There is nothing more annoying than an unbalanced ceiling fan that wobbles makes a racket every time you turn it on.
Sometimes ceiling fans wobble so strongly that you fear it may fall out of the ceiling!Other times it is actually the pull chain that makes the most noise as it hits the light or the other chain due to the unbalanced blades.
In this guide, we will go over…
- Our 7-step action plan to balance a ceiling fan
- Why we recommend using a pencil to mark each fan blade (and to take notes)
- Our simple supply list that basically includes coins, tape, and a ladder
- The importance of cleaning the ceiling fan of dust and debris prior to balancing
Keep reading to learn our detailed 7-step guide on how to balance a ceiling fan to stop wobbling…
What To Know Before Balancing A Ceiling Fan
Balancing a ceiling fan to stop wobbling is a simple process that involves a few coins and tape.
It is a method of trial and error in finding the fan blade that is the most out of balance.
And once you find the worst side, you can fine-tune the balancing with lower weight coins such as nickels and pennies. A helper can be useful when balancing because they can hand you supplies or even turn the ceiling fan on or off when needed.
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Tools And Supplies
- Painters Tape: Use blue painters tape to secure the coins to each fan blade. Blue tape is great because it doesn’t leave behind any residue and it is easy to work with.
- Quarter, Nickel, And Penny: Coins are perfect to balance a fan without a kit because they are flat and come in a variety of weights. You will need at least one quarter, one nickel, and 1 or 2 pennies.
- Ladder: A ladder or chair is needed to gain access to the top of each ceiling fan blade.
- Cleaning Wipes: Cleaning wipes or a cloth are used to clean the blades of dust and debris prior to the balancing
- Pencil: Use a pencil to number each fan blade for reference and to take notes of coin placement and impact.
How To Balance A Ceiling Fan (7-Steps)
Step 1 – Clean The Ceiling Fan of Dust To Reduce Wobbling
Clean the ceiling fan blades with a damp cloth or cleaning wipe to remove dust and debris.
In fact, just cleaning the caked on dust can reduce the wobbling and noise.
But this step is important so that you have a clean ceiling fan to start with and also so the coins stick with the tape.
Step 2 – Mark And Number Each Fan Blade For Reference
Mark the tip of each fan blade with a pencil or non-permanent marker with sequential numbers.
The numbers will give you a reference of each fan blade as you make changes to the weight and balance.
Marking the edges with numbers will prevent you from getting confused and it only takes a few seconds.
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Step 3 – Tape A Quarter On Tip Of Each Fan Blade And Find Biggest Improvement
Simply take some blue painters tape and tape a quarter on the end of a single fan blade.
The quarter should lay flat and on the top of the blade. Turn on the ceiling fan to high and see if the wobbles more or less.
Remove the quarter from that fan blade, and then tape it to a different side, and see how much it improves the wobbling. You are looking for the side that gives the biggest improvement with the taped quarter.
Step 4 – Tape A Nickel To The Adjacent Ceiling Fan Blade To Fine Tune Balancing
Tape a nickel to the adjacent fan blade so you can improve the balancing even more.
If that didn’t improve the balance, try the other adjacent side with the nickel. You can also try different areas along the length of the fan blade with the nickel.
If you place the nickel farther towards the center, it will have less of an impact.
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Step 5 – Take Notes of Additional Coin Placement And Impact
Always mark the ceiling fan or notepad with a pencil to keep track of where you put it.
You also want to take a physical or mental note of how much impact it had so that you remember the best areas. If you don’t want to mark the fan blade, you can draw out a diagram of the ceiling fan in a notepad.
Step 6 – Tape A Penny To Different Areas For Further Balancing
Tape a penny to different areas of the fan blade with the quarter and to the adjacent blade with the nickel.
You can experiment with different areas, and with multiple pennies, to try to get the best results.
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Step 7 – Permanently Tape Coins With Clear Tape
Tape the coins with clear tape to keep them permanently in place.
Final Thoughts On Balancing Ceiling Fans With Coins
Balancing a ceiling fan without a balancing kit can be done with tape and coins.
It is basically a method of trial and error as you tape a quarter to the top of each fan blade.
And then you can fine-tune the balance with nickels and pennies.
It is important to mark each fan blade and to take notes of which area had the biggest impact. It is also essential to clean the ceiling fan of dust and debris prior to the balancing.
I hope you enjoyed this guide.