Hunter Ceiling Fan Making Buzzing Noise? – Here’s How to Fix

Why is the Hunter Ceiling Fan Making Buzzing Noise? A buzzing noise can sometimes indicate an electrical failure.

Still, other times it is a mechanical failure interfering with the electrical current.

Getting rid of a Hunter ceiling fan’s buzzing noise will require you to tighten screws, clear the dust, lubricate the motor and even adjust the blades’ position. If none of that works, the issue is on the receiver, which might be replaced.

Each of those solutions requires a different approach, and the guide below is abundant with instructions to help you.

It is essential to eliminate the buzzing noise (or any noise) as it can signify danger.

Hunter Ceiling Fan Making Buzzing Noise – Reasons

Is a Hunter ceiling fan buzzing noise occurring at your home? We understand that you might be double worried.

After all, the buzzing is annoying and can also mean something is wrong with some crucial fan component.

Different reasons could explain such noise. For each of them, a particular solution applies.

Before getting to the answers, we must discuss the causes, even if briefly:

✅ Defective Receiver

It is common for a defective receiver on the fan to cause a humming noise. That can be caused by incompatibility or a simple electronic malfunction.

✅ Loose Screws

The buzzing could indicate something as dangerous as loose screws.

✅ Dust

If you live in an area where a lot of dust gets in your house, it will be no different from your fan. In that case, you must clean it regularly.

✅ Fan Blade Alignment

Are you sure the blades are well aligned? When they are not, a buzzing sound could occur.

✅ Motor Fan Lubrication

When the motor fan gets too dry, you must lubricate it to prevent noises and damage.

How To Get Rid Of The Hunter Ceiling Fan Buzzing Noise

As you’ve seen, all the potential reasons behind your Hunter ceiling fan making noises will require you to get down to work.

Most involve mechanical adjustments, but if the receiver is the culprit, that will require a bit more technical electrical work. 

We will start with easy solutions and recommend you try each one accordingly.

That way, you could eliminate the buzzing noise quickly and without much hassle. 

Solution #1: Tighten The Fan’s Screws

Each time a screw comes loose, it makes a noise. That is particularly important to remember in the case of high-frequency devices like fan blades.

If your ceiling fan is making a noise, it may only have a few loose screws. The blades may also become unbalanced if the fasteners holding them in place are loose.

First manifesting as buzzing sounds, this might progress to a scraping noise or the ceiling fan clicking.

Here is how to tighten the fan’s screws:

1. Turn off the power to the ceiling fan at the circuit breaker box
2. Use a ladder to access the ceiling fan
3. Inspect blades, brackets, and other components for loose screws
4. Use a screwdriver to tighten any loose screws

Once you’ve finished the job, it is time to restore power to the fan and turn it on. Has the noise stopped?

Great! If it hasn’t, move to the next solution.

Solution #2: Clean The Dust Off The Blades

A shaky and buzzing fan may result from dust accumulating on the blades, which alters their form and makes them spin weirdly.

The ceiling fan might eventually start making buzzing, scraping, or clicking noises due to this.

The blades and the blade mounts are susceptible to collecting dirt and grime over time (primarily grease).

Therefore, it’s vital to clean the blades and mounts of a ceiling fan to eliminate any buzzing sounds.

Ceiling fans may be quieted by following these simple steps to clean them:

1. Get a damp cloth
2. Scrub each fan blade from its handle to the very tip (always swipe outward)
3. Wipe off the blade holders with a cleaning solution and a wet towel
4. After cleaning, turn the fan on again

Note: Furthermore, if the blades aren't perfectly balanced, you'll hear a grinding sound in addition to the buzzing. 

A simple cleaning of the blades and mounting hardware may be necessary to silence that grinding sound.

Solution #3: Lubricate The Fan Motor

Oiling the motor of a ceiling fan is just as important as oiling the motor of any other appliance.

That’s the only way to make sure everything runs well. Unfortunately, ceiling fans generate a lot of heat and wear out quickly without enough lubrication.

The ceiling fan often makes a bearing noise, which we consider normal.

But a fan motor running out of lubrication makes a very specific noise, sometimes a bearing, a buzzing, or both.

1. Turn off the power to the ceiling fan
2. Locate small holes on the top or bottom of the motor housing
3. Remove the rubber plugs from the oil ports
4. Apply a few drops of lubricating oil to each oil port
5. Reposition the rubber plugs into the oil ports
6. Turn on the ceiling fan to distribute the oil throughout the motor.

Using a lightweight, non-detergent oil specifically designed for electric motors is necessary.

Do not over-lubricate, as this can cause damage to the motor.

Note: Some Hunter ceiling fans may have only one oil port, while others may have multiple ports.

Solution #4: Adjust The Fan Blade’s Positioning

Even though cleaning should already adjust the blades to their correct position, sometimes the issue is not only dirt.

A few times, a blade might be unadjusted because of different factors, such as loose screws or simply due to spinning too much time. 

You will need the following:

• A fan blade balancing kit
• Screwdriver

Ensure you have the necessary tools in hand, and then follow the process for adjusting the blades into the correct position:

1. Turn off the power to the ceiling fan
2. Use a ladder to access the ceiling fan
3. Use the blade balancing kit to check the balance of each blade. 
4. Loosen the screws that hold the misaligned blade to the blade holder
5. Adjust the blade position
6. Tighten the screws back

You might have to repeat the process above twice or even more. You might find out that several blades are out of place. 

Tip: A good way to proceed is to test if any noise shows up after adjusting each blade.

Solution #5: Fix The Fan’s Receiver

So far, all the solutions have attempted to treat the issue as a mechanical component working poorly. 

However, other times it is the internal wiring that buzzes because it is defective. In a Hunter Ceiling Fan, it is the receiver you must inspect.

Fix The Wiring And Test

1. Turn off the power to the ceiling fan 
2. Remove the canopy cover from the ceiling fan
3. Check the receiver’s wiring connections
4. Tighten any loose connections.
5. Set a multimeter to continuity and test the receiver.

Depending on the multimeter’s result, you might have to reset or replace the receiver. 

If the receiver is being fed enough power, you must leave it off for a few more minutes.

That is a soft reset to the fan’s receiver, as it will leave it without electricity for a bit. Then, turn the power again and check if the buzzing is still happening.

Replace The Receiver

If the buzzing is still happening, you must replace the receiver:

1. Detach the wiring connections from the receiver. 
2. Remove the receiver from the ceiling bracket
3. Put the new receiver into the ceiling bracket
4. Attach the wires to the new receiver
5. Attach the canopy cover back onto the ceiling fan.

Depending on the model, setting up a new receiver might entail setting it up with the whole system again.

For that, you must follow the user guide’s instructions.

When everything is set up, you must test and check if the buzzing sound went away. 

Tip: When dealing with the wires, note how they are connected so you can reattach them correctly later.

What We Learned

How to fix the Hunter Ceiling Fan Making Buzzing Noise? As you’ve seen above, not all solutions will require you to get down to electrical work.

However, some solutions are straightforward, and we hope you can quickly eliminate any noise your fan produces.