Ceiling Fan Troubleshooting? Answer These 6 Questions

Do you love your ceiling fans at home? We’re not surprised about that, because it’s not just a cheap and easy way to circulate the air, it’s arguably the most energy-efficient method of all to create a quiet fresh breeze with a sleek and stylish look. But perhaps the best thing about ceiling fans, with a simple motor and a set of rotating blades, is their simplicity and reliability – meaning you shouldn’t need to be spending too much time on ceiling fan troubleshooting.

How are ceiling fans so reliable? It’s all about their:

• Simplicity: The operating principle and the design are pretty straightforward, meaning there aren’t a lot of moving parts or complex components to go wrong.
• Durability: And with that simplicity comes durability, with quality ceiling fans’ structural components typically made of quality metals like steel and aluminium, high-grade plastics and composite materials, and strong and rustic wood.
• Efficiency: Unlike a high-revving racing car, ceiling fans operate slowly and consistently – meaning very little wear and tear even with plenty of use.
• Features: And when something does start to go wrong, like overheating or jamming, the latest ceiling fans have plenty of safety features on board including automatic shut-off.

6 questions when your ceiling fan isn’t working

But like anything made by us ingenious yet fallible human beings, you may eventually come home someday to discover that ceiling fan not working properly – or at all! Hard-working tradies get called out to do ceiling fan installation and servicing every single day – but you can perhaps save yourself a repair bill and get a head-start on the process yourself by asking the following questions:

1. Is it the power?

Obviously, your ceiling fan needs power – so the first thing to check is whether the power source is connected to the product. If it’s still connected, check your home’s switchboard to see if a breaker has been tripped, whilst also contemplating that the wiring of the wall switch could be on the way out.

2. Is it the remote?

You’d be surprised how many ceiling fan call-outs we’ve heard of when the only actual problem was a faulty remote control – or even a remote that simply needed some fresh batteries installed! Another common remote control issue is poor syncing between the remote and the fan, so look up how to re-do it in the manufacturer’s instructions. Rest assured, if it’s just the ceiling fan remote not working, the fix is pretty easy.

3. Is it the blades?

Sometimes, the way to fix a noisy ceiling fan couldn’t be easier – clean those blades. Particularly dirty or otherwise damaged or warped fan blades can throw the rotational balance out of whack and cause wobbling, excessive noise and other issues.

4. Is it the mounting?

Another common problem is with the fan product’s mounting hardware – the way the ceiling fan is attached to the ceiling. Even a loose fastener or two can cause a lot of disruption to the usual smooth operation or even put the device into a fault mode.

5. Is it the motor?

The heart of the ceiling fan is the motor, so if you seem to have a full product failure on your hands, it could be burned out. Common signs of a failing motor are a humming sound but no blade rotation, obvious symptoms of overheating, and the ability to run the fan at slower speeds but not higher ones.

6. Is it the light?

Many ceiling fans are conveniently paired with lights, so if you notice the ceiling fan light not working, the first thing to check is obviously the bulb. Then again, it could also be a wiring or more complex electrical problem – in which case you’ll need to start your search for a tradie.

Let the Pros do your ceiling fan troubleshooting

Do you need a licensed, local & trusted electrician to help with your ceiling fan troubleshooting? With our unique network of affordable, reliable and top-rated tradies of just about every type, finding one that offers no-obligation quotes, competitive rates and fully-guaranteed workmanship is easy. So if you discover your ceiling fan not working, click through to Tradie Near Me, enter your details, and we’ll do the rest.