My little desk fan was making an unacceptable loud noise. I got out my tools and went about the task of fan repair.

I examined it from the front and top and saw nothing amiss so I concluded it just need some oil.  So off to the hardware store to get some oil.

I returned and found I could not get the oil on the shaft without removing the protective cover. I got my trusty screwdriver and removed it, oiled everything and then carefully turned it back on.  Same noise plus some oil spatter.  I decided to remove the fan blades just because I was out of ideas. I took them off, put them back on - tightened, loosened, re-tightened many times with no result.

When I removed the blades I noticed black marks on the back of the blades.  That led me to look more carefully and a saw where some black tape had come loose from the motor housing and was rubbing up against the blades. I cut of the excess tape and viola the noise went away.  Because it wasn't perfectly silent I continued to make multiple adjustments to the blades until I stripped the screw that held it on the shaft.  That made the fan perfectly silent because the blades no longer would rotate no matter what I did.  The fan was ruined.

What this got me thinking about is how often I listen to someone carelessly and go about helping them before I really know what's going on.  Had I really examined the fan thoroughly I could have snipped a piece of tape as the solution.  Instead I went ahead with my "fixing" recklessly and lost the fan.

What if I listened to my friends, family and clients with more patience...took my time and really heard them?  Maybe I could be of service to them instead of stripping their screws.

Happy Tuesday.