On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 12:22:25 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sat, 02 Dec 2017 15:44:03 GMT, Kath
m wrote:

replying to Ron, Kath wrote:
I bought a quart of SAE 10W-30 at Ace Hardware. It is their brand motor oil
for all seasons. They told me it is non-detergent. I ran it in my fans all
summer with no problem. I hope this is OK Im starting to second-guess
myself

Why would anyone think "10w-30 motor oil" was non detergent unless it
specifically said so (and I only see than in straight 30w). If it has
an API rating like "SN", the current standard, it certainly is
detergent oil.
For just oiling a fan I am not sure it is really important anyway. A
lot depends on what kind of fan we are talking about tho and what
bearings it uses. Are there oil cups? If these are the permanently
oiled bearings in a cheap box fan, you are just ****ing on the fire
because most types of oil will just gum them up over time.

+1

That 10w30 is detergent. I've never seen one that isn't and if it exists it isn't at ACE.