How to Fix a Clicking Ceiling Fan

If your ceiling fan makes an annoying clicking noise as it turns, it's probably rocking as well. Even a slight, barely noticeable rocking from an out-of-balance fan can cause clicking and creaking because the mechanism is meant to operate at a level plane. It takes about a half an hour to tighten up the screws, lubricate the spinning mechanism, and balance the fan blades.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Screwdriver
• WD-40 or another spray lubricant
• Duct tape
• A handful of pennies

Instructions

1. Climb the ladder and tighten all screws that you see on the fan blades and motor housing. Spin the fan blades by hand and spray a little lubricant on the circular track that holds the blades.

2. Tear off a four-inch piece of duct tape and lay it sticky-side up on a flat surface. Press six pennies onto the sticky surface.

3. Climb your ladder. Press the duct tape onto the top side of any one of the fan blades, a few inches from the outer end, sticky-side down, so the pennies are held to the surface.

4. Turn on the fan and observe whether the clicking and rocking motion has gotten better or worse. If it's gotten better but hasn't completely stopped, add another piece of tape with pennies to the same blade. If it's gotten worse, move the pennies to the next blade over and test again.

5. Continue trial-and-error testing with different fan blades and different numbers of pennies until the fan no longer rocks.

References

• Noisy ceiling fan.