| This Hestar table fan problem was not rotating | | | | with a digital capacitance meter to see if the |
| even if it already switched "On". You could hear a | | | | capacitance is within range or not. The value was, |
| sound coming from the motor and when I try | | | | and it is slightly lower then the tolerance (the |
| turning the propeller I found it to be stuck! By | | | | tolerance for this type of capacitor is about 10%). |
| right a good fan when you turn it, the propeller | | | | If the capacitance value is too low then I will |
| should rotate according to the force applied on it. | | | | replace it with a new one. Please make sure you |
| It could be the long time of accumulation of dust | | | | get a replacement with the same or higher |
| that had jammed the motor shaft preventing it | | | | voltage and if possible with the same capacitance. |
| from turning smoothly. | | | | You can easily get a motor starting capacitor |
| Once the back cover and the lever have been | | | | from any electronic distributors. I put back the |
| removed, I could see lots of dust and dirt around | | | | capacitor and start servicing the fan. |
| the motor. I used a vacuum cleaner together with | | | | First I sprayed the Philip oil base to the contact |
| a brush to clean up the dust. You could also see a | | | | that caused the shaft hard to rotate. The shaft |
| motor starting capacitor attached beside the | | | | immediately rotates (turned by my hand) |
| motor. This is the Metallized Polypropylene Film | | | | smoothly the moment it had oil in it. When I |
| type of capacitor. The function of the motor | | | | switch the fan "On" again, the motor start to run! |
| start capacitor (AC motor capacitor) is to provide | | | | I off the fan again and applied some grease into |
| that electrical "push" to get the motor rotation | | | | the back gear that controls the fan whether you |
| started. Without a motor starting capacitor (such | | | | want it to be "still" or "rotate" (don't use the oil |
| as when one open circuit or burns up), when the | | | | spray because it can worn out the gear faster). |
| voltage is applied, the motor will just sit and hum. | | | | After everything was done, I tested the fan and |
| But if you were to grab the shaft (or the | | | | it worked like a new fan! Servicing the table fan is |
| propeller) and give it a spin, the motor would | | | | not difficult and you can try servicing one in your |
| (usually) start and run normally. I do not think the | | | | home. Remember, safety have to come first, |
| capacitor have problem because the symptom | | | | make sure you unplug the AC cable before |
| was the shaft jammed causing it not to rotate. | | | | starting to dismantle the fan apart. |
| Anyway I took out the capacitor and check it | | | | |