Scratchy noise from ceiling fan

trader-of-some-jacks · 2004-08-22T15:31:14+00:00

I've got a ten-year-old ceiling fan in my bedroom. It was a cheapo to begin with, not a name brand or anything, but it has worked, silently and nicely, operating virtually 100% of the time, for the past ten years.This morning, I stopped the thing for about 15 minutes to dust it, something that had not been done for several months. When I turned it back on - same speed as before - it was making kind of a scratchy, mildly grating noise as it turned. It wasn't anything bad, like you'd get if the bearings were shot. But it went from being 100% quiet to being pretty scratchy sounding.I sprayed some WD-40 on the moving parts with the fan stopped, restarted it, and there was no improvement. I do remember reading somewhere once that no attempt should ever be made to lubricate the fan.I can't imagine that being turned off for 15 minutes, then on again, would so badly degrade this fan's quietness. Any simple things that I might have overlooked that would restore it to its previous glory?

Aug 22, 2004 26 Replies

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Jim 21 years ago

I use it on my knee.

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Shrek 21 years ago

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RSMEINER 21 years ago

Great for getting tar, tree sap, etc off your hands also.

Randy

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indago 21 years ago

Works good on lock tumblers. Start the key into the lock and then, with the squirt tube on the can head, squirt some spray into the mechanism while working the key into and out of the lock and turning it.

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Charles Spitzer 21 years ago

that's a really bad idea. use graphite instead.

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BinaryBillTheSailor 21 years ago

Graphite will do exactly nothing for tumblers that are already seized. WD-40 will penetrate and loosen it up to get the lock working. You can shoot your graphite in afterwards if it makes you feel better.

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PrecisionMachinisT 21 years ago

I will often spray it in the hole when hand tapping threads in aluminum.

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