This probably is not in the right forum, feel free to move this if necessary
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A PURELY hypothetical question...but...

Is is possible to burn out a rotary fan motor? If so, can it be done by attaching weights to the fan blades and leaving it running on the fastest speed?

It'd have to be a lot of weight, <10-15lbs I'd say. Those things are made to be able to push some pretty big paddles at different angles.

I'm talking about a common ceiling fan, sorry for not being specific enough.

It all depends I'm sure. Brand, and type mainly are the two factors. You have the little fluffly ceiling fans made for little air circulation and more for looks, or you have the big honkin ones that create a whirlwind in your living room. I would agree, the latter would probably hold upwards of 15 pounds or so, but the littler ones, probably 5 tops.

Hmmm....weights could work, but I can't think of a successful way to attach 10-15 pounds to a flimsy fan blade without completely breaking it off, unless you have any ideas.

What if the fan was unable to rotate because of an obstruction blocking the fan blades? For example, suppose one were to tie one end of a rope to a fan blade, and very tightly tie the other end to a piece of furniture or something.

If the motor was running in full speed, but unable to move, could that burn it out as well? Also, could obstructing the fan be used to burn a house down? I mean, if the motor cannot rotate, it should get pretty hot right?

If the motor is stalled it will probably draw too many amps and trip a circuit breaker.

ceiling fans are generally rated at under a hundred watts so even stalled it probably wouldn't
trip a circuit breaker. It probably wouldn't burn out either since ceiling fans use an induction motor where the armature is the only moving part. It might get hot to the touch, but that's about it.

Yep. It might even run cooler than normal, depending on how much drag the weights exert. I wouldn't worry too much as long as the rotational momentum is balanced towards the rotor and you don't stick your face into it.

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I test a lot of small electric motors at work and I recommend weighing it asymmetrically. Putting an uneven load on a motor cuts its life significantly.

So you WANT his motor to die quickly so he will buy another from your company?

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