My ceiling fan has a burning smell. Where does the burning smell come from and what should I do about it?
If the fan smells burning, it’s usually best to unplug it and not use it for now. A burning smell coming from the fan usually indicates a wiring or motor fault.
One thing you may notice about the fan is that it can wobble. Check if the burning smell is coming from the engine. If the smell is coming from the motor and the fan is wobbling or not working properly, it could be a fault within one of the motor coils. You may need to replace the motor. You can repair the engine, but be very careful, you have to know what you are doing. And the motor may hold some charge if there are capacitors in the motor as well, make sure you don’t touch them with the screwdriver as you may discharge them to your body.
Another place the burning smell can come from is the wiring in the wall. If the odor is coming from the inside of the wall or other components of the fan, be sure to turn off the fan immediately. If the smell is coming from inside the wall, it could mean that some of the wiring is getting too hot and catching fire. This can happen if there is too much power on an old line. You may have very old wiring in your house, which can also cause this to happen with any appliance, not just a fan. Sometimes houses may have old aluminum or other wiring.
Other times, the burning smell may only arise if you switch your ceiling fan to higher speeds or use a certain lighting kit. This can also happen. Your motor has different coils that run different things, so it’s possible that one coil has blown. This would cause the fan to malfunction for some things, but still work fine for others. Most of the time, replacing the motor (if the odor is isolated from the motor) can solve the problem.
It’s usually not a good idea to run the fan when it’s emitting odors, so turn it off for now until you have time to look at it.
