✅ Bathroom exhaust fan hums but blade will not spin. Motor or capacitor?
Nutone fan, probably 20 years old. Flip the switch, get a hum, blade does not turn. If I spin it by hand with a pencil it runs. Is this a dead start capacitor or is the motor toast? Would rather not replace the whole housing because the ceiling is plaster.
3 replies
Shaded-pole motors in those fans do not have a start capacitor. "Spins if I help it" on one of those almost always means the bearings are gummed up. Pull the motor plate (usually one screw and a plug), hit the bushings with a drop of light machine oil, spin it by hand until it frees up. Five minute fix that lasts a couple of years.
Agree with Andy. Also vacuum the grille and the blade while you are in there; the dust load is half of why the bushings dry out.
Oiled the bushings, spins like new. Marking solved, thanks both.
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