Help! My Fan is Wobbly!

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What should I do if my ceiling fan is wobbly?

Help! My Fan is Wobbly!

When a ceiling fan light is wobbly, the vibration can damage the fan and shorten its life -- not to mention irritate the people in the room by making extra noise. Fortunately, the cause is often something you can fix yourself:

  • First, try tightening the screws that hold the fixture to the electrical box. (You'll need a helper to hold the fan while you do this.)
  • One of the blades may be off balance. Try attaching a clothespin to a blade and turning the fan on at slow speed. If it still wobbles, move the clothespin to the next blade until you've tried them all. If the wobble stops when the clothespin is on one blade, you may need to attach small weights to that blade to balance the fan. You can buy a weight kit at a hardware store or just tape coins to the top of the blade.
  • Remove the blades and lay each one on a flat surface to see if it is warped. If one or more blades is warped, you can buy new ones at a home center or hardware store. Be sure to get the same size! Also, if you suspect moisture caused the blades to warp, check to see that the new ones are moisture-resistant.
  • If these steps don't work, consult an electrician to be sure your junction box and ceiling fan light wiring are securely installed.

   

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