Squealing fan motor

[Paintedcow]

Let me guess, a stray pig got inside your fan............

Seriously, you can often oil those "sealed bearings" by filling a medical syringe with some thin oil, and squirting it in the motor bearings. Of course the bearings might already be worn and it's too late to do any permanent repair. But the oil can make that motor last a few more months or so. (Or years if you oil it regularly).

Sealed bearings are just "planned obsolescense". The only advantage is for the manufacturer, because they can get you to open your wallet and buy another of their short lived fans or other products (with motors).

Note: If the bearings have a rubber-like material around the shaft, you can often pierce that material with the syringe needle and inject the oil. If there is a hard plastic around the shaft, use a very thin drill bit to CAREFULLY make a hole to squirt the oil.

# Syringes can be purchased at pharmacies or farm supply stores.

[KenK]

The motor in the floor fan in my office is squealing loudly when the fan is started. Just began a few days ago. Most of these fans have sealed bearings and can't be oiled. I've tried other fans unsuccessfully in the past. Anything help besides replacing the fan? Worth the trouble of taking off the front of the case and trying to squirt some oil around the motor shaft if I can get to it?

TIA

[bob_villa]

Turbine oil, I've found on some...if you remove the back-housing screw...you can spray the rear bearing through that hole. It's hit and miss when they dry-out.

[bob_villa]

Fan motors (especially squealing ones) are most likely (Chinese?) sleeve bearings. Another point: on a sealed bearing you can pop the seal off with a scribe or awl...clean it, and re-lube it.

[KenK]

Uncle Monster wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks to you and all the others that gave me advice here.

Now...

I'm trying to follow the advice and lube the motor. I can't get the fan blade off the motor shaft to gat at the motor. I also tried removing the set screw and injecting penetrating oil. Been running it that way without the screw but it still hasn't loosened. The motor seems to be all firmly enclosed on the other side.

Suggestions on getting this blade off?

YIA

[gfretwell]

Turn the nut the other way. It is left hand thread

[hrhofmann]

Heating the blade and shaft with a small flame, like from a Bernzomatic tor ch, or one of those small torches that connect directly to a small can of p ropane or some other gas should loosen things up. A few blows with a hamme r while the shaft and blade are hot should do the trick.

[clare]

Most are pressed on with a spring clip that catches on the shaft. A royal pain to remove - there is a tool made for each type to release the epring but good luck finding the right one.

[gfretwell]

The ones with a speed nut should still twist off and it won't matter which way you turn it but all of the fans I have use a pollack threaded nut

[clare]

I was under the impression this was a plastic blade??

[clare]

I wasn't talking about a speed-nut. I was talking about more of a toothed spring equivalent of a key, working on a flat instead ofa ke-way.

[hrhofmann]

The OP never stated what type of material the blade was made of.

[KenK]

[e-mail] wrote in news:v3pbsbt6kqv3fnqp02rct3prn840ps2agp@

4ax.com:

In that case is there still a set screw in the blade hub? (Trying to determine if this might be my problem.)

[KenK]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

To twist it off you need to be able to hold the motor shaft while twisting the fan blade, right? But how to hold the motor shaft? - it's hidden behind the blade.

[KenK]

Uncle Monster wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Nope. Just one set screw on this one. Thanks anyhow.

[KenK]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Plastic blade.

[gfretwell]

There is no knurled hub/nut in the front?

[clare]

Can be. Not always.

[KenK]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Nope. Just the fan blade and the motor shaft sticking out of it a 1/4 in. or so.