“Why is my ceiling fan making noise?” You may have asked yourself this question as you lie restless in bed, wishing yourself to sleep. Don’t put yourself through it again.
Ranging from DIY fixes to solutions best implemented by a pro – there are a few ways to reduce ceiling fan noise.
Skip to:
- Clean the fan
- Tighten up screws
- Get the motor serviced
- Lubricate the ceiling fan
- Check installation
- Use anti-vibration pads
- Get a quieter ceiling fan
- Cost of fixing a noisy ceiling fan (comparison chart)
Clean the fan
This is a starter solution for a reason. It’s easy and you don’t need to be an expert in anything to do it.
A dirty fan can cause both imbalance and more vibration, and this can lead to a noisy ceiling fan. If you haven’t cleaned your fan recently, get up on a chair or stepladder and give it a wipe.
Important – ensure your fan is fully switched off before you clean it. If you live with other people, it’s better to turn off the power at the breaker box. This will avoid the dangerous scenario of someone unexpectedly turning the fan off while you are cleaning it.
Use a cloth to clean. It won’t hurt to wet your cloth with warm water and a little dish soap. You might be surprised at how grimey it is up there. A bit of soap can help you to shift more stubborn dust and debris that has accumulated.
Wipe both the top and bottom side of each blade as you go. While you’re up there, you may as well clean other fan surfaces, including the motor housing (this is the central part of the fan that houses the motor) and the light, if your fan has one.
You should use the opportunity to check for any signs of damage, such as warped blades or insecure parts.
All done? Turn the fan back on and see if it’s made a difference. It’s amazing how in many cases, a good old clean is all your fan needs.
Tighten up screws
Did you notice any loose screws while you were having a clean? Even if you didn’t, if you still hear noise, this is what you should check next.
A rattle or squeaking noise might be pointing to loose screws. Loose screws will mean that parts of your fan are moving more than they should, and this can cause noise.
After turning your fan off from the breaker box, check that any screws you can access are fully tightened. If they aren’t, simply tighten them with a screwdriver.
Ensure you take a look not just at the blades, but also at the motor housing and the canopies (the covers at the top and bottom of the suspension rod that attaches your fan to the ceiling).
You can’t see all the screws in the ceiling fan without removing covers and parts. Internal screws are best tightened by a professional. Concentrate on the screws you can see and access easily.
Get the motor serviced
Nobody likes to spend extra money on a service. But if cleaning and tightening screws hasn’t managed to reduce ceiling fan noise, you may need to.
Check your ceiling fan warranty, because if it’s a mechanical fault the cost may be covered.
Your electrician or fan technician will be able to inspect the ceiling fan and see if the motor needs replacing. While they are giving the fan a check, they can also clean and lubricate the inner parts and tighten any screws that you didn’t have access to.
One of the reasons a ceiling fan makes clicking noise or a knocking sound is that the motor itself needs replacing.
If the noise that’s bothering you is a loud humming or grinding the bearings may be worn out.
The technician can test your fan and identify issues; from damaged or broken parts, to loose parts or evidence of overheating. The older your fan is the more likely it is to have any of these issues.
How long do ceiling fans last? A quality ceiling fan can last you for years, or even decades. However, after the 10-15 year mark, many ceiling fans can begin to show signs of wear. This can lead to a noisy ceiling fan.
The cost of replacing a ceiling fan motor will vary according to its type and how long it takes for wiring (because this will add to your labor costs).
See our cost of fixing a noisy ceiling fan (comparison chart)
Lubricate the ceiling fan
When the moving parts of your ceiling fan dry out, friction can increase. This will lead to more wear which in turn causes more noise.
You should be lubricating your ceiling fan once every 1-2 years.
In order to lubricate your fan effectively, the blades and cover will need to be removed so that you can access the motor.
This is best done by a professional electrician or fan technician. If you are having your motor inspected, ask that the fan is properly lubricated, using a degreaser, non-detergent motor oil, or the multi-use version of WD40.
After disassembling, access to bearings can be gained and all potential wear points in your fan can be lubricated.
Check installation
If your ceiling fan was bought in the last few weeks or months and has been noisy, maybe it’s due to improper installation. Perhaps the ceiling fan wasn’t installed according to manufacturer instructions.
A shaking or rattling sound may indicate that the ceiling fan wasn’t affixed or positioned right.
If this is the case, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the original installer. In many cases they won’t charge you for rectifying the issue.
The technician will ensure that all screws are tightened properly. This includes screws holding the mounting bracket into the outlet box and the canopy and downrod in place. They can have a look at the balance of the fan, checking the angles of the blades and positioning all the parts correctly.
A trained professional can also confirm that blades are rotating smoothly and there is no friction.
Use anti-vibration pads
Does your fan produce vibrations that sound like they are spreading to the ceiling or even walls?
If your ceiling fan is still producing disturbing vibrations after you have cleaned it, tightened all screws, lubricated it, and had it professionally checked, you should consider anti-vibration pads.
Anti-vibration pads are installed between the ceiling plate and mounting bracket, acting as a buffer.
They are able to reduce the transmission of vibrations and are compatible with normal fan screws. You can find anti-vibration pads that are designed for specific brands of ceiling fans, or generic types that fit more than one brand.
How do antivibration pads work for noisy ceiling fans? The pads provide cushioning which reduce noise transfer into the ceiling, reducing the noise from being amplified through reverbation. In this way, they can also reduce vibrations to other ceiling fixtures. For more on sound dampening and how it works, read this article on ‘What Are the Best Sound Absorbing Materials?’
Unless you have the right knowledge and experience, leave installing anti-vibration pads for ceiling fans to the professionals.
Get a quieter ceiling fan
If all the above has failed, it might be that you just have a ceiling fan that is especially loud.
Some ceiling fans can be as loud as 60-70 decibels (dB) even if they don’t have a problem. That’s nearly as loud as a kettle and only 20 dB quieter than a blender or smoothie maker. This might be the whooshing of the blades, or a hum that some fans give off.
You could always buy a new, quieter ceiling fan. There are plenty on the market, many of them available on Amazon.
Buying a quiet ceiling fan with a more modern design often means more energy efficiency. Look out for quiet ceiling fans with an Energy Star rating.
We’ve put together an article that will help – ‘Quietest Ceiling Fan (7 of the Best)’
Cost of fixing a noisy ceiling fan (comparison chart)
It helps to have an idea of how much fixing a noisy ceiling fan will cost. Take a look at the chart below to see the approximate cost of each fix:
As you can see, if your ceiling fan motor needs replacing, it might work out better in the long run to buy a new quiet ceiling fan.
That’s because the approximate cost of buying a new ceiling fan (without factoring in labor costs for installation) is around the same as a new motor.
