Lasko Premium 20" Box Fan

I have a four year old box fan that occasionally needs to be "hand-started" to get going. It takes a couple of flips, like hand starting a propeller.

I'd like to disassemble and degrease the fan and motor and re-assemble.

There has to be millions of this kind of fan out there. It's the type with a 3 speed plus off rotary switch.

Can the fan & motor assembly be disassembled enough to clean and re-grease it?

Thanks.

--- Joe

Reply to
Joe
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I had the same problem. 3 or 4 years ago I took the grills off of mine. I cleaned all the disgusting dust and grime off, first with a vacuum cleaner then I used a rag dampened with windex. I was careful not to let any liquid go into the guts of the thing. After it was cleaned up I saw 3 small holes on either side of the motor in close to the shaft. I took some 10-30 motor oil and applied just a few drops to each hole as I manually turned the fan with my hand. It felt better right away. I didn't want to spray oil all over the house so first I let it sit for a few hours on ether side with a rag to catch the little bit of oil that dripped out. Then I took it out in the drive way and ran it for about 15 minutes on high. I didn't notice anything coming out of it and it's worked great ever since.

Reply to
albert.malvaez

Those things are permanently lubricated the factory but what the hell you can give it a try :)

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Reply to
Meat Plow

You need Oilite type oil.

Reply to
Homer J Simpson

I never heard of Oilite, so i googled it. It's an oil-filled bushing. I still have no idea what "Oilite type oil" is.

Any suggestions as to dis-assembly or cleaning the bushing?

--- Joe

Reply to
Joe

You need a solvent to clean the bearings. There is a special oil for porous bronze bearings (Oilite type oil).

Disassembly - you are on your own!

Reply to
Homer J Simpson

I've had good luck with Marvel Mystery Oil, you can probably get by with any light machine oil though, it's just a fan, nobody will die if the bushings seize again.

Reply to
James Sweet

True, but if the bearings develop a slight slop the speed goes way down.

Reply to
Homer J Simpson

I've used Singer sewing machine oil over the years on fans just like this. The fans are nearly identical, the brand changes over the years. I think the last brand name was Lakewood.

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Reply to
clifto

Why don't you just buy a new one. Why spend all day dicking around with a fan only werth twenty dollars.

Reply to
Brittany Martin

Hi!

Is there ever an instance where that isn't a total joke?

I've seen lots of fans that were intended to be oiled periodically and never were, but ran for years (sometimes a decade or three) before needing attention.

As for so-called "permanently lubricated" fans (and other devices) I have lost count of the ones that I've had to oil because they seized up or got to be very noisy. Computer fans, regular fans, exhaust fans, etc...

...this says volumes about the quality control of then and now.

Why? (I realize that I may regret asking, but there you go.)

What are these?

William

Reply to
William R. Walsh

There are two models. The cheap model needs to have its bearings cleaned and lubed periodically. The OP, on the other hand, claims he bought the expensive "premium model" (two or three times the price) which advertises that its bearings are "lubricated for life." Hence his question about how to proceed.

Reply to
spam

Bronze bearings permeated with lubricant is the theory I guess.

No doubt but just as many that have oil ports that are neglected fail.

I guess I was replying to the context of cheap fractional horsepower motors designed to throw away after a couple years. I don't see a use in re lubricating a motor that doesn't have a reservoir to hold additional oil.

From a kook list, not nominated by peers.

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Reply to
Meat Plow

Probably found in the same list as so-called No Maintenance car batteries.

Jonesy

Reply to
Allodoxaphobia

Hi!

Funny...I actually *did* pry the top off of a Delco Freedom maintenance free battery to add some water when some of the cells appeared to be low. It was a trick to get it back on, but I proved to myself that it could be done.

William

Reply to
William R. Walsh

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