How to Balance Ceiling Fan Blades

If your ceiling fan blades tend to wobble, you should balance them. If your blades are wobbly, your ceiling fan won't operate as quietly and as efficiently. Here is how to balance ceiling fan blades.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screwdriver
• Tape
• Washers

1. Turn off your ceiling fan.

2. Switch the positions of the blades to see if that eliminates the wobble. You can switch the positions of the blades by unscrewing the screws that hold the blades together, switching the blades' positions and reattaching them using the screws.

3. Turn the fan on and try it out at several speeds to see if the wobbling has stopped.

4. Tape small washers to the top of an individual fan blade. Run the fan at several speeds. Try taping the washers to different blades until you find which blade, when weighted, produces the smallest amount of wobble.

5. Fasten the washers to the blade that needs to be weighted in order to correctly balance the ceiling fan. You can do this by placing the washers under the mount of the blade that needs the added weight.

Tips & Warnings

• Many ceiling fans will actually come with a kit to help you balance the fan blades. These kits usually have self-adhering weight strips to help you balance the blades.
• When you are adjusting the fan blades, be sure you are standing on something sturdy. You may want to have someone else there to hold the chair or stool that you are standing on to work on the ceiling fan blades.
• Do not use taped washers as the permanent solution to the ceiling fan wobbling problem. The tape can give, and the washers can come flying off. This can be dangerous to anyone in the room.