Don’t throw that tower fan away just because it stopped working! If the fan turns on but the blades are not turning, it probably can be fixed. Tower fans cost over $40 and should not just be thrown away because they have stopped working. If the red power indicator turns on, it is likely that the motor needs to be cleaned and lubricated.
Seriously, if you have a screwdriver and some WD-40 or other lubricant you can most often fix the tower fan. Plus while you have the fan apart you can clean all the dust and hair that collect on the fan blades and grill. Did you know that you should clean your fan every year? Dust, lint, and pet hair fill and attach themselves to the blades and motor of box, tower, and ceiling fans and should be cleaned regularly.
I have 3 tower fans and one is about 9 years old! It must be oiled every year and kept running all season. My other 2 tower fans are at least 6 years old and every spring I drag them out and clean and oil them. I have an air compressor and so I blow off all the visible dust and hair (I have pets) before I take the fan apart. You can blow out the fans with a blow dryer or your shop vacuum if you don’t have an air compressor.
Below are some basic instructions for removing the grill/cover from the fans. Note that you may have to adapt the instructions for the removal of the covers but lubing the fan motor will be the same. Takes about 15 minutes and will save you the cost of a new fan. Make sure to unplug your unit. 
You may need to remove the screws and use a screwdriver to pry open the plastic back cover. Sometimes, you may have to push the back cover up after removing the front and rear covers. I have one fan that has a button release to remove the fan grill cover and another tower fan that I need to push down to remove. It may take several different methods to remove the grill cover. You can see how many hairs and dust have been trapped once the cover has been removed. Clean this up and then use WD40 or some other lube/oil on the top and bottom of the fan blades. The image shows you where to spray/squeeze the oil/lubricant. Next turn the fan blades to loosen them. Then either stand the fan up (we laid it down on its top to get it working) and plug it in and turn it on. You may have to help start the fan blade (be careful) and let the fan run for a few seconds. You can turn it off and on again to verify that it works. You can save money by putting the cover back on if it works.
The same process can be applied to box fans. The hair, dust, and lint get gunked up in the fan blades and motors and needs to be cleaned out. Do not throw it out- clean it and lube it.
I hope that I have given you some inspiration to clean those fans and lube them up so you can get many years of use out of them. Thanks for visiting. Stay tuned for more helpful tips for your garden and home. For anyone with problems, I have added a YouTube video about taking off the back.
It’s all about creating. Inspiring. Gardening without the rules
