Ceiling fan hum

[joker11]

Hi, new here, wondered if anyone could help.

Bought a ceiling fan for the bedroom, Fantasia, fairly expensive. There is a slight hum when the fan is running. Removed everything I could to eliminate problem, including blades. I found that if I hold the fan in my hand, buzz stops. Touch the fan up against a solid object, ceiling or wall, the buzz starts.

I have tried dampening, with rubber washers, foam padding, it almost works. I'm wondering if this an electrical problem, hooked it up to a normal plug socket, rather than the light circuit, the same. Do I need a special rated switch for a motor?

Any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[joker11]

I know you may say it's the fan at issue, the first fan I tired the light shade smashed. It was a different cheap brand, the company refunded and didn't even want it returned.

I hooked this up to a wall socket touched against the wall, started making the same hum.

 

[flyingsparks]

Hi..
Motors do hum during operation, and the hard surface of the ceiling acts to amplify that noise. All you can do is like you say try putting some rubber or something I between to try and absorb the sound.
From what your describing sounds normal to me.

 

[joker11]

Thanks for the reply, I understand, was just hoping I could make it totally silent because it's in the bedroom, tried lots of ways of dampening, hasn't quite worked.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is this an extractor fan, or one which moves the air around in the room?

If the former you should be able to get it very quiet (but not silent) by installing it remotely.

If the latter, not much chance, because air makes a noise when you move it - ask anybody who has ever been in a data centre with a few '00 kW worth of servers in it

And if it's a mechanical noise from the motor itself, again there's not a lot you can do, because the ceiling will act as a sounding board if there is any mechanical coupling between it and the fan.

Personally I can sleep through any thunderstorm you care to imagine, as well as (probably) WW III - I've got one of these on my bedroom wall - it's as noisy as a very noisy thing making a lot of noise and it doesn't bother me at all.

Have you thought about a timer, to turn it off after a while, so you can drift off? Or to turn it on after a while, after you've drifted off?

 

[joker11]

It's a ceiling fan to cool the room.

Is it quiet, well yes, but of course this is relative term. I was just hoping for a excellent solution to the problem. The noise of the air moving is soothing, the humming isn't.

It's just that when I lift the fan off the bracket the hum goes away, so I'm thinking there must be a solution to the problem. It's almost like I need to hang it on some string or rope.

I will have another go at dampening it tomorrow. Maybe I will send it back and get one of those Dyson thingys.