by Jennifer Porterfield |
Last Updated: December 12, 2023 There’s not a lot worse than an irritably loud fan disturbing your movie night or you trying to concentrate on work in your office. You don’t want to turn it off due to the sweltering summer heat, but you also don’t want to keep it running if it’s just going to continue to disturb you.
This article will provide you with reasons as to why your fan make be creating a lot of noise, and some tips for how to quiet a fan.
Table of Contents
Why You May Wish to Make Fan Quieter
There are many reasons why a fan may become noisy, but they will most likely have to do with wear and tear. Regardless of the fan’s design, all different types will typically have the same components. Their rotating blades are attached to a motor that is enclosed in the grille.
If any of these parts become insecure or loose, the fan may produce irritable noise. And, as time goes by, fans will become louder and produce unpleasant vibrations from these unaligned internal parts that may be in need of repair.
Dust buildup along the fan blades might be able to cause noise as well. Therefore, requiring you to pull out a feather duster once in a while and keep things clean for a more quiet environment.
Airflow is another issue that could affect how loud your fan runs, especially if it’s leaning precariously or wobbling and vibrating severely on uneven ground.
If the airflow is restricted in any way because of surrounding objects such as furniture or walls, then you should consider removing obstructions and see if that makes a difference in making it quieter.
How to Make Fan Quieter: Tips
If you didn’t already have, now you do have, a great idea of what is causing the fan to be loud. Now, we can discuss multiple solutions that are quick and easy to help you make fan quieter.
These tips include:
- Placing the fan on a flat surface
- Using the slowest fan setting
- Placing fan on rug or carpet
- Keep it clean and free of dust
- Check all the screws
- Align the fan’s blades
- Replace cushions
- Inspect cage halves
- Oil the fan’s motor
- Buying a quieter fan
Placing the Fan on a Flat Surface
If your fan is rattling and making noises as soon as you place it down and turn it on, the culprit may be as simple as the ground you’re placing it on. It sounds obvious, yes, but the uneven ground is one of the most common reasons fans start rattling.
This will not only ensure that you get balanced airflow but it will, more importantly, reduce the risk of wobbling as the blades spin, which can force the fan into making quite a bit of noise.
The simple solution for this problem is if your fan has feet to stand on or adjustable screws then you can use them to level out the base. Using a level rule can be helpful to ensure that it is accurate.
You may need to move the fan somewhere else, to a more level location. But, fear not if you cannot find the ideal location, as you can use folded paper, a large book, or anything that works to help you level the fan.
Using the Slowest Fan Setting
The majority of fans will have different settings for speed that you can choose from. These will typically be low, medium, and high. To reduce the noise coming from the fan you can select the lowest possible setting.
The slower the fan goes, the less noise it will produce. So, if you need an instant reduction, reducing the speed and power of the fan will help you with a bit more silence.
If the fan has an oscillating feature, you should also turn this off. The more moving parts your fan has, typically the louder it will be. Simply turning off the rotation function on the fan can actually make a significant difference in making the fan quieter.
Placing Fan on Rug or Carpet
One of the worst places you can place your fan is on a hard, tiled, or wooden floor. These types of surfaces will almost definitely amplify the sound produced by the fan blades and make everything a lot louder than usual.
If possible, to help prevent this, you should always place your fan on a rug or carpet. These surfaces will absorb a lot of the vibrations and allow you to reduce the noise levels.
The thicker the rug the better, as they really know how to make fans quieter. If you don’t have carpets or thick rugs then you could even use a blanket.
Keep it Clean and Free of Dust
After a long winter of the fan being stalled in your basement or attic, it’s no surprise that the fan now makes a fair bit of racket. This is due to the dust collecting on the blades and disrupting the rotation of the fan.
Not many people really enjoy cleaning so we understand if you wish to sweep this task under the rug. However, when the fan is on it will generate heat, which in turn will accumulate dust on the blades and around the fan motor.
It’s crucial to clean the blades regularly and wipe down the motor and grille every few months to ensure that your fan stays in a healthy condition. This will last enable the fan to last for longer, and reduce the noises by keeping dust away from the moving components.
To clean it get a dry cloth and gently wipe down the motor and grille. You’ll need to lift the closures of the cage that covers the blades or unscrew the grilles on tower fans. You can also use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to get rid of stubborn dust.
Sometimes, simply cleaning the fan will be enough to prevent the fan from making any more noise. When storing the fan, cover it with a bag to prevent dust buildup in the winter.
Check all the Screws
Your next check should be to ensure there aren’t any loose screws and that the bolts are all tight and secure. A good time to check all the screws is when you’re cleaning the fan.
Loose screws will likely cause vibrations or rattling which is not only going to produce noise but could be dangerous. If the fan were to fall off whatever surface you have it placed on and onto someone or something below, you’re creating a hazard.
It is recommended to use a screwdriver and make sure that there aren’t any loose parts on the fan to maintain a safe, quiet environment. If a screwdriver or screw doesn’t fix a broken part, use duct tape.
Align the Fan’s Blades
Over time and after thousands of rotations, the fan blades may begin to warp so they’re another thing you’ll want to look at to make your fan quieter. Are the fan blades properly aligned? If not, this will likely cause them and the fan to wobble or vibrate which will result in louder noise.
Warped blades can affect the overall balance of the fan. They may even lead to grinding sounds when colliding with the surrounding cage.
Fortunately, in a lot of cases, the blades will be simple to realign by loosening the screws and then gently moving back them into their desired position. Once you’ve done so, you should securely tighten the screws again, and hopefully, your fan will be quieter than it was.
Occasionally though, a fan blade might become completely misaligned due to being banged around or dropped/knocked over. Therefore, if you notice anything along the lines of this then you’ll need to replace the blade straight away before they end up snapping off during operation.
Of course, it is recommended that you align the blades with the airflow so that it allows for a continuously smooth and even airflow. This will be easy to do if you have an adjustable fan, but if you don’t, you should try rotating the fan around until you find the most comfortable setting.
Replace Cushions
Find out whether or not you need to replace the cushions. When you lift the blade hub from the motor pin, you may see some padding that separates the blades from the motor, on olden models anyway.
Note: Most modern-day fans will have the separation built into the back of the blade hub itself.
If you do have cushions on your fan, they’re easy to replace by visiting your local hardware store. Replacing the cushions will help to reduce the noise of the fan.
It is recommended to use a thick piece of felt or foam, potentially even cardboard, to be able to pad the area. You may wish to cut a hole in the middle and push the material over the fan pin before putting the blades back into place.
Inspect Cage Halves
Leading on from the last step, if you acquire padding materials, you can use them in other places of the fan. For instance, it’s recommended that you inspect the two halves of the cage to ensure they haven’t warped and no longer close properly.
If the closures don’t go back over both sides then the two halves will probably vibrate against one another. If you are able to discover where the parts are hitting against each other, you will be able to slide some felt between the cage parts and tape them.
Oil the Fan’s Motor
Depending on what type of fan you have and how handy you are, you may want to consider giving it a touch of oil.
Generally, though, you shouldn’t use just any oil on your fan. If you have SAE 20 non-detergent oil on hand, this is a good choice, or even WD-40.
If your fan has ball bearings, they need to be lubricated occasionally otherwise they’ll wear out faster and they may reduce the lifespan of your fan significantly.
Lubricating them in this way should make the fan run quieter as there will be less friction between moving parts which can help to reduce the overall noise levels.
Buying a Quieter Fan
If you’ve tried all the above tips and it’s still making too much noise, then it’s probably time for you to swap out your noisy fan for something new and a lot quieter.
Fans aren’t made to last forever and though it may have started off being quiet, almost all fans will get louder as they age.
Modern-day fan technology allows fans to be extremely quiet with some only producing noise levels of 30 decibels or less.
If you’re looking for something really quiet and want to upgrade to a new one check out this Honeywell QuietSet Tower Fan which is a number 1 seller on Amazon.
- Included Components: Honeywell QuietSet Whole Room Tower Fan - Black, HYF290B
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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