How do I quiet down a noisy bathroom fan?
Ann G asked:
Both of my bathroom fans are very noisy. Is there anything I can do to make them quiet down?
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Unplug it and eat more fiber.
There are basically two kinds of vent fans; squirrel cage and axial. The squirrel cage’s blower unit is a shaft or belt driven cylinder with vent slots to propel air as it spins, drawing air in from the open end of the cylinder; like most home A/C units. The axial is what most people picture a fan to be; three or more blades spinning to propel air out of the front that is drawn in from behind.
One of the major reasons for fan noise is dirt, pure and simple. Other reasons can be; bent shaft, out of balance, bent blades (axial), bad bearings/bushings, lack of lubrication, just to name a few that I can think of right now.
If your fan’s dirty; clean it. Don’t immerse the motor in water! Blades are easy, mist lightly with 409 and wipe off. Blowers are a little tougher, use the same method and spend more time wiping.
If the shaft’s bent; get a new fan
If the fan is out of balance; balance it. Again axial fans are easy, mark one of the blades with magic marker, with the shaft horizontal, lightly spin the blades several times and note where the marked blade stops each time. Example: spin 1, marked blade stopped at about 4 o’clock, spin 2, 3 o’clock, spin 3 5 o’clock. That would mean the blade at the bottom is heavier to some degree than the others. You can experiment with duct tape to equal the weights of the blades. This can take a while. Use small peices of tape, and you may end up with tape on all but one of your blades.
The process with a blower is basically the same but, you need to apply the tape as near the shaft support as possible to reduce stress on the shaft. Ideally, this means applying the tape to the closed end of the blower.
If the blades are bent, and they’re metal; straighten them. I don’t mean to twist them and remove the pitch needed to push air. The blades should be in an even plane if viewed from the side.
If the’re bent and they are plastic; get a new fan.
You probably can’t do anything about bearings/bushings because in most fans, they are permanent.
After you clean your fan, a very light oiling will help improve performance. DO NOT USE WD 40!!! This a solvent based lubricant that will remove any lubrication what-so-ever. Sewing machine oil is very good, gun oil is also a very good choice. A single drop applied where the shaft is supported is all it takes, unless your fan has a resorvoir with a plug (usually only on bigger blowers). Give the blades/blower a few spins and wipe off the excess oil.
Generally speaking, squirrel cage blowers are much more efficient air movers than axial fans. They also make more noise. Try to size your blower properly, a small high quality unit will be quieter than a cheap unit. The larger you get, the noise level will rise.
If you do have a squirrel cage blower, it could be a loose mount, or the housing could be rattling; tighten all screws, silicone caulk any sheet metal joints that rattle.
OK, now you know more about fan/blower maintenance than you ever wanted. ;-} urapbureng
No, unfortunately the only thing you can do is replace them with a quieter model or not use them. Lowe’s and Home Depot sell models that are made to be less noisy. Angelique
Replace it with a better model. Mike G
Turn off the power switch. It is best to do this during the day when you have plenty of light. Take the fan blade off and wash it with soap and water if it is dirty (most likely). When the blade is off, take the shaft between your fingers and see if there is side to side movement. This will tell you if the bearings are bad. Ignore end play (in and out movement) at this point. If the bearings are bad, lubrication will be very temporary. If the motor seems tight, you can lubricate by applying a drop or two of 3 in 1 oil on each end around the shaft where it rides in the bearing. Replace the blade, make sure it spins freely without hitting. Turn the power on momentarily making sure nothing is hitting. If not, leave on and see if you have corrected your problem. If not, do not call for service–unless it is at no cost (condo, apt. etc.). It will be cheaper to replace the fan. BigA
Turn off the electricity. Remove the fans and clean all the dirt and gunk off of the blades and vacuum the motors. Get some three and one oil. Put a few drops where the shaft goes into the housing, where the bearings are. Turn the shaft by hand a few times to work the oil in. Reinstall the motors. You should see a noticeable difference. dennis
Replace it, it’s old. Importador USA-ARG
Try to clean it first (I did the same last week in my bathroom). If it’s not working buy new one. Family Guy