Introduction: How to Fix a Broken Electric Fan: Motor Humming Sound | Rotor Not Rotating

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About: Educational Tech Content Creator | TINKERER • BS-ECE | Earl Daniel Villanueva

For today's project, we are going to fix this broken electric fan!

 

Yes, you heard it right. We are going to have a video series on fixing broken appliances in your home. I will share step-by-step guides so that you'll be inspired to join the movement of sustainability and conscious consumption.

 

Not only you can save money, but you'll also be making a positive impact on the environment by reducing waste. Remember, every repaired item is a small victory against throwaway culture!

The Problem!

There are many issues that can cause your electric fan to suddenly stop working, but in this particular case, it stops to rotate its blades, yet you can still hear it humming.

 

VIDEO TUTORIAL:

What are we waiting for? Let's get right into it.

Supplies

Now, here are the things you will need to fix this problem: a philips screwdriver, a disposable gloves, a long-nose pliers, a hammer, tape, 2 pieces of bushing, a shaft, cutter pliers, absorbent cotton, and an oil.

  1. Philips screwdriver
  2. Disposable gloves
  3. Long-nose pliers
  4. Hammer
  5. Tape
  6. 2 pieces of bushing
  7. Shaft
  8. Cutter pliers
  9. Absorbent cotton
  10. Oil

Step 1: Disassemble the Front Part of the Fan

Let's start by disassembling it, beginning with removing the fan guard clip to take off the front grill. Then, remove the blade cap. After that, you can remove the fan blade. To remove the rear grill, you first need to remove the guard fixing ring.

Step 2: Disassemble the Back Part of the Fan

Now, before removing the motor cover, make sure to unplug the electric fan from the socket. Also, since this is going to be a messy and greasy repair, make sure to wear your disposable gloves.

 

Next, you need to remove the fan controller knob. In my case, I simply pull it off. After that, you need to remove the oscillating knob. In my case, I use my Philips screwdriver to remove the screw and retrieve the oscillating knob.

 

Using my Philips screwdriver, I remove the screw to take off the fan cover.

Step 3: Disassemble the Motor

Now, to disassemble the motor, we need to first remove the front cover using a Philips screwdriver.

 

After that, simply give it a quick clean to remove the dust and reveal the screws.

 

Once you've done that, you can proceed to remove the four screws of the motor case. Before completely opening the motor case, ensure that you remove the screws of the oscillation rod and also remove the shafting stopper using pliers, or in my case, I use long-nose pliers to remove it from the shaft and to be able to pull the shaft from the front motor case.

 

Just give it a little wiggle while pulling it, and there you have it, you have successfully removed the motor.

 

The next step is to remove the shaft from the front motor case.

Step 4: Do an Inspection

Now, it's time to repair the problem. I began by giving it a quick clean.

 

After that, I proceeded with an inspection, and indeed, there's a scratch on the shaft.

Step 5: Buy a Replacement for the Broken Parts

As you can see, there's a scratch on the shaft. This scratch is what caused the fan to not work properly, and it also damaged the bushing. We are now going outside to go to the nearest electronic store, so that we can find a replacement for this broken shaft and the bushing.

 

I bought the shaft and the two bushings for only under 2 dollars.

Step 6: Replace the Shafting With a New One

Now that we have already bought a new shaft and bushings, let's start replacing the shaft.

 

Begin by removing all the spacers. During this process, I accidentally broke the spacer in the front, but I will address that later.

 

Now, you will need tape for this process. The tape will serve as a guide for where you're going to place the rotor on the new shaft. I placed the tape on the end side of the rotor. You can use any type of tape; I just used white tape so that it can be seen clearly.

 

Next, grab a hammer and start hitting the end of the shaft with it. We need to remove the old shaft from the rotor. After removing the old shaft, take your new shaft with the tape on it and start inserting it into the rotor. Make sure to stop hitting the shaft once it is properly aligned with the tape.

Step 7: 3D Print the Spacer

Remember the spacer that I broke earlier? I will replace it using a 3D printer. I began by obtaining the dimensions of the broken spacer. After that, I fired up my Autodesk Fusion 360 to create the 3D model. Autodesk Fusion 360 is a cloud-enabled 3D CAD/CAM tool that allows designers and engineers to create, prototype, and manufacture products. It integrates mechanical design, electronics, and manufacturing on a single platform, making it ideal for product development and prototyping.

 

Once I completed the 3D model of the spacer, I saved the STL file to the SD card and then inserted it into my 3D printer. I simply waited for 15 minutes, and voila! It was done.

 

Make sure to be careful when assembling and disassembling the fan so that you won't have to resort to 3D printing like this.

Step 8: Put the Spacers Back Onto the Shaft

Now, it's time to put all the spacers back on the shaft.

Step 9: Replace the Old Bushing

After completing that step, let's now focus on replacing the old bushing. I began by grabbing my cutter pliers and then dislodging the clip from the front motor cover.

 

As you can see, the foam inside is already in pieces and dried, which is one of the reasons why the fan is not working.

 

Next, we need to remove that foam and insert the new bushing. To replace the foam, we will create a DIY foam using absorbent cotton. I grabbed a piece of cotton and placed it inside the enclosure.

 

Then, I took some oil and pour it to the cotton, allowing it to absorb before adding more oil to cover all the cotton. Once done, I put it back inside the front motor cover and used pliers to bend the clip.

 

I repeated the same process for the bushing attached to the back cover of the motor.

Step 10: Put the Motor Back

Now, it's time to put all the parts of the motor back together. I began by aligning the motor back cover with the motor and inserting the shaft inside. I gave it a quick turn to ensure it was rotating freely.

 

After that, I inserted all of it into the front motor cover and placed the screws of the motor cover.

Step 11: Reset the Bushing

Most of the time, when you replace the bushing, rotating the shaft becomes difficult. However, a quick hit with pliers is all it takes to reset the position of the bushing. Then, you can turn it and observe it rotating freely.

Step 12: Close the Motor Cover

Before closing the motor case, ensure that you put back the screws of the oscillation rod. The oscillation rod is responsible for making your fan turn from left to right.

 

Next, you need to reinstall the front cover.

 

After that, use pliers to reattach the shafting stopper to the shaft.

 

Finally, grab the motor cover and close it using the screws.

Step 13: Assemble the Front Part of the Fan

After that, reattach the rear grill, followed by securing the guard fixing ring. Next, reinstall the fan blade, followed by the blade cap. Then, place the front grill, make sure that you fasten the fan guard clip securely.

Step 14: Testing Time

After completing all of those tasks, it's time to see the fruit of our labor. Plug the AC power cord of the electric fan into the extension wire and check if it is working.

Step 15: Enjoy!

And bam! It's time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. And that's how you fix a broken electric fan. And as always, keep learning and have fun! Bye!