How to maintain a fan?

Essie Carroll - August 2, 2022

AdviceGear

Hello everyone,

It’s been a while but I had a question that I thought this audience could help out with. I have a few fans that I use around the house and seem to go through them every few months or years. 

Do any of you know how to maintain a fan and keep it working for many years like new? I tried doing research but only could find the recommendation of “wipe the blades off of dust every month”. I probably could blow a can of compressed air in there every month to help things out, but is there any oiling I can do?

This little USB fan is perfect for my nightstand. It provides some good white noise, doesn’t make me too cold, low power draw, and I can use it with a power bank if the power went off. I want it to last the rest of my life but don’t know how to make it do that. 

2  

This video should give you a good walkthrough

To sum it up: Every 1-2 months take the front shield off and wipe it down with a rag and warm soapy water to get rid of the dust, do the same with the rear shield. Wipe down the blades with a damp cloth. Maybe every 3 months, take the blades off completely and used some compressed air and blow out the motor and wipe down the outside with a dry or slightly damp cloth to get off dust. Place a drop or two of lubricating oil in the bearings like 3n1 oil.

Keeping it cleaned and oiled will greatly reduce friction and heat generated in the motor and prolong the lifespan. But even if you do this monthly, if you just have a cheap fan it might not last too long. I don’t know of any “top name-brand fans”, but some popular options off the top of my head are Lasko, Honeywell, and Vornado.

 

Thank you!! That was very helpful. I am going to pick up some oil next time I go to the store and keep up on the maintenance.