# Any chance I can fix my electric fan that got wet?



## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Over the weekend, our basement flooded after the sump pump failed.

I found our good, but old, fan laying face down in the 4 inches of water. Apparently, we got enough water to 'float' the fan which was standing up, to move and then fall over.

I bought this fan many years ago at an auction in the dead of winter, and I only paid $2 for it. IIRC, I've seen those fans priced at $90. It is a VERY good fan that is directional and can move tons of air.

Should I just scrap the fan, or is there any simple and inexpensive fix?

Sorry to ask such a dumb question..I've never tried to fix electric stuff like this.

Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!

ETA: Here is a link to this style fan: http://www.mysears.com/Lakewood-20-in-Kool-Operator-Fan-reviews


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

let it dry compleatly then let it dry some more, then put oil in the oil cups and turn the blades by hand to work the oil into the bearings. plug it in and try, it will probably work. if it had been a new wallyworld type you would be out of luck for shure.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

rancher1913 said:


> let it dry compleatly then let it dry some more, then put oil in the oil cups and turn the blades by hand to work the oil into the bearings. plug it in and try, it will probably work. if it had been a new wallyworld type you would be out of luck for shure.


Cool!!!

Where will I find the oil cups??? Will I have to take the motor housing off, or are there holes for adding oil?


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## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

That looks like a newer fan, so it's likely you may not even be able to take the motor apart.

Just dry it out real good and it should be fine, IMO. It really was not submerged that long, anyway.


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## Rustaholic (Dec 1, 2007)

Where should I start.
I just turned 54 and I started working on things like that when I was five years old.

If you see a screw remove it.
You can take it apart until you get to the motor then take the motor apart.

Then you will see where to oil.

OR, Just let it dry out and plug it in.
See if it will run.
Really make sure it is dry.

Do you have any other fan you can blow on it?

PS, Really old fans do have small tubes for oiling the bearings.
I have one of those downstairs.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

plowjockey said:


> That looks like a newer fan, so it's likely you may not even be able to take the motor apart.
> 
> Just dry it out real good and it should be fine, IMO. It really was not submerged that long, anyway.


The link for the fan that is sold at Sears is the new version of the fan. Just by guessing...and only a shear guess...I'd date this fan at least 20 years old.

I think that I've owned it since 2003...and the fan was old when I got it.

I have had a chance to mess with it yet...I spent today installing a new sump pump.


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

First, make sure you don't turn it on. You need to do is wash it out with clean fresh water to get any nasty stuff out. Then flush it with distilled water to get any minerals that were in the 'clean water'. Then let it dry, and dry and dry. After that you can plug it in and see if it works. If so then you can oil it.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

If there is someone in your life that like um...well... maybe ...like you do like very much.
if there is then
get a term life policy for them
and invite them over
have them plug it in.
the tricky part is you only have a three day cooling off period from when you sign for their term life policy (spell your name correctly where it says benifiuary--saves time later when minutes count)

So, using my plan you will have eighter

a working fan and someone still around that bugs you
(just remember the 3 day timeframe cancel the policy --that's my frugle tip of the day)
or
the stress of dealing with someone will be gone and you will be able to afford a new fan.
(that's my second frugle tip to live with in your means)


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Getting a fan wet is nothing. Every spring I take the box fans out of my barns. Take off the front and back spray them down with soap. Then Rinse with hot water from a hose using the sprayer at full force, making sure I spray water into the motor to get out all the trapped dust, dirt etc. out.
Then set it out in the sun to dry, for a day or two. I do this each year and have been doing so for 20 some years. Keeps fan clean and dirt out of them so no over heating when used in the barns to cool animals down.
Even did this in AZ. at the boarding stable I worked at. 
Before putting them back together oil re good and start using them again in the barns on hot days.


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

arabian knight said:


> Getting a fan wet is nothing. Every spring I take the box fans out of my barns. Take off the front and back spray them down with soap. Then Rinse with hot water from a hose using the sprayer at full force, making sure I spray water into the motor to get out all the trapped dust, dirt etc. out.
> Then set it out in the sun to dry, for a day or two. I do this each year and have been doing so for 20 some years. Keeps fan clean and dirt out of them so no over heating when used in the barns to cool animals down.
> Even did this in AZ. at the boarding stable I worked at.
> Before putting them back together oil re good and start using them again in the barns on hot days.


The prob the OP has is the fan was soaking in what was probably nasty water with who knows what in it. That's a lot different than spraying it with water from a hose.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

A couple days out in the sunshine would be a good thing..........


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

You also might want to check the Survival & Emergency Preparedness forum for any other Wet Hit the Fan scenarios.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

watcher said:


> The prob the OP has is the fan was soaking in what was probably nasty water with who knows what in it. That's a lot different than spraying it with water from a hose.


Really, it was just ground water...no mud, silt or other junk.


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## Rick (May 10, 2002)

Clove

Yuck! 

For the next time the water rises...When we had a sump pump back in the suburbs, we bought a water activated alarm for around 15 bucks from Harbor Frayed (Freight). It will alert you anytime the water rises past the level at which you place the sensor. I weighed the cord down with a brick and set the unit (size of a deck o' cards) up in the dry.

Sorry for the mess.


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## TacticalTrout (Jan 7, 2010)

Oggie said:


> You also might want to check the Survival & Emergency Preparedness forum for any other Wet Hit the Fan scenarios.


:hysterical: too funny!


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

Shake the fan out, let it sit in the sun for a day, plug it in and see if it runs. Likely it will.

If the plug is dry, and you're dry, there's no shock danger. 

If it trips a breaker, let it sit in the sun for another day.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Maybe you could just dry it out with a fan blowing on it... oh... nevermind.


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

clovis said:


> Really, it was just ground water...no mud, silt or other junk.


When I think of a flooded floor I think of all kinds of nasty things floating in the water. Still if it were me and I really wanted to make sure I saved the fan I'd hose it out then wash it down with distilled water and let it dry well before I plugged it in. After all its not going to hurt anything, its not going to cost but a couple of bucks and some of your time.


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

open it up..dry off as much as you can and let it drain well..then use a hair dryer on it and then let dry even longer..


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## VaFarmer (Mar 2, 2011)

Good idea to wash it out with clean water, dirt,lint, excetra will be slow to dry and start rust against the metal. Rinse it, blow dry ( compressed air would be best) so the slow drying doesn't form rust on the parts, let stand in sun to dry some more, then ONLY plug it into a GFCI protected outlet to test run it. GFCI will protect you from sparks or a short, GFCI trips off instantly if there is an electrical short before it shocks you. Be carefull what type oil you use, some are conductors and can short out the comutator. Use an oil rated for use on electric motors.


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## farmerpat (Jan 1, 2008)

Cover the motor house in plain uncooked rice (like you do with a cell phone when it gets wet). Leave it a couple of days, shaking the rice around from time to time to put new dry rice in contact with the housing. Hopefully it will draw all of the water and yukkies into the rice and your fan can be saved.


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## FarmerRob (May 25, 2009)

Here is an idea--let it dry out. LOL

Actually that is very important. A friend of mine is a TV repairman. He told me once that the biggest mistake people make when something electrical or electronic gets wet from flood etc. is to plug it in and see if it works (without getting it completely dried out in the first place. The electricity hits the water and fries the unit. He said he got as much business from that as just about anything else. 

So I am going to go along with the crowd and say clean it out thoroughly and dry it out very thoroughly and be patient enough to be sure of both of those before a plug hits a socket.

And good luck with that.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Just as an update, and a few questions:

I've got the fan apart.

It did not want to run, and the motor smelled hot. It would move _extremely_ slowly. With a little coaxing by manually spinning the fan blades, the fan started to run on its own!

I let it run for a very short while, and the motor is really hot.

*A friend told me that any electric motor that smells hot is because there is resistance. Is that true?* *What is causing the resistance?* The motor appears to be clean inside and out.

*Are the oil cups inside the motor itself?* This motor is bolted together with 5 small bolts. I was hoping to get lucky and find a label that said "OIL HERE", but I've had no such luck.

*Thank you for helping me!!!!* I consider myself above average in mechanical ability, but my greatest weakness is with electricity, electric motors, and electrical stuff...which is funny because my father is a Senior Electrical Engineer, Level III with a major power utility!!!


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## blufford (Nov 23, 2004)

Maybe put a couple drops of fresh oil at the shaft where the blades meet will loosen it up a bit.


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## Travis in Louisiana (May 14, 2002)

The motor is getting hot due to the resistance of trying to turn the fan shaft. You need to put oil where the shaft is either running through bearings or whatever supports the shaft. Oil at those points and turn the blade till it gets easier to turn by hand. After it turns easier, the motor will probably not get as hot.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

clovis 
Look above the shaft at each end of the motor. Possibly there is a small hole about an inch above the shaft. If the hole is there it may appear to have a piece of felt in it. That is where most old fan are oiled. Without the power on, after oiling keep using you fingers to turn the blade until the blade turns freely.


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