Ceiling fans are designed to bring comfort to your home. But when something’s not right with one or more of your fans the problem can be anything from simply annoying to downright risky.
No one appreciates the annoying sound of a humming ceiling fan all day and night. Like most people you’ve probably tried adjusting the speed, but the humming sound just won’t go away. Here’s what’s probably causing it and what you can do about it.
Causes of a Humming Ceiling Fan
The most common cause of a humming ceiling fan is motor vibration. How loud the humming is depends on the mount, housing, and blades. Even if you have one of the newer models that are designed to mute the hum, the parts sometimes fail and need to be replaced.
Other reasons you’ll hear a hum include:
- A wiring error
- The wall switch isn’t dually rated for supplying the fan
- The unit isn’t installed level
- The blades are improperly balanced
Standards for ceiling fans are frequently revised so it’s important that the model year, specifications, and speed control match one another.
How to Stop the Noise
Knowing what causes a humming ceiling fan is all fine and good, but what you really want is a way to make it stop! There a variety of solutions you can try.
- First, if your ceiling fan has a light check that the light bulbs are the correct wattage.
- A defective receiver may be causing the humming. You can contact the manufacturer for help or to get a replacement.
- Dimmer switches can create a hum so consider buying a model that dims from the fixture itself.
Two problems should be addressed by a professional electrician. If the humming can be tracked to an outlet or wiring or if a circuit breaker is overloaded and not shutting off the way it should, call in a pro to investigate and repair the issue.
Keep Things Cool and Quiet
There are other times you should get a professional to help fix your fan.
- A sizzling sound in conjunction with a strange smell probably indicates a bad drive capacitor which will need to be replaced.
- Sparks coming from the fan motor, with or without strange noises, is a serious issue. Immediately turn off the fan and request the help of an electrician. The last thing you want are sparks igniting a ceiling fire that could go undetected and pose danger to you and your family.
For more than 25 years, Spyrka Electric has been a supplier of residential and commercial electrical services for home and business owners in Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, and the entire North Bay area.
Big or small, no matter your electrical job, we’ll get it done right the first time, on time. Our electricians are fully licensed and trained and each electrician arrives to the job fully equipped and ready to complete the work in a safe and efficient way.
Learn More
Whether you’re looking for a solution to your ceiling fan humming or need a major electrical installation, we provide the services you need. To learn more about our local, family-owned, full-service electrical services company, contact us by phone, email, or online.
