A TOPICAL point, FANS.

With the temperature over 30*C a point worth remembering is that IF a cooling fan won't start or runs very slowly, the bushes can soon gather somuch dust/fluff sticking to the lube that they fail to run, A good blast of WD40 type lube will flush the dust and fluff out and all will be well again. IF it is really bed it may need the guard taking off so the blades can be pushed round to get it started. As it starts remember to remove your fingers, and refit the guard. I'm often given catering ones, If I like the owner I fix and return, as there not cheap, and this usually results in food ! Noel.

WD 40 is not a lubricant

Hi, well their technical data sheet says it lubricates WD40 Technical Data

Regards Nick.

I'll bet the data sheet doesn't tell you it stinks to high heaven.

WD 40 is flammable. Don't spray it on the brushes when the motor is running!

It is a well known issue to bring a (old) fan up to speed after a long winterstop.

I normally use a pencil for that, not a finger.

When it did not speed up after several trials, then it had to be dismantled and lubricated.

At the end it was so noisy that SWHTBO bought a new one. The old was is still standby for “emergency”.

Edited By Jouke van der Veen on 17/06/2022 16:49:06

I've never really believed WD-40 to be a lubricant, except in a short-term "quick-fix" way, despite its manufacturer's claims.

WD stands for water-dispersant, and it will do that, adding a slightly protective but not long-lasting, waxy film in the process.

So I have just looked up its MSDS to find out what really is in it. Not revealed beyond a blend of various petroleum-derived hydrocarbons and carbon-dioxide propellant, their chemical identities being a "trade secret" !

Its problem as a lubricant is that it is of very low viscosity so soon disappears, and in doing so it flushes out any oil or grease already there.

The manufacturers seem to think it is:

https://media.wd40.co.uk/app/uploads/2020/11/24085047/EUF0002_EN.pdf

Trouble is, it's also a very good solvent for grease and oil, so by clearing them out and just leaving a thin film it can create long term lubrication issues.

Neil

It is when you are turning or tapping aluminium.

regards martin

sort of depends what you mean by a lubricant

I think the reason that WD 40 doesn’t smell too pleasant is that one of its constituents is fish oil. Dave W

Like the insistence that it's not a lubricant, this too is a myth, Dave - again according to the manufacturer.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 17/06/2022 21:17:32

Bill, I stand corrected, it seems that I believed the myth. It still stinks though. Dave W

To swerve the thread a bit, what's best for lubricating steering lock in car. It has to be aerosol so I can send it uphill into the lock. Interweb suggests GT85 ptfe lubricant, but someone might know better.

Graphite dust puffer maybe, though you to need to keep a tissue handy to wipe the key for a while, before putting it in your pocket.

Bill.

All our vehicle locks and some were cat 5 security were always lubed with graphite from a puffer.

Spray can dry graphite.

But teflon will be cleaner. Graphite gets on your keys, into your pockets and on your hands so not great in a car lock.

WD40 can make a sticky mess inside locks and can cause gumming up over time as dust and dirt sticks to it. Was never recommended when I did lock work as part of my job in hospital maintenance years ago.

Various points from the discussion so far:

According to the display shelves in my local Halfords, there is a range of products sold under the WD-40 banner, so referring just to "WD-40" is meaningless these days, similar to specifying paint by calling it "Dulux".

If you approach the fan blade from the front it will try to throw your finger out, and you would have to be very careless to sustain an injury. Approaching it from behind is a whole other story.

The principle behind lubricating locks is to avoid using anything liquid, because that picks up fluff and grit from the key and eventually gums up the works. Powdered graphite is both solid and slippery but æsthetically unsatisfying. Two out of three isn't bad.

George