Repairing Holmes Tower Fan To Fix And Eliminate Clicking Scraping Sounds Repair Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

Time Required

                          5 - 10 minutes

Sections

Repairing Holmes tower fan to fix and eliminate clicking, scraping sounds
2 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Opening the fan's case

In order to open the fan, you will need a Philips head screw driver, micro screw driver, and safety glasses.
Start by unplugging the fan and removing the screws that hold the cover into place. My fan had 7 screws; six were obvious but one was hidden behind a plastic cap near the top/back of the unit (arrow in 2nd pic).
In order to access the hidden screw, push in on one side of the cap so that it rotates and then slide the micro screw driver behind it. Pry the cap out and remove that screw.
Next, gently remove the cover. The right side of it will likely have tabs holding it in place (circled in 3rd pic). You will need to push in on the cover at those locations in order to pop the tabs out. Be patient and gentle and eventually you’ll have the cover off.

In order to open the fan, you will need a Philips head screw driver, micro screw driver, and safety glasses.

Start by unplugging the fan and removing the screws that hold the cover into place. My fan had 7 screws; six were obvious but one was hidden behind a plastic cap near the top/back of the unit (arrow in 2nd pic).

In order to access the hidden screw, push in on one side of the cap so that it rotates and then slide the micro screw driver behind it. Pry the cap out and remove that screw.

Next, gently remove the cover. The right side of it will likely have tabs holding it in place (circled in 3rd pic). You will need to push in on the cover at those locations in order to pop the tabs out. Be patient and gentle and eventually you’ll have the cover off.

1024

Step 2

              Trouble shoot and repair

Put on your safety glasses and plug the fan in. Turn it on and listen for the source of the sound. Most likely it will be coming from the bearing at the top of the blade drum (see picture). You may even see the metal bracket vibrating. If this is the case, you’re in luck and can follow the steps below to fix it!
Go to the hardware store and ask for a bottle of liquid electrical tape, RTV sealant, or caulking. What you want is a liquid rubber that will provide some viscoelastic dampening (hopefully using that word will make me sound smart and make up for the grammar errors and misspellings).
Turn off the fan and remove the two screws that hold the metal bracket on. Remove the bracket by flexing the blade drum towards you and lifting the bracket and bearing off the shaft. Next use a cotton swab to spread the grease around the blade drum’s shaft.
See how the metal bracket has a horizontal tab that sits in a slot of the plastic housing? You want to lightly coat that tab with the liquid rubber compound and also coat the back of the vertical surface that has the screw holes. Be careful not to slop any onto the bearing or shaft.
Place a little rubber compound into the screw holes and then put the bearing/bracket back onto the blade shaft. Start the screws back in again but stop before they become snug so that the bracket is still loose.
Still wearing your safety glasses, turn the fan back on and observe the bracket. Adjust the screws a little tighter at a time until the bracket stops vibrating and the fan runs quietly. Turn the fan back off and allow the liquid rubber time to dry before putting the case back together again.
Hopefully it solved the problem permanently!

Put on your safety glasses and plug the fan in. Turn it on and listen for the source of the sound. Most likely it will be coming from the bearing at the top of the blade drum (see picture). You may even see the metal bracket vibrating. If this is the case, you’re in luck and can follow the steps below to fix it!

Go to the hardware store and ask for a bottle of liquid electrical tape, RTV sealant, or caulking. What you want is a liquid rubber that will provide some viscoelastic dampening (hopefully using that word will make me sound smart and make up for the grammar errors and misspellings).

Turn off the fan and remove the two screws that hold the metal bracket on. Remove the bracket by flexing the blade drum towards you and lifting the bracket and bearing off the shaft. Next use a cotton swab to spread the grease around the blade drum’s shaft.

See how the metal bracket has a horizontal tab that sits in a slot of the plastic housing? You want to lightly coat that tab with the liquid rubber compound and also coat the back of the vertical surface that has the screw holes. Be careful not to slop any onto the bearing or shaft.

Place a little rubber compound into the screw holes and then put the bearing/bracket back onto the blade shaft. Start the screws back in again but stop before they become snug so that the bracket is still loose.

Still wearing your safety glasses, turn the fan back on and observe the bracket. Adjust the screws a little tighter at a time until the bracket stops vibrating and the fan runs quietly. Turn the fan back off and allow the liquid rubber time to dry before putting the case back together again.

Hopefully it solved the problem permanently!

Best of luck! John Wachsmuth

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                                                                                      6 other people completed this guide.

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                    johnwach76

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ChristeneDavis - May 4, 2016

Can I just turn the bracket upside down? That noise is driving me bonkers, by the way… And I also noticed that the “post” (not sure of the correct term) on the motor moves up and down; could this be the problem with my fan? Thank you

Lucas Mugica - Sep 26, 2016

I took the casing of the fan off, also I took the blade drum from the shaft and turn the motor on to see if it works, the motor won’t turn.

john lavell - Jun 28, 2018

Took the back off removed the fan blades cleaned and greased both ends put it all back together works fine and is now quiet again.

Mark W - Jul 25, 2018

Thanks! worked great. My fan only had 3 screws but everthing else was the same.

daw8121 - Aug 10, 2018

what’s the rubber piece which connects the top of the fan to the main shaft called? for my fan, that’s the piece that broke and needs to be replaced but i’m not sure where to get it.

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Introduction

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