You may encounter signs of a malfunctioning ceiling fan that detract from its form or function. Keep reading to find out more in-depth information about common issues.Â
Excessive Movement
You’ll spend $90 to $200 on average to fix excessive movement, more commonly called wobbling. In most cases, the problem stems from an imbalance with the blades or even the entire unit. To fix a fan that wobbles, an electrician may clean and tighten the blades, install a blade balancing kit, replace the hanger ball, or reattach the fan to the outlet box.Â
Excessive Noise
Even if you install a ceiling fan properly and it's functioning correctly, it'll still make a little noise. But if yours is humming, rattling, or squeaking, the fix could be as simple as a quick cleaning. Other times, these noises signify that your fan's screws are loose or that the motor is failing.
Below, we list various ceiling fan noises and ways to repair the issues:
Humming: Tighten all fasteners, replace ball bearings, or add lubrication to fix a humming ceiling fan.Â
Rattling: Fix loose screws, the cover, blades, or housing.
Squeaking: Lubricate the problem area.Â
Humming
Repairing humming costs around $50 to $200. A local ceiling fan repair pro may tighten all fasteners, replace ball bearings, or add lubrication to fix a humming ceiling fan. A ceiling fan usually hums because some part of the fan vibrates when coming into contact with another surface. You could be dealing with loose screws or ball bearings that are wearing out. Sometimes, it can indicate that the capacitor or motor is failing and will soon need replacement.
Rattling
It’ll cost around $50 to $100 for a service professional to diagnose and repair this issue. As with humming, rattling usually occurs when something is loose. In this case, the noise is likely coming from your blades, lighting kit, or housing cover. If you have basic tools, like a screwdriver, you can attempt to repair this by tightening down the fasteners.Â
Squeaking
Squeaking often means cleaning and lubrication for approximately $50 to $150. You can often eliminate squeaking by cleaning the fan. Dust accumulation is the most common cause of a squeaky fan. When it enters small crevices and works its way between moving parts, it causes friction and noise.Â
If your fan still squeaks after you've cleaned the blades, housing, and other accessible areas, you may need the help of a professional to clean and lubricate the fan's motor and other internal parts.Â
Inadequate Airflow
Fixing the airflow of a ceiling fan costs around $80 to $250. The two most common issues that lead to diminished airflow are incorrect installation height and blade issues.
Installation at the wrong height is the most common problem. If you have a standard room with walls that are 9 feet tall, your fan should hang 12 inches from the ceiling. Installing a rod extension can fix this issue.Â
The ideal pitch for a ceiling fan—that is, the angle of its blades—is about 12 degrees. If your ceiling fan blades are positioned at a flatter angle, you may not notice much air movement. A repair technician can fix this by “changing the blade mount arms since most ceiling fans today don't have an adjustable pitch,” says Kilborn.
Lighting
Fixing a ceiling fan light issue costs around $70 to $200. Ceiling fans with light kits may occasionally encounter flickering or malfunctioning lighting issues. Always try a new light bulb before calling an electrician. If the light bulbs aren't the culprit, you might be dealing with damaged light sockets or loose wiring. Both issues are usually easy fixes, but it may take a technician up to two hours to complete the job.Â
Pull Chain
Pull chain repairs cost around $50 to $150 since it often requires dismantling parts of the fan. When you pull on a ceiling fan's chain, you may notice that the fan doesn't turn on, doesn't cycle between speeds, or has separated completely and doesn't move at all or move freely. The most common fixes relating to a fan chain include a chain replacement, lubrication, and pull switch replacement.Â
Wall Switch
Fixing a wall switch costs around $50 to $150, and installing a new switch costs up to $200. When you flip your wall switch to turn on your ceiling fan and it doesn't respond, it may not be the fan's fault. Sometimes, it might be a problem with the wall switch or something related to the electrical system, such as the circuit breaker.
“Many fans today have wireless switches,” says Kilborn. “Another thing to check is if the wireless switch needs a battery replacement.”
Motor
Replacing a capacitor costs around $85 to $300, while replacing the fan's motor generally runs from $100 to $350. When it's clear that the reason your fan doesn't turn on is some fault with the fan itself, your repair tech will start disassembling your unit. If there are no issues with the wiring, your technician may run tests to determine a problem with the fan's capacitor or motor.Â
Remote Control Repair
A new remote control costs about $20 to $40. Typically, you won’t have the remote control repaired. Instead, you’ll opt for replacement if it’s broken since it’s typically an electronic component.Â
Fan Blade Replacement
A fan blade replacement costs around $90 to $150 or more for larger shop-style fans. You'll likely only need this done if one of the blades breaks, which can happen easily if they impact something. However, it's not common. More commonly, you'll end up having an imbalanced fan.Â