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If you’ve used your Airstream for any length of time, you have probably noticed that the fan screens get dirty, especially if you use your Airstream kitchen and cook a lot inside. We’ll go over some quick tips for Fantastic fan screen removal and cleaning as well as how to remove the Fantastic fan blades for cleaning as well. So as you will see, Fantastic Fan screen removal and cleaning is not too difficult!

Fantastic Fan Screen Removal Step-by-step Instructions

Tip #1 – Make sure the Fantastic fan is switched to the OFF position. You do not want the fan blades accidentally starting to spin while you’re either removing the fan screen or the fan blade.

The Fantastic fan screen cover is held in place by eight plastic tabs that hook onto the fan housing. If you look at the outer rim of the fan screen, you’ll see a thumb/finger tab on one side. You can start pulling the screen off by pulling straight down with a finger in the tab and the plastic tabs should start to unhook from the fan housing.

If you are having problems getting the plastic tabs to unsnap, either run your index fingers on both hands under the rim of the Fantastic fan screen. You can also use a flat blade screwdriver or a plastic putty knife to get in between the fan screen and the housing. You’ll hear the plastic tabs start to pop off the housing frame and the screen should easily drop off into your hand.

How to clean the Fantastic Fan screen

Once you have the Fantastic fan screen off, you can clean it with either soap and water. If there’s a lot of grease build-up on the fan screen, you can also spray some household degreaser on the screen to help clean it.

How to remove and clean the Fantastic Fan fan blade

The newer Fantastic fans have a Philips head screw that holds the hub of the fan blade in place. Simply remove the screw (and save it) and then you can remove the fan blade for cleaning as well. The plastic hub of the fan blade fits fairly tight on a metal spindle, so you’ll have to grasp the center plastic fan hub and pull down firmly. As the fan blade starts to slide down the metal spindle, you’ll have to manuever the fan blade around the temperature probe that sits on one edge of the fan housing.

Replacing the Fantastic Fan fan blade and screen

Replacing the fan blade and screen after they are clean was actually the easiest part of the entire project. One tip is to may sure that the fan blade hub matches up with the flat side of the metal fan spindle. The “Dometic” logo on the fan blade hub matches up with the flat side of the spindle.

The only other “trick” is making sure you get the fan blade over the temperature probe before reseating it. Otherwise, you’ll find that the temperature probe will block you from replacing the fan blade.

Remember to tighten down the Phillips head screw that holds the fan blade hub in place.

The Fantastic fan screen should simply snap into place. I start opposite of the thumb tab on the screen and then firmly push along the rim of the fan screen with both hands until all the screen tabs snap into place.

Watch our YouTube video on How to remove the Fantastic Fan screen and fan blades

What to do if you break the Fantastic Fan screen?

Breakage does happen. I managed to break the fan screen for the original (11-year-old) Fantastic fan in my Airstream in my first attempt at trying to remove the fan screen. The fan screen still works well, but if you really break the screen, its easy enough to order a replacement fan screen from Amazon, eTrailer.com or Camping World.

The replacement screens do come in two different colors (white and off-white) so make sure you order the correct color.