BROOKHURST 52 INCH CEILING FAN making clinking noise

[design1001]

So i recently purchased a BROOKHURST 52 INCH CEILING FAN. I had my apt maintenance team install it for me. It worked fine minus the fact that its makes this clanking noise when running. The noise is fairly loud. Enough to bother me at night when I'm trying to sleep. Ive never had a fan makes this kind of noise on me. The sounds gets faster the higher the fan speeds is and slows down when the speed gets lowered but its always constant. The sounds seems to be coming from the motor since it increases and decreases with speed. I dont know if this is something that is normal and i just need to deal with the clanking or something needs to be fixed and its worth paying someone to fix it, since i have no experience with this. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Jonathan A.]

It could be a wobble causing the clicking noise. Try balancing the blades and make sure set screws to downrod are tight enough. Most if not all clicking noise I heard from the fan are from the wobble, even if wobble is very slight.

[fancollector12]

The clicking noise may be a faulty motor. I'd return the fan to Home Depot for a replacement.

[Jonathan A.]

Many people have no idea that wobble could have made clicking noise, so it could be why he didn't mention wobbling. Even very slight wobble can cause clicking noise, depending on how tight set screws are. Wobble makes clicking noise a lot more than bearings do, though my Hunter Low Profile motor has bearings making noise once every revolution.

design1001 Maybe you can also try taking blades off and see if motor still makes same noise. If it stops, it's the wobble issue then. If it continues, it's the motor issue. And if that's the case, you could return it and order a better fan, like Hunter Original (I would not recommend any other Hunter).

[design1001]

I did forget to mention. After further inspection the fan does wobble a fair amount. From side to side. The bracket mount isn't completely flush with the celing. One side is higher then the other causing it to almost rock back and forth. Could this be causing the clicking noise? The downroad is securely in the ball joint but i can move the fan from side to side a lot while in the mounting bracket. I tried removing the blades and it still makes the noise. Do you think is a motor issue or a wobbling issue? I hate to have to pay to have another one installed again :/

[Obi-Wan Canopy]

"Faulty motor" isnt a fair answer.  If it is from within the motor it's probably bearings, which is unlikely in a new fan.

Balancing the fan is the first thing to try.  If it's not wobbling and still making noise, at that point I'd return it, since it's brand new.

[Jonathan A.]

Jun 27, 2017 10:05:24 GMT -5 design1001 said:

I did forget to mention. After further inspection the fan does wobble a fair amount. From side to side. The bracket mount isn't completely flush with the celing. One side is higher then the other causing it to almost rock back and forth. Could this be causing the clicking noise? The downroad is securely in the ball joint but i can move the fan from side to side a lot while in the mounting bracket. I tried removing the blades and it still makes the noise. Do you think is a motor issue or a wobbling issue? I hate to have to pay to have another one installed again :/

Yes it does sound like it's the motor if it makes noise without the blades. Brookhurst and any other Hampton Bay besides Industrial are not the best fans. The fans I would recommend are Hunter Original, Emerson with K55XL motor, Casablanca, or Fanimation. First three would likely have to be ordered online. Fanimation can be bought at Lowes, and I don't recommend any Hunter besides Original.

[fancollector12]

By "faulty motor" I mean that it has bad bearings from the factory since it is brand new and that's unlikely for a new fan. Have the maintenance guy uninstall it and repack it for you, take it back to Home Depot, and get another one, I assume since you live in an apartment you're looking for something inexpensive, and the Brookhurst, while not the best fan out there, fits the bill. You may be able to spend a bit more money and get another Hampton Bay that's above the Brookhurst, but if you get another one, it's likely not to be a problem. I wouldn't go buying a Hunter Original, as if the fan replaced a standard ceiling-mounted lighting fixture, the installed ceiling box likely couldn't support the weight of an Original, since it's cast-iron, and weighs near 50lbs when fully installed, even more when it's running (moving weight).

[Cullen D.]

It's definitely a motor issue. I have an old SMC U52 that does the same thing. The best option would be to return the fan and get a replacement.

[Noah C]

Like some others said, what I'd try first is removing the blades and running the fan to see if the clicking sound continues; if this sound continues even with no blades, then it is coming from the motor. At that point I would remove the fan and look elsewhere, as in not purchase a replacement from a big-box/home store, like Home Depot or Lowe's. I understand that you do live in an apartment so you want something inexpensive, but the Brookhurst, while inexpensive, is also even more inexpensive to manufacture; these types of fans often include thin, flimsy metal components, blades of MDF/fiberboard/particle board, which warps easily over time, and low quality motors that don't usually last more than 8-10 years.

Obviously, the best of showroom quality is simply not attainable when on a budget, but there are solid options that are less than $100 that are shown below.

Fanimation's "Aire Décor" is one of the best for under $100; build quality on these is about a step above builder grade, and the blades are plywood instead of MDF. These move a pretty good amount of air, especially for the price. Link:
www.hansenwholesale.com/ceiling-fans/shop-by-size/standard-size-fans-49-to-56/fanimation-aire-decor-builder-energy-star-2

Minka Aire has something similar, albeit a little cheaper in price. This fan is one of the best for under $100; it is similar in quality and performance to the Fanimation Aire Décor, but there are more light kit options this fan comes in. However, the motor is smaller, at 153×12mm instead of 153×15mm, like the Fanimation. Link: www.hansenwholesale.com/ceiling-fans/shop-by-size/standard-size-fans-49-to-56/minka-aire-contractor-plus

These are two of the best options for a low price, as these are better overall quality than most anything you can buy from a home store for the same price. If you don't mind going more expensive than this, your best bets would be Emerson products with their K55XL or "EcoMotor" DC motors; Fanimation's products have been almost untouched in quality, performance, and innovation, so check them out too. Other brands to check out would be Casablanca, also known for their impressive quality and performance of their fans, and Minka Aire, who have really upped their game lately and have been providing high-quality, well-performing products at a good price/value ratio.