Brand new bathroom fan making whining noise - any remedy?

Hi all,

Wanted to see if someone can suggest what to do. A brand new (two weeks old) bathroom fan (supposedly low-noise variety) started making rather loud whining noises. On and off but lately more often on than off.

What could the cause be and what can I do about it? The mounting bracket seems to be solidly mounted, nothing is visually loose or anything I can tell by just looking at it. I would guess a brand new impeller should not have gotten so badly out of balance so quickly.

Any idea, suggestion or comment on the subject is greatly appreciated.

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Reply to
DA
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I would not pack around with a brand new product - bring it back for a refund.

Reply to
jim

take it back. simple solution. get another.

s

Reply to
S. Barker

Probably a bad bearing. Take it back and trade up to a better brand. This one is already crap. .

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Well, I would do that in a heartbeat if it was not for a thing that took couple hours to install and will take at least half as much to take down and, probably most significantly, the bracket (or cage rather - what's the right term?) had to be bent to accommodate the smaller size of the rafter than what the designers envisioned. Nothing that would make it rub against the impeller or anything like that, a rather small bend of the end opposite to the impeller and the motor. But I'm not even sure Lowes would even want the thing back now that it's out of shape.

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Reply to
DA

Or it just might not be installed properly. If not perfectly level it should mess up a cheap bearing that would have otherwise lasted years.

Reply to
Calab

What make and model number are you referring to? Check to make sure that the backdraft damper is opening freely. If there is a backdraft damper on the outside vent, you should check that as well. Did you use flex hose or solid duct for the venting?

Reply to
John Grabowski

Get the next one from an electric supply house. Lowes does not carry the best. Take a look at these

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Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I think you are onto something here! I know for a fact that it is NOT perfectly level due to the alteration I had to do to the bracket. This is the first thing I'm going to correct and see if it makes any difference.

Thanks!

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Reply to
DA

Couple drops of ND-30 on the berring might help.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Mine is Broan® 80CFM 2.5 Sone Bath Fan I wish I can see if the damper is opening freely. I will try to check on the damper but the whining noise is actually changing all the time, sometimes rhythmic sometimes sporadic. Could it be because the resistance of the air changes due to damper closing and opening?

I used a flex hose. This was a retrofit, so I just unplugged the hose from the old fan and plugged it into (onto, actually) the new one. Generous amount of duct tape was applied. I hope I did not over-tighten the spot where the damper is. Think it's worth checking on?

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Reply to
DA

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Yeah, man! I should have posted here before buying the thing at Lowes, no kidding.

This Panasonic Fan Low-Profile WhisperFit 50CFM is EXACTLY what I needed because of my small 2x6 joists. Could have saved an hour trying to fit the bracket designed for 2x8 (or larger). And 0.3 sonos is just an insult for me because I specifically wanted a quiet one (50CFM would have been just fine) and thought 2.5 sonos I'm getting from the Broan was close to the quietest you can get...

Thanks for the link, Edwin. Gotta go now think about how to explain the better half why I need $123 + S/H for a (yet another) new fan :-)

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Reply to
DA
99.8% of all bath fans installed in new homes are junk. 99.87% of all bath fans are junk. Chances are you bought a poor quality fan. The good ones are going to cost several times or more than what you likely paid. But a good one, it is worth the difference.
Reply to
Joseph Meehan

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You should be able to remove the motor and fan blade component and then be able to see and feel the internal damper. Did you keep the flex hose to a minimum length or is there a lot of slack? The flex can add some resistance to the air flow.

2.5 sones is not extremely quiet. Some of the Panasonic fans are under one sone and are very quiet.
Reply to
John Grabowski

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