Balancing Fans Correctly
A simple procedure for balancing your fan
A wobbly fan can be very dangerous and can potentially cause serious injury to individuals in your home. After reviewing a number of balancing methods, the system found below seems to be the most easy and efficient method of balancing your ceiling fan.
Follow these steps in order to successfully balance the blades of your fan:
- The first thing you will want to do is set the fan blades facing downwards towards the floor.
- Clip a clothes pin halfway down the edge of the blade you want to test.
- Turn on the fan to the highest speed possible (if the fan starts to wobble a considerable amount before reaching maximum speed, turn it off and try a lower speed).
- Record whether or not the wobble is worse or better with the clip on the fan blade.
- Move the clothes pin onto another blade.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the clip on this blade.
- Keep moving the clip around each blade until every blade has been recorded.
- Once you have run the fan with a clip on every blade, you should notice that there is one blade that practically eliminates the wobbling of your fan when the clothes pin is attached.
- Once you have determined which blade needs the extra weight, purchase a 3/8 flat washer. Place this washer approximately where the clothes pin was placed and tape it down.
- Make sure the washer is completely taped down otherwise it can potentially cause injury if it becomes detached from the blade.
- If the wobble still occurs you may need to slightly alter the location of the washer or try interchanging two adjacent blades. If it continues to wobble, you may want to take it to a professional - the problem may be something that will require professional attention.
Following these steps will ensure your fan runs smoothly. It is important to keep your fan in the best condition possible in order to ensure it lasts as long as possible and functions as best as possible.
