Servicing electric fans

[konisaan]

I think it's one of those things that many people never think about. Perhaps it's overlooked because the replacement cost of a fan isn't terribly high. However, it occurred to me that a fan needs to be maintained (and am not talking about just cleaning the dust off the blades). I'm assuming that there are bearings and other moving parts inside that need to be lubricated and cleaned from time to time . 

 

Do any of you take your fans to be serviced?

 

What are you paying (Obviously it has to be worth it otherwise you would just buy a new fan Instead of servicing it)?

 

Obviously the frequency of servicing would depend on how much use the fan gets, but I'm guessing your average fan would need to be serviced at least once every two years. 

[johng]

There isn't really much to service maybe a drop of oil into the bronze bearings once in a while, one is always hard to get to though.
and it can encourage dust
to build up on the motor windings which causes the varnished wire to get too hot and then it shorts out and its dead not really worth getting rewound..ive seen replacement Chinese motors/head units for about 200 baht.

clear the dust from motor windings and any hair or other stuff stuck on the spindle that could cause increased friction and it should run for a looooooong time.

[KhunBENQ]

I do it myself.

Unplug!

Disassemble cage and blades, clean in water/soap.

Careful with the blades, they break easy.

Remove (screw) motor/gear wheel cover.

 

I use Sonax spray (penetrating oil) on front and back spindle bearing.

 

 

[sandyf]

The fans themselves will run for a long time. My sister in law has a couple that have run virtually day in day out for about 20 years. I replaced the blades on one of them when cracks developed.

I was given one of the electronic ones for a wedding present about 9 years ago. A couple of years back the switching circuit board packed up so I bought a new board online and replaced it myself. Strikes me problems are more likely to be physical than to do with the motor.

[Crossy]

Ours get taken apart every couple of months to clean the plastics etc. But they just get a quick blast with the air compressor to shift the dust.

 

Once the sintered bronze bearings dry out and get tight they're really past it, WD-40 can get a bit more life but it's really only a temporary fix.

 

Once upon a time I replaced the bronze bearings with proper sealed ball races (you really should use the ones that can manage misalignment), that fan finally failed with a burned out winding, pure old age. Whether I'd bother again, not sure.

 

[manarak]

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Ours get taken apart every couple of months to clean the plastics etc. But they just get a quick blast with the air compressor to shift the dust.

 

Once the sintered bronze bearings dry out and get tight they're really past it, WD-40 can get a bit more life but it's really only a temporary fix.

 

Once upon a time I replaced the bronze bearings with proper sealed ball races (you really should use the ones that can manage misalignment), that fan finally failed with a burned out winding, pure old age. Whether I'd bother again, not sure.

 

are you talking about the 280 baht Hitari fans?

[Crossy]

3 minutes ago, manarak said:

are you talking about the 280 baht Hitari fans?

 

Well they are mostly Hatari, but we tend to pay a bit more than 280 Baht, I think the last ones were the 1,500 Baht ones.

[KhunBENQ]

16" Hatari about 800 Baht.

18" Hatari about 1100 Baht.

 

Maybe prices have gone down somewhat over the years.

Numbers that I remember for the 18" models we have are higher.

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

16" Hatari about 800 Baht.

18" Hatari about 1100 Baht.

 

Maybe prices have gone down somewhat over the years.

Numbers that I remember for the 18" models we have are higher.

Remote control Hatari cost a bit more than normal - but it is nice to be able to remotely control - especially as they seem to make it a requirement to use specs and magnifying glass to read post controls these days.  

[wayned]

When I was working in Uthai Thanni Province, there was a guy near my rental place that rebuilt the motors.  When one went tits up I would take it to him and pick it up 2 days later with a rewound motor, cost 160 baht.  My wife had a couple rebuilt here, Nakhon Sawan Province, for 200 baht so there are peolple who can do it and it seems cost effective. 

[Crossy]

Still enameled copper wire.

 

[Crossy]

Copper is still by far the best for SMALL motor windings, aluminium is fine for big motors (it's significantly cheaper) but there just isn't room in the baby motors we find on fans.

[Gary A]

The sintered spherical bearing are porous and are impregnated with oil when shipped. When they get hot, the oil seeps out and lubricates the shaft. The oil is reabsorbed when the bearing cools off. They normally last for years. Even at that, every couple of years I take off the motor housing and squirt a little bit of thin sewing machine oil on them. If the bearings are getting a little dry, the fan will be a little noisy or sluggish. Some of the bargain fans use steel sintered bearings rather than the normal bronze. The better manufacturers vacuum impregnate their bearing. Other companies just soak them in hot oil. 

[01322521959]

My Hatari is still running well after 13 years. Had the motor rewound and a service last year. 256baht, now like new.

Sent from my i-mobile_i-STYLE_219 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[Randell]

I am a retired carpenter so my  electronic skill are quite limited. I have a two year old Hitari 16  adjustable floor fan . Last month with just went pop and stopped.  The fan still spins so not ceased . So I wonder if it is just a replaceable fuse. Any ideas? I will also try and find a rebuilder in my neck of the woods outside of Wiang Chai, Ban Tri Keaw. I would prefer to fix if possible as it still looks totally new and am reluctant to justs junk it.

All suggestions appreciated.

Randell

[lopburi3]

Well Google can not find you so don't have a clue but most villages of size will have someone who repairs fans.

[KhunBENQ]

19 minutes ago, Randell said:

Last month with just went pop and stopped.  The fan still spins so not ceased . So I wonder if it is just a replaceable fuse.

It stopped middle in the action? ("went pop"?)

I can't remember having seen a fuse when disassembling multiple fans.

Sounds a bit more tricky.

If you plug it in and push one of the buttons (1-2-3) do you hear a humming sound when having the ear close to the motor housing?

If you leave it "on" for a while does it smell? Hopefully not.

 

Unplug in any case!

 

Wiang Chai, a district in Chiang Rai province?

Indeed every district town should have one or more repairmen or specialized shop.

 

[wayned]

I'd start with the small shops that repair washing machines  and if they don't repair them they might be able to point you in the right direction.

[Randell]

Thank you guys I will continue to check out a shop will post if I find on. Randell

 

 

I am a retired carpenter so my  electronic skill are quite limited. I have a two year old Hitari 16  adjustable floor fan . Last month with just went pop and stopped.  The fan still spins so not ceased . So I wonder if it is just a replaceable fuse. Any ideas? I will also try and find a rebuilder in my neck of the woods outside of Wiang Chai, Ban Tri Keaw. I would prefer to fix if possible as it still looks totally new and am reluctant to justs junk it.

All suggestions appreciated.

Randell