New Ceiling Fan Making ‘Humming’ Noise

Ceiling fans play an important role by circulating the air in a room. By doing so, they make indoor conditions more comfortable and habitable. While ceiling fans help make conditions better, some homeowners complain about the noises they make. Many of these complaints are about a humming noise that doesn't reduce especially when the fan is running at a slow speed. Wondering what causes the humming sound?

Well, this sound is mostly caused by the vibration of the motor, with its volume depending on the housing, mount, and blades. Luckily, many modern fans have specially designed parts that mute the hum.

However, these parts sometimes fail, resulting in a constant humming sound. In that case, you may need to install replacement parts in your fan. You should also get other parts checked by an expert to hush the sound. Here are some of the parts that could easily cause a humming sound in your ceiling fan.

Dimmers

If you notice a humming sound from your fan, then you just experienced the most common problem with ceiling fans. This sound can be quite annoying, especially in a silent environment.

It may be difficult to notice the humming sound during the day, but you'll hear it more clearly when trying to sleep at night. If you don't do anything about it, it might affect your sleeping schedule significantly.

One of the most common causes of this sound is when the dimmer controls start controlling the fan speed. This is because dimmer switches were never meant to be used in ceiling fans.

With dimmers not being able to efficiently control fan speed, it produces a humming sound. Therefore, if you want to get rid of the humming sound in your ceiling fan, replace the dimmer control with standard speed controls.

Capacitors

Another part that could cause the humming sound in a ceiling fan is the capacitors. When there is a problem with the capacitors, you are likely to experience a faulty fan. To fix this problem, try changing the switch and its capacitors.

If there is a problem with the capacitors, your fan will always have low voltage. It is essential to note that when there is a low voltage level, the fan motor will struggle. Generally, a voltage below 105 volts AC can result in fan noises.

In cases where there are several fans on one circuit, you are likely to hear the humming sound. If you live in an older home where there are several rooms using the same circuit, this problem is prevalent.

Remotes

Bad receivers could also be another possible cause of your fan producing the humming sounds. If your fan uses a remote control, you could also experience this problem. This is because a bad receiver doesn't get a strong signal from the remote, producing the humming sound.

To fix this problem, you need to remove the receiver. Try connecting the fan directly to the power source to avoid such problems. If the humming stops, then you will know that was the cause of the problem! However, if it doesn't, try other possible solutions.

Mount

If you mount the fans directly into the ceiling joist, you could easily hear sounds. If you hang the fan on the ceiling joist, the regular fan sounds could be amplified through the joist, producing louder noises. If you want to reduce these sounds, you should use approved hangers instead.

You should hang an approved ceiling hanger between the ceiling joists to prevent the sound. This is possible because the hanger isolates the fan, making it impossible for the noises to be amplified.

It is also essential to note that the noises from the motor won't travel through the joist, preventing the humming sound. Therefore, if you want to get rid of the humming sound, take a closer look at the mounts. You should also ensure they are well connected with the capacitors for excellent results.