Replacement ceiling fan blades
Many people wish to replace their ceiling fan blades, either because the current set is damaged or warped, or for decor purposes. Most home centers offer generic replacement sets, however it is often not as simple as simply buying an off-the-shelf set and screwing it in place of the old.
The problem is that the off-the-shelf set is one predetermined size, weight, shape, etc. Each fan manufacturer will have different specifications of blades optimized to the motor and fan design. Using a set of blades that is too heavy or wide will slow the fan and wear the motor, blades that are too narrow will move significantly less air. The best option for replacement blades is to contact the manufacturer and obtain a correct replacement set. However if the off-the-shelf blades are a very similar size, shape, and weight to the original blades they can be used with no adverse affects.
If you do choose to buy a set of replacement blades, another factor is the hole spacing for attaching the blades to the brackets. Some replacement blades come pre-drilled with holes in a standard spacing, others have no holes drilled. If the blades do not have holes or if the holes do not line up with your bracket you will need to drill your own holes. Use the bracket as a template and mark the holes, and line up all 3/4/5/6 blades and drill as a set, to be sure that the holes are in exactly the same placement on each blade. If the holes on two or more blades are different even by a hair, this will throw the fan off balance.
Lastly, some manufacturers offer replacement blades in the popular "palm leaf" design to fit onto a standard fan. Be careful as these blades can cause problems similar to using incorrect replacement blades mentioned above. As they are a different size and shape, they can slow the fan, causing unnecessary wear on the motor and move much less air. Depending on the strength of your fan's motor this may or may not be an issue so use caution.
Copyright © 2005 Dan Neuman
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