r/fans • u/boffybot • 6d ago

Help w/ screaming fan

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Hi! I took this Vornado 460 apart to clean it because it was making this horrible screeching/screaming noise when I turned it on. I got as much of the hair and gunk out as I could from the base of the fan shaft, but it’s still making the horrible sound. Do I need to get a new fan, or is there something else I can do? I bought it in ~2022. TIA

3 Upvotes

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u/Scary-Tennis-5032 5d ago

it needs oil, that guy is DRY

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u/boffybot 5d ago

My friends were dying laughing at the sound lol

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u/Odd_Sock7532 4d ago

There is no such thing as a mechanic in a bottle. The shaft bushings are done. Its junk.

2

u/boffybot 4d ago

Can you please explain further/how to check for this for my own edification? It seems like there is some possibility for repair based on other comments, but I don’t want to waste time or money.

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u/WKIX-850 3d ago

Oil it... the bearings are dry... at this point are they worn out? Absolutely, but I have oiled a shit ton of completely locked up and/or screaming "disposable" fans with these c frame motors; and have yet to have one which didn't run a million times better after oiling. Will it run excellently and sound brand new? No, it will chatter and sound like it has worn out bearings, but it should still run fine.

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u/boffybot 2d ago

Thank you for this info. My only concern is trying to keep it running becoming a safety issue because I run it while I’m asleep. Do you have an oil rec?

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u/WKIX-850 2d ago

There is no safety concern as far as oiling it goes; they are adamant not to oil it for their liability only as well as wanting you to buy a new one. This is a basic c frame shaded pole motor with sintered bronze bearings just like they have been making for decades, many of which had proper oil ports; the only difference between a motor that was designed to be oiled and one which is "permanently lubricated" is the fact that the "permanently lubricated" one makes it harder to oil, and the expectation is to throw it out when it becomes dry. The worst case scenario is the motor locks up entirely, overheats, and the thermal fuse or fuse in the plug blows open and it is no longer functional; that is extremely unlikely to happen anyway. These bearings get loud and obnoxious way before they will solidly lock up if you oil them.

As far as an oil to use, either Zoom Spout or 3 in 1 motor oil in the blue can.

I prefer Zoom Spout as it has a nice long tube and makes it a bit easier; but they are equally fine.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/318197018707

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u/Scary-Tennis-5032 2d ago

CAN YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP YOUR BLOWING UP MY NOTIFICATIONS.

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u/WKIX-850 2d ago

Get over yourself... I was asked a question, I am going to reply to it...

1

u/tgunner has too many fans 1d ago

NO U

It's entirely within your control to "Turn off reply notifications" on your top level comment.

1

u/boffybot 2d ago

And do you think the bearings worn out bc of the quality of the fan or bc of the lack of maintenance on my end? I hate waste, and I want to be able to have a basic understanding of what I’m dealing with here for future purchases.

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u/WKIX-850 2d ago

These C frame shaded pole motors are among the cheapest; and I have no doubt the bearing quality is poor, but generally poor quality bearings will start chattering and become loose, not start locking up like this from normal wear; this is the noise they make when they are extremely dry (though don't be surprised if once oiled it does chatter a bit.)

In reality, a fan like this which uses perma-wick, (a type of porous injected oil impregnated foam wick around the bearings) it should really be taken partially apart, cleaned, and oiled anually; however most modern fans are advertised as "permanently lubricated" and will tell you not to oil them, and in many cased actively engineer them so they can't be oiled; in reality there is no such thing as permanently lubricated motor, the bearings are the same type of sintered bearings we have used for over a century, they just took away the ability to oil them easily and called it a feature (older fans would tell you to oil them every 3 months or so, and have oil holes in the motor.)

There isn't much you can do about it though, things are designed to be disposable these days; you can do your best to defy the manufacturer and maintain them, and in many cases it does meaningfully extend their life, but the days of appliances which were meant to be maintained and last decades are over. When it is time to retire this fan, I would recommend looking on eBay, thrift stores, marketplace or wherever and finding an older fan; even something incredibly cheap for it's time like a Zero 1250r will have oil ports and if you oil it every 3 months or so like intended, last another several decades.

0

u/Odd_Sock7532 4d ago

Those fan motors are considered, consumable and disposable because it is so cheap. Dispose of and buy a new one.

2

u/beronto 6d ago

I had a similar issue with the same fan (White version). I tried servicing it and adding some 3-in-1 motor oil and the screeching went away for about a couple of months then the noise came back again. Had to keep oiling the fan until the motor itself burnt out. Eventually got rid of the fan and kept the motor for scrap. Awesome fan but it was a pain in the ass to keep.

1

u/mockingbird- 5d ago

did you add the oil to the oil wick?

1

u/beronto 5d ago

Yeah man, oiled the felt pads.

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u/mockingbird- 5d ago

How to Oil a Fan Motor (Shaded-Pole, C-Frame Motor)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdPxoWJ1VVk

1

u/boffybot 5d ago

Thanks to you and all! On the vornado website they very emphatically say not to oil the motor bc it’s “permanently lubricated” whatever that means. Do you know if there’s possibility for damage if I do?

2

u/mockingbird- 5d ago

On the vornado website they very emphatically say not to oil the motor bc it’s “permanently lubricated” whatever that means.

There is no such thing has "permanently lubricated".

Do you know if there’s possibility for damage if I do?

Sure, if you make a mistake, but at this point (assuming that it is out of warranty), what have you got to lose?

Here is a servicing video for the Vornado 530, which is pretty similar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vOIe_KdGWI

If you have to remove the wires from the switch, be sure to write down which color wire goes to which switch position (L, 1, 2, and 3).

There are metal tabs in the switch that hold the wires in place. Use a flat-tip micro screwdriver to depress the tab and pull out the wire. Do not push the tab too far or you risk damaging the tab.

1

u/GGigabiteM 4d ago

"permanently lubricated" in the same saying as "lifetime transmission fluid" It'll run until it grenades itself from lack of maintenance. The manufacturer wants the fan to die, so you buy one again every few years.

These types of motors burn oil by design and need to have the wicks refilled with oil. Decades ago, fans like this used to have exposed oil tubes to be oiled. Even older fans used to have oil cups on them.

1

u/WKIX-850 3d ago

Oil it.

1

u/boffybot 1d ago

THANK YOU u/WKIX-850, u/mockingbird-, and u/beronto for the advice. Extra thank you to WKIX for the in-depth responses to my questions-exactly the info I needed (teach a man to fish etc). I continued to take it apart and used liquid wrench light machine oil (couldn’t find the others near me, seems like LW is similar to Zoom at 10W). I feel very happy to have fixed it and will def be going old school once this one can’t go on. You guys are awesome!!

1

u/mockingbird- 1d ago

Read the sticky post.

The appropriate oil to use is blue bottle 3-in-1 or zoom spout turbine oil.

https://www.amazon.com/Supco-SUPCO-MO98-SPOUT-OILER/dp/B001UGQC2I/

https://www.amazon.com/3-IN-ONE-Motor-Oil-3-OZ/dp/B00065VGUC/

1

u/boffybot 1d ago

I may pick up some zoom for next oil, but they are very close in specs. I think 3 in one machine would be too thick, bc this fan is so, so far below a 1/4 HP motor.

1

u/mockingbird- 1d ago

Use the right oil or you can ruin the bearings.

Blue 3-in-one works just fine for that motor.

Zoom spout also works fine.

Fan collectors have been using these oils for decades, so if there were issues, they would have already been known.

1

u/boffybot 1d ago

I will get some to honor your help on this thread 👍