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I have two identical ceiling fans in my house that were installed around 4 years ago. One no longer rotates as fast as it used to at top speed. At a guess I would say it has lost 30 or 40% of its speed.

All other electrical items in the room and house seem fine and the fan is not making any unusual noises, nor does it seem to be restrained or struggling to spin.

Could anyone suggest what could be causing this?

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How are you measuring the speed of the fan? Is it a typical 3 speed fan? If so, does "high" speed seem similar to "medium" speed? When is the last time you dusted the fan? Accumulated dust could increase wind resistance, causing the fan to spin more slowly. – Tester101♦ Feb 5 at 12:55

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Build up of friction in bearings could do it. However, that often takes 10 or more years. The cure is to take the fan apart and clean the bearings.

A Failing motor capacitor. will slow the fan. Again this usually happens over many years, but it does happen spontaneously. The cure is to replace the capacitor.

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