I'm a big fan of this small fan: who can fix it?

August 25, 2021 9:24 AM

My Bionaire Twin Window fan (top pick on The Wirecutter) stopped working (won't power on) and I'd really like to keep it out of the landfill. It was a gift from years ago so I can't return it. I suspect a fuse might have blown but I don't have time to become an electrical tinkerer and don't have anyone in my circle who is that person.

Plus, the product is on back order now so I won't be able to replace it very soon. I would like to find a handy person in Seattle who can diagnose and fix it. I suspect this will be a word-of-mouth thing because these people are usually hard to find via a web search. Do you know of anyone who could help with this?

posted by oxisos to Technology (7 answers total)

Best answer: I have the same fan. It’s probably the fuse. The fuses are very easy to change, on par with replacing a small battery. They’re located within a little chamber inside the plug.

They’re unfortunately a weird size, and not commonly stocked by hardware stores. They can be ordered online, and typically come in packs of 5-7. I can’t recall the exact specifications but the information is stamped on the actual fuse (and listed in the manual iirc).

I would do this for free because it would take 2m once you have the fuse in hand, but I’m not in Seattle.
posted by furnace.heart at 9:41 AM on August 25, 2021 [5 favorites]

Best answer: According to this Amazon discussion thread, they sell a fuse that can be replaced to make it work again.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:08 AM on August 25, 2021

Response by poster: Whoa, it's a just a little fuse inside the plug, I don't even have to open up the fan unit?! That seems very doable.
posted by oxisos at 10:41 AM on August 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

I had a problem with a different fan not working and I had to oil the bearings.

Fuses usually blow for a good reason, but not always.
posted by flimflam at 11:02 AM on August 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

Holler at me oxisos if you want some zoom-support.

It’s a slippery slope. Fuses today, rewiring vintage lamps tomorrow.
posted by furnace.heart at 12:44 PM on August 25, 2021 [8 favorites]

Their warranty is five years, so if you think the purchase is within that window you can always call and give them the serial number and see what they say. Of course it's worth it to try the fuse first, but I had a unit that would blow the fuse as I was plugging it in, and they offered to refund me as "they aren't shipping replacements to US customers at this time." Of course, they also offered to send me an air filtration device instead, which was sort of funny.
posted by papayaninja at 1:13 PM on August 25, 2021

Response by poster: Well it turns out the problem isn't the fuse. And the digital display won't even power on so it doesn't seem like a motor problem. In the meantime, I found a new one on [giant online retailer] and ordered it. Any ideas for keeping this one out of the landfill?
posted by oxisos at 7:05 PM on August 27, 2021