My 15-month old sleeps there. We took her out of the room for the night so we can let the room air out and hopefully the smell will go away by tomorrow. Would the dying motor give off a smell or may something else have happened?
2007-08-11 15:52:07 · 5 answers · asked by alcoh71 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
You should shut off the electricity to that fan if it is emitting an odor. Do this at the fuse box or circuit breaker.
Be very careful with this an electrical fire in the walls and ceilings can put you in a very dangerous situation. Do not go to sleep until you are sure there is not a problem, since you said there was an odor.
2007-08-11 15:56:17 · answer #1 · answered by JAN 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes it is a safety issue. If the device is smoking, you need to remove the power to the circuit. Turn the switch off either on the wall or the fan itself. I know from experience that sometimes the only cut off you have for the fan is the pull switch, which is a 3 or 4 position switch. You might think that the juice is off, but it may still be on only on a different speed setting.
If you can't be absolutely sure the power is off, call for an electrician and be sure. You don't want to burn down the house. If you really want to be safe, you could throw the main circuit breaker and kill the electric to all the house, until the electrician gets there.
If you have a fire extinguisher, get it handy, just in case.
I'm sure that the motor has burned up, but you just never know and it is better to err on the side of safety, at least when electricity is concerned.
2007-08-11 16:11:33 · answer #2 · answered by Fordman 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes it is a safety issue! Your fan "motor" has coils in it and when the fan broke I assume it is also wobbling , if the coils are not in perfect alignment then the charge of electricity going through those coils are bound to burn, leaving the fan and different pull chains vulnerable to getting caught in the fan blades. You did the right thing by letting your daughter out of the room. If I had more information on what "broke" on the fan, then I can give more accurate advise... Do not take chances with ceiling fans, as there is usually 110 volts and somewhere in the range of 5-15 amps going through the electrical wires connecting the fan. Best Advise - buy a new one- You can get one for the $100 - $200 range. You and your family are worth more than that.......Good Luck and Good Question.
2007-08-11 16:14:00 · answer #3 · answered by Henry H 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If something is burning, it can be emitting smoke, ash, carbon dioxide and/or monoxide, none of which is good.
If you have turned the fan off at the switch, it should stop smelling rather quickly. Get a carbon monoxide detector for the kid's room, just in case.
2007-08-11 15:57:18 · answer #4 · answered by Matt 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The ceiling fan should be removed and replaced, it's a fire hazard! The same thing happened to me and the electrician told me that ceiling fans are notorious for catching fire and for that reason you should never leave them on when you aren't home.
2007-08-11 15:59:41 · answer #5 · answered by Cheryl M 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋