fan ball joint wobbles
Before you do anything, you should turn off the power
Now that the power is off, you can safely remove the blades with a screwdriver or by hand
Now that the blades are removed, it’s time to unscrew and remove the ball joint on which the fan hangs. This could be done with either a screwdriver or pliers
Once you’ve removed the ball joint and loosened up any parts that might have been tightly screwed together, take it down and re-attach it using your new screws
Finally, re-attach your blades and turn on your fan!
Ceiling fan wobbles on high
If your ceiling fan wobbles, don’t worry! There are many simple things you can do to fix the problem and get back to enjoying your cool air. The first thing you’ll want to do is check the blades.
If they’re not touching the ceiling or if one blade is higher than the other, it will cause it to wobble. The easiest way to fix this problem is by loosening or tightening the screw on the bottom of each blade with an Allen wrench (usually included with most new ceiling fans).
Don’t forget that if you have a remote control for your fan, it’s possible that someone bumped into it and turned off your blades; just press the On button on your remote and see if that fixes your problem.
How to balance a ceiling fan without a balancing kit?
If you don’t have a balancing kit and your ceiling fan is wobbling too much, there are several things you can do to make it more stable:
- Check the blades for balance. Is one blade heavier than the other? If so, balance the fan by turning that blade on its side so that it is equal to the other blade. This may not be enough for all fans, but it’s worth trying first
- Tighten the screws holding the blades onto the motor at the top of your fan. If they’re loose, tighten them with an Allen wrench or screwdriver until they are snug against each other without wiggling side-to-side
Also Read: How To Fix A Clicking Ceiling Fan In Five Easy Steps
Conclusion
Hope so you are satisfied with our solution for fixing the wobbling ceiling fan.
Now make sure of a few things. The ceiling fan is unplugged and turned off before moving it. Try to determine if the wobble is coming from the motor or the blades.
If it seems to be coming from the motor, you might want to replace it. If it seems like it’s coming from the blades, tighten each blade screw so that they are all at the same distance apart and parallel with one another.
Plug in the ceiling fan and turn it on for about two minutes to see if this fixes your problem. Repeat step four until you no longer feel any wobbling from your fan. Turn off your ceiling fan and plug it back in
