How to Adjust Ceiling Fan Blades
Ceiling fan blades create air circulation in a room. After a few years, the blades may be off balance for different reasons, causing the blades to move out of position. This can cause the entire ceiling fan to wobble where it attaches to the ceiling, posing a danger of the fan falling onto someone. A simple adjustment of all the screws may solve the fan blade problem, or a fan balancing kit may be the answer.
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Turn off the ceiling fan and wait for the blades to stop rotating. Use a step stool if extra height is required to reach the ceiling fan blades easily without straining. Use a small Phillips screwdriver to tighten all screws on the ceiling fan blades.
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Tighten each screw on the blade irons, which sit close to the motor on each blade, by turning the screws clockwise. Each blade iron attaches to the ceiling fan motor with two screws. Tighten the fan motor screws by turning them clockwise.
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Replace any screws that are stripping out. A faulty screw will turn around and around, but will still be loose. Fastening a screw too tightly will strip a screw. If any of the screws in either the fan blade iron or the fan motor iron are not holding the materials tightly, replace them with new screws.
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Attach plastic clips from a ceiling fan balancing kit to balance the blades. Home improvement stores sell kits that include plastic clips and weights. Turn off the ceiling fan and use a step stool to reach the blades. The plastic clips operate like bobby pins, opening slightly and sliding onto the ends of the blades.
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Turn on the ceiling fan and observe to see if there is any change. If this corrects the wobbly blades, remove the fan blade clip, peel off the backing from a fan weight and stick it on the top side of the fan blade. If the first blade with a clip made no difference in the operation, remove the clip and try the next blade. Continue until you find the blade that needs adjustment.
References
Tips
- Using a slightly longer screw for replacing a stripped screw will help the hold the fan blades tighter to the motor housing or the blade iron. Do not use a screw more than 1/4 inch longer than the original screw, or it can interfere with the motion of the ceiling fan blades.
- The balancing kit clips are the same weight as the peel and stick weights. Using more than one weight may solve the problem.
Warnings
- Do not touch ceiling fan blades until all motion stops after turning it off. A moving ceiling fan can cause bruises and abrasions on hands and fingers.
Writer Bio
Mary Lougee has been writing for over 10 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree with a major in Management and a double minor in accounting and computer science. She loves writing about careers for busy families as well as family oriented planning, meals and activities for all ages.
Photo Credits
- Ceiling Fan image by AJ Sellas from Fotolia.com
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