How to Clean the Fan Blades on a Portable Fan
A portable fan, as its name states, is a fan that you can move to various locations such as desk, window, tower, pedestal and handheld fans. Vent exhaust fans are an example of non-portable fans. The blades of a portable fan collect dust and debris over time reducing the efficiency of the fan and potentially posing a fire hazard. Most portable fan designs have simple fan grill and blades assembly securing hardware. As a result, accessing and cleaning the fan blades usually only requires the removal of the front grill, a vacuum and damp cloths.
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Turn off and unplug your portable fan.
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Unclip and/or unscrew the front grill of the fan. If your grill has securing clips along the grill edges that hold the front and back grill together, simply pull out the clips away from the edges. If the grill has a securing cap at the center of the grill or screws along the edges, simply unscrew and remove the cap by hand or unscrew and remove the screws with a screwdriver.
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Remove the grill from the fan. Vacuum it with a nozzle or brush tool and then set it aside.
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Slide the fan blades assembly from the fan motor shaft.
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Vacuum the blades with your attachment to remove as much debris as possible.
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Wipe the blades carefully with damp, lint-free cloths when finished to dislodge any remaining dirt or oils. Dry thoroughly with another cloth.
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Push the fan blades assembly back onto the motor shaft.
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Clip or screw the front grill back into place. Plug in and turn on your fan.
References
Tips
- Some clip-style hardware portable fans have a grooved piece of hardware that looks like a clip at the bottom or side of the grills that doesn't unlock. Once you unlock the other clips, simply slide the grill out of this piece.
Warnings
- Take care when wiping the blades by hand that you don't cut yourself on the sharp edges.
Writer Bio
Based in Southern Pennsylvania, Irene A. Blake has been writing on a wide range of topics for over a decade. Her work has appeared in projects by The National Network for Artist Placement, the-phone-book Limited and GateHouse Media. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Shippensburg University.
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