RD Witthaus Posted December 24, 2023 Share Posted December 24, 2023 Hey guy, I’m new to the forum. I’ve been searching for the right Mathes Cooler for years. I finally found one and bought it this morning. I grew up in Fort Worth, near where these were built. I lived with my grandmother when I was young and she ran a hotel and each room had one of these. I have a few questions, if you don’t mind… Is there a person who everyone recommends for rebuilding the motor? The speed control rheostat turns, but feels dirty. Is there any good info for cleaning these? I would imagine they’d be impossible to find a good one. Thanks in advance for any/all help. Regards, Rick 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hoatson Posted December 24, 2023 Share Posted December 24, 2023 To work on fans, you need a multimeter. Fluke is a well known professional brand. Their Fluke 101 is very inexpensive and even does capacitance. On all fans, the process is this: - Disassemble and inspect, taking lots of pictures. - Ohm the motor to check for shorted or open windings. - Clean and oil the bearings. The motor should spin freely - Inspect and clean the brushes (if present). - Clean and grease the gears (only for oscillating desk fans). - Inspect the wiring for dirty connections and failing insulation. - Make a sketch of the wiring diagram and label wires if you remove them. - Inspect and clean the switch, cleaning or polishing the contacts if they read greater than 1 ohm. Electrical Contact Cleaner spray may work, or fine sandpaper. - Straighten the blade if bent - Reassemble and test. Each of these steps may require additional detailed instructions. Feel free to contact me if you want to talk. I have repaired several hundred fans at my store/museum/restoration shop, Chestertown Electric. https://www.facebook.com/Chestertown-Electric-231099220647012/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDaIR0LxwFpaCuQEUErKw8Q info@ChestertownElectric.com (843) 291-3222 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD Witthaus Posted December 24, 2023 Author Share Posted December 24, 2023 Thanks Dave. I’ll be contacting you right after Christmas. Merry Christmas! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane Shirey Posted December 25, 2023 Share Posted December 25, 2023 20 hours ago, Dave Hoatson said: To work on fans, you need a multimeter. Fluke is a well known professional brand. Their Fluke 101 is very inexpensive and even does capacitance. On all fans, the process is this: - Disassemble and inspect, taking lots of pictures. - Ohm the motor to check for shorted or open windings. - Clean and oil the bearings. The motor should spin freely - Inspect and clean the brushes (if present). - Clean and grease the gears (only for oscillating desk fans). - Inspect the wiring for dirty connections and failing insulation. - Make a sketch of the wiring diagram and label wires if you remove them. - Inspect and clean the switch, cleaning or polishing the contacts if they read greater than 1 ohm. Electrical Contact Cleaner spray may work, or fine sandpaper. - Straighten the blade if bent - Reassemble and test. Each of these steps may require additional detailed instructions. Feel free to contact me if you want to talk. I have repaired several hundred fans at my store/museum/restoration shop, Chestertown Electric. https://www.facebook.com/Chestertown-Electric-231099220647012/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDaIR0LxwFpaCuQEUErKw8Q info@ChestertownElectric.com (843) 291-3222 That was very generous of you Dave to volunteer your time and expertise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Landry Posted December 25, 2023 Share Posted December 25, 2023 (edited) On 12/23/2023 at 6:27 PM, RD Witthaus said: Hey guy, I’m new to the forum. I’ve been searching for the right Mathes Cooler for years. I finally found one and bought it this morning. I grew up in Fort Worth, near where these were built. I lived with my grandmother when I was young and she ran a hotel and each room had one of these. I have a few questions, if you don’t mind… Is there a person who everyone recommends for rebuilding the motor? The speed control rheostat turns, but feels dirty. Is there any good info for cleaning these? I would imagine they’d be impossible to find a good one. Thanks in advance for any/all help. Regards, Rick What an excellent and nifty fan!!! Goes perfect with any decor!!! Edited December 25, 2023 by James Landry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD Witthaus Posted December 25, 2023 Author Share Posted December 25, 2023 Thanks James. My earliest memories were being kind of hypnotized by these fans my grandmother had. We were poor and not many folks had real ac in Fort Worth in the late 50s, early 60s. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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