A table fan, or for that matter, even the ceiling fan is an essential element you would want to install in your room for the sheer cooling effect it produces. However, you may have noticed that your fan has been overheating to a considerable extent and this has been creating issues with your cooling efficiency. In addition, this can even bring up issues with respect to your fan motor. Here are a few insights into how you can address the issue of fan overheating.
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Why Does a Fan Overheat?
Before we can move ahead and try to fix your fan overheating issue, it may be a good option to understand why it overheats. A little science lecture would not bore you, we assume.
This is how your fan works – the electrical energy creates magnetic energy. This magnetic energy is converted into mechanical energy which turns the motor. The motor is attached to a set of blades which are fixed at a particular angle to direct the wind energy. Thus we are converting one form of energy into another, as energy as a unit cannot be created or destroyed.
While your fan is using this simple principle, some of the energy is converted into heat energy. Under ideal conditions, this energy is negligible. However, if one of the other factors in your fan is not working properly, you will end up with more heat energy being produced. One classic example is the damaged bearings which are used to couple blades to the fan motor. This can make the blades move slower which reduces the electromotive force produced by the motor. This extra energy should go somewhere as it cannot be destroyed, right? So, more of this energy is converted into heat, and this is how your fan overheats.
Please note that this is one of the reasons that can nausea a fan overheat. There can be several other reasons you need to analyze before taking up a repair.
What are the Causes that Result in Fan Overheating?
Some of the major reasons that can cause a fan to overheat include the following:
The fan bushings can begin getting dirty and thus drag your fan blades. The electromotive force we discussed above will need to work a little hard to overcome the drag thus introduced.
These bushings start getting hotter, and in turn, the motor too begins to get hotter as the armature is not able to move at its peak speed.
If some of the motor windings on your fan are shorted, the motor will begin drawing more current. In fact, every fan motor comes with a Fusible Link or thermal fuse to prevent this from happening.
It is used for two purposes. If the fan is drawing too much current, it will burn out just the way most other fuses tend to burn. Another functionality that this will offer you is to avoid the heat energy building up inside the fan.
How to Fix Electric Fan Overheating?
Well, now you know what causes a fan to overheat, it may be a good idea to take up solving the issue. In fact, most of the fans do not let you do it yourself. Even we will not recommend you repair it yourself if it involves any issues with the motor or the electricals. More so because you are dealing with 230 V of current and it should be enough to harm you in a fatal manner.
Cleaning of the motor and the bushings should be one of the best repair options you can take up. If you are suffering from any issues beyond that, it would be wiser to get the help of a professional or buy your next fan wisely.
Now let’s check out on how to clean the blades and the motors of the fan:
- Remove front grill and remove the blades.
- Remove the screws carefully.
- Remove the motor cover.
- Check if the motor has accumulated dust. The dust can make your fan drag endlessly and thus get overheated.
- Brush out the dust. Take care not to damage any connections and cables while you are at it.
Next part will about removing your motor from where it is secured. It involves a great amount of care to be taken. If you are unsure of anything at this juncture, just clean up the motor and get everything back in.
- Remove the screws that secure your motor to the body.
- Pull out the motor carefully avoiding damaging any wires connected.
- The fan should have one bushing in the front and one at the back.
Now how you would remove them will be dependent upon the type of bushings used inside your fan. Some of them can be removed using nose pliers, while some need a flat head screwdriver.
You will now need a new pair of the bushing, the foam pad, and the lock/cover to replace the old ones. They should look something like this while your fan may have them in a different design and look.
Any Other Suggestions?
Well, yes. Apart from the bushings and the motor, clogged dirt on the blades can also have a serious effect and make your fan overheat. It may be a good idea to keep your fan clean by not letting the dirt get past your motor or even up to your motor for that matter.
In Conclusion
Well, that was why your fan overheats and how you can fix the issue with ease. While most of the fan manufacturers do not recommend opening the fan by unauthorized persons, except for changing the bushings, rest of the options we have outlined here should not ideally create any issues with your fan.
Have you any other suggestions to address the electric fan overheating and how to fix it? Do share your inputs with us and enlighten our readers through the comments here below.
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