Have you ever taken apart a fan or heater to clean it? I have been doing maintenance on many of my appliances over the years. When you start a project please unplug whenever you’re working on.
Things you might need
- Rags
- Screw driver (I love the multi bits)
- Little bushes
- Compressed air
- Toothpicks
- 3 in one oil
- New paper or old towel to put dirty projects on.
- Soap and water
- Somewhere to put your little parts
Benefits to cleaning and maintaining your fans, extending it’s life will save you money, better cleaner air flow, less likely to have the motor get clogged and smell weird. Having pets I clean my fans about 2 times a year, fir in the near the motor is not good for air flow.
I have a little fan/heater that we have had for over 10 years, I took it apart to clean it. Boy do they get caked up, lucky it did not start on fire! I used nylon brushes and toothpicks to clear on the metal heating plate. This project took me a bit over a half an hour, I would think the next time it will be a bit less due to not having to slowly put the pieces back in the order I took them out in. It was a bit more involved than working on a blade fan. I might do a post just on the heater for now it is the light version.
When you first start taking things apart, take lots of photos or take notes so when you try to get it together it is easier to put it back together. Never force things apart or together. Even when things are a bit stuck, be gentle but firm. When I take things apart to clean them I often will put small parts in a container or ziplock bag.
I used compressed air, Q Tips, old clothes, and little nylon bristle brushes to clean the parts.
When I take a fan apart I clean the blades and guards with warm soap water and dry them with a towel. Before putting a fan back together I use 3 in one oil on the shaft that goes into the motor.
Taking apart a simple blade standing fan is fairly easy. Take the front guard off, often there are clips to pull up and sometimes small screws. Next you take off the blade nut, This is located in front of the blade. Some turn clockwise, others turn counterclockwise. You are then able to get the blade off by pulling it forward. They can be a bit tricky, just be patient, it will come. Once the blade is off there is a nut near the back grill that is the one closest to the motor. All the removed parts can be washed with soapy water and the back near the motor can be wiped with a soapy damp cloth. After that blow out between the holes with the compressed air. It will take you 10 or 15 mins to clean the fan without heavy grime.
One of the steps I take is if the motor shaft is not spinning I will take some WD 40 and spray it as near to the base of the shaft as I can before reassembling then plug it in and use my finger strength to get it spinning again. If you get no motion after a few spins with your fingers it might mean a seized motor. Also if it smells burnt this would be a good time to take it to the recycler and buy a new one.
Once the parts are dried off with a towel you can put them back together the back grill sometimes has a handle. They also have some plastic pegs to line up. When everything is lined up then you can screw the first nut back on and line up the blade to go back on and start reversing the steps taken to take it apart. Clean your table top fan. He goes though a few steps I did not cover, If you feel confident you can try it how he did it.
The multi blade window fans are a bit more complex, I might give them a shot one day, till then you will need to find a great blogger or Youtuber that has the know how to walk you through those steps!
If you are inspired to give this a try or have done your own projects it would be great to read how it went for you. Have a great week and stay cool!
This is where it starts 