Why does my old ceiling fan buzz at low speeds?

Question

I have a hunter ceiling fan that's close to 30 years old.  It has 3 speeds and works fine at the highest speed but makes a loud buzzing sound while spinning in low or medium.  The pitch of the buzz is noticeably different at medium and low.

The fan has the same problem in reverse turning -- fine at high / same buzz sounds at medium and low.  And same pitch of buzz at medium and low.

Any idea what the problem is and if it can be fixed easily?

ps.  no light on this fan.  No dimmer switch.  Operated by remote control.

Retired Master Electrician · Answer

Some old Hunter fans have a small reservoir which holds oil to keep everything lubricated. Have you checked to see if that reservoir is empty? If it is empty you, you can purchase some oil from Hunter or use some very light machine oil to refill the reservoir. If it's not empty, it might be that over time the winding in a fan have become loose and will begin to vibrate which will sound like a buzz when run at lower speeds. If that's the problem the fan would have to be rewound or you need to replace the fan itself.

Good luck

Why does my old ceiling fan buzz at low speeds?

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