Anyone Ever Balance A Ceiling Fan ?

[billt460]

I installed a new ceiling fan and light fixture in my kitchen yesterday, and it's a good, solid set up. I replaced the existing fan. No downrod, just a straight bracket bolt up to the ceiling junction box that's well supported. I could probably do chin ups on it.

At the second and highest speeds it does dance a bit more than I would like. I've never screwed around trying to balance one out. I know they sell balancing kits to do it with adhesive backed weights. But I've heard of people using a penny and tape to find the "sweet spot" on whichever blade, (mines a 5 blade 52").

Then epoxy the penny after you've proven out the location with the tape. Anyone have any better ideas? I bought 2 of these things, and have another one I'm going to change out in my dining room. But I want to get this thing dialed in first.

 

[ripcord]

It's been many years since I installed one. My recollection is that there was a whole lot of experimentation and trial and error to get rid of the wobbles. The fan I bought came with some weights, but I really don't remember how they attached.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

Before going to the weights make sure all the blades are running level. A high or low blade will also cause wobble and I don't think that can be balanced out with weights. The blade holders I've had to correct are relatively soft metal that will bend fairly easily.

 

[billt460]

I found this video. But I have to be honest, it looks like a royal pain. I admire this guys patience. I'll try messing around with it later and see if I can improve it.

The fan blades themselves seem to be running fairly true. Nothing too much out of whack high or low. The bulk of these things aren't exactly aerodynamically balanced.

The blades themselves are attached to die cast holders that screw into the housing with generous clearance for the screws. So that's not helping matters. I would be somewhat reluctant to try bending or reshaping them, because they would most likely crack or break. They're cheap, plated pot metal.

If I manage to improve things, I'm not going to rely on tape to hold any of the weights once I secure the location where to place them. I'll use a few drops of fast cure epoxy.

 

[hrv]

I found this video. But I have to be honest, it looks like a royal pain. I admire this guys patience. I'll try messing around with it later and see if I can improve it.

The fan blades themselves seem to be running fairly true. Nothing too much out of whack high or low. The bulk of these things aren't exactly aerodynamically balanced.

The blades themselves are attached to die cast holders that screw into the housing with generous clearance for the screws. So that's not helping matters. I would be somewhat reluctant to try bending or reshaping them, because they would most likely crack or break. They're cheap, plated pot metal.

If I manage to improve things, I'm not going to rely on tape to hold any of the weights once I secure the location where to place them. I'll use a few drops of fast cure epoxy.

It takes a lot of time to balance but this video sums it up well...

 

[Lubener]

Only balanced one. A cheap fan. A quality fan that is solidly mounted and level should not need anything to make it run smoothly.

 

[PontiacHO]

I’m old. Back in the day…balance kits were sold at Lowes. I recall a temporary clip on weight that could be moved around until the best location was found. Then a permanent weight with strong two sided tape affixed to the top of the blade could be added. Some fans (back then) actually had this kit included.

 

[billt460]

I’m old. Back in the day…balance kits were sold at Lowes. I recall a temporary clip on weight that could be moved around until the best location was found. Then a permanent weight with strong two sided tape affixed to the top of the blade could be added. Some fans (back then) actually had this kit included.

They still sell them. They're not that expensive. I might pick one up this morning, just to see if it makes anything easier.

 

[pcoxe]

I worked at a factory that made ceiling fans. Blades were weighed and pigeon-holed according to weight. Then sets of four blades were collected and bound together. There were always some odd sets without matches. For these, measured lead tape was applied to equalize the weights to the heaviest one and covered with a "do not remove" label.

 

[97prizm]

I installed a new ceiling fan and light fixture in my kitchen yesterday, and it's a good, solid set up. I replaced the existing fan. No downrod, just a straight bracket bolt up to the ceiling junction box that's well supported. I could probably do chin ups on it.

At the second and highest speeds it does dance a bit more than I would like. I've never screwed around trying to balance one out. I know they sell balancing kits to do it with adhesive backed weights. But I've heard of people using a penny and tape to find the "sweet spot" on whichever blade, (mines a 5 blade 52").

Then epoxy the penny after you've proven out the location with the tape. Anyone have any better ideas? I bought 2 of these things, and have another one I'm going to change out in my dining room. But I want to get this thing dialed in first.

Home depot has a ceiling fan balance kit.

 

[97K15004WD]

I would recommend weighing each fan blade and making sure they all weigh the same first. I found one blade (that was causing the wobble) to be slightly heavier than the other ones. I used a kitchen scale (grams) and balanced them all +/- 3 grams.

No wobble after that. I tried those kits, but OMG, that was taking forever and not working.

Fan is still working great and has no wobble five years later.

 

[92saturnsl2]

The last couple ceiling fans I installed required some amount of balancing to run perfectly smooth. It was very easy.

Both fans included weights for this purpose, I believe they were stick on. There was a clip on weight included for experimentation. Use the clip on weight to find the offending blade, then attach a stick-on weight. I remember it taking less than 10 minutes and they've been running perfectly smooth since. Because the weights are on top of the blade you don't notice or see them at all.

 

[CST Q]

The box stores usually sell balancing kits that have a clip on weight and self stick weights as well as the directions. The cliffs notes version is:
1) put the fan on whichever speed has the most wobble

2) put the clip on weight on the middle of a blade (doesn't matter which).
Run the fan, see if it wobbles more or less. Move the weight to the next blade and reckeck.

3) Once you find the blade that makes the fan wobble the least, move the weight to the outside of the same blade and recheck.
Move the weight to the inside of the same blade and check again to find out where on that blade makes it wobble the least.

4) stick the weight in the middle (front edge to back) and on which end (hub to blade tip) of wherever you found the least wobble.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Ive used an accellerometer app on my phone, resting against the frame of speed controlled, high power/rpm computer/server fans to reduce vibration and noise, to great effect.
Lots of trial and error moving different size pieces of tape around hub and blades, watching x y z change amplitude, and vast improvements achieved easily on some fans, and frustratingly small improvements on others.

The latter fans seemed to have slightly warped impellers.

When slowed way down with blades reflecting a point source light, i could see the 7th blade was off kilter with the other 6, and their extraordinarily low price then made perfect sense.

 

[Hall]

Balanced ceiling fan blades ? Good luck..... Make it a little better ? A lot more feasible....

 

[andyd]

I've been lucky with smaller 4 bladed fans. I have 2 that are about 40 yrs old. Quiet and smooth. I have a used 52" 5bladed fan I put in a room down stairs. Don't ask me how, but the spacing on the hub holes allowed me to get away with only replacing 4 equally spaced and quiet blades

 

[97prizm]

I installed a new ceiling fan and light fixture in my kitchen yesterday, and it's a good, solid set up. I replaced the existing fan. No downrod, just a straight bracket bolt up to the ceiling junction box that's well supported. I could probably do chin ups on it.

At the second and highest speeds it does dance a bit more than I would like. I've never screwed around trying to balance one out. I know they sell balancing kits to do it with adhesive backed weights. But I've heard of people using a penny and tape to find the "sweet spot" on whichever blade, (mines a 5 blade 52").

Then epoxy the penny after you've proven out the location with the tape. Anyone have any better ideas? I bought 2 of these things, and have another one I'm going to change out in my dining room. But I want to get this thing dialed in first.

Ace hardware home depot etc sell a fan balancing kit for fairly cheap. It's weird that this day in age fans aren't balanced.

 

[dlundblad]

During my residential electrical days, I was told to just leave the baggy of weights with the owners manual and remote.

I will say I never saw one wobble excessively either and I’ve installed many “grades” of fans.

 

[Lubener]

A good quality fan will not require balancing. If it vibrates excessively, replace it and get a better quality fan. You get what you pay for.