The fan does not need to be oiled. The bearings are what manufacturers
described as "permanently-sealed", which means that they're designed
such that they don't require oiling. The manufacturers recommend
against oiling, and if you really wanted to do it, you'd have to be an
expert, because there is some very complex disassembly to be done,
which requires specialized tools.
HOWEVER...
The problem
is not related to oil. A lack of oil does not produce a hum. If a fan's
bearings are low on oil, the sound generated is a scraping or brushing
sound. A hum, on the other hand, is an electrical sound. All fan motors
hum to some degree -- the cheap made-in-China ones, like in your
Hampton Bay fan, hum more than others. There are some steps you can
take to reduce the hum:
* If you are using the fan with a
solid-state control (i.e. a dimmer), that will cause the fan to hum.
These controls are dangerous when used with fans, and a fire can
result. You should have a qualified person remove the switch
immediately and replace it with either a regular on/off switch OR a
discrete-speed (i.e. 3-speed or 4-speed, rather than variable-dimmer)
switch. Specially-designed ceiling fan switches such as this are
available at your local Home Depot or Lowes. You could also use a
remote-control system.
* If you have a remote control or other speed
control system, make sure that the pull-chain speed control on the fan
is set to the "high" position (highest speed possible) and left there.
*
Make sure that all the screws are tight -- this includes screws which
hold up the fan's mounting bracket, hold the blades onto the fan, and
hold any applicable glass onto the light kit.
* Even if you
don't have a speed control, the motor will still produce an electrical
hum -- and the blades, which are physically attached to the motor,
serve as mechanical amplifiers -- they take the tiny electrical hum and
amplify it just like the big brass funnel speaker on an antique
gramophone (record player)
takes the tiny vibrations of the needle on the record and amplifies
them to a comfortably audible level. High-end fans have a rubber
flywheel attached to the motor between the blade holders and the motor
unit -- and since rubber doesn't transmit vibrations well, this
effectively deadens the sound. Your fan doesn't have one of these, but
you can effectively replicate the noise-dampening effect by putting
rubber washers between where the blade holders touch the bottom of the
motor AND between where the screws which hold the blade holders onto
the motor, meet the blade holders themselves. This will completely
remove the path along which the sound vibrations can flow to the
blades, and thus your hum will stop.
I hope this helps you! If you have any other questions, or need clarification, please ask!
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I have a Hampton Bay fan (several years old) I don't see the model in the listings, however the motor makes noise and has since day one. Noise reminds me of maybe the bearings need lube, but I see no place to apply or inject oil into the fan Bearings.
The noise is very noticeable at low speed, not as much at higher speeds.
The fan I have has a Brass Housing with lights above and below the blades. The fan has 3 controls, 1 for lights above the fan blades, 1 for blade speed and the final one for the lights below the blades. Could SURE use some help here folks.
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