Ceiling fan weirdness

[LVSteve]

Last year I replaced the wall controllers on two of my combined light/fan fixtures. The slider knobs had broken on the originals, and the new devices allowed me to use dimmable LEDs on the light side. I didn't really pay too much attention to the fan side, except that the new controllers had the same three-position slider. Now I have found something odd with the operation of one of the fans.

If I set it manually to the highest speed using the hanging toggle switch, the controller will only activate the fan at the highest speed. Selecting the lower settings just lead to the fan slowing down to a stop, although it takes its time showing that the bearings are good. This seems odd as my understanding is that the fan should be manually set to max speed so the controller can back it down from that speed in the lower settings.

Does this indicate that there is a wiring issue? Would the problem be at the controller or was the fan wired in incorrectly years before I bought this house.

Your thoughts, gentlemen.

EDITED TO ADD:

If I set the manual switch to the middle speed, the controller will turn the fan in all positions, but the speeds are reduced compared to the other similar fan on an identical controller.

 

[SMSgt]

I'm not an electrician, just an avionics guy, but it seems as you have two speed controls operating the fan that are not compatible. My daughter once had a setup with a wall switch and a remote, and it was a royal PITA to just turn on the lights.

 

[LVSteve]

I'm not an electrician, just an avionics guy, but it seems as you have two speed controls operating the fan that are not compatible. My daughter once had a setup with a wall switch and a remote, and it was a royal PITA to just turn on the lights.

I believe the speed control on the fan switches between windings. It is not a control with feedback. Similarly, the wall controller somehow modulates the voltage to the fan, nothing more.

Having done some more reading, I suspect that there may be a start capacitor in the fan unit that is dying. Given the "fun" of accessing the electronics in a ceiling fan, my best bet may be just to replace the thing.

 

[oink]

I'm guessing the switch on the fan itself is wired incorrectly.

 

[sjmjax]

Not quite the same situation.

But, I have a typical 3 speed ceiling fan. Previous owner wired it to an old fashion, multi position rheostat better suited for light control.

It has made fan speed control totally erratic. I suspect that a speed control connected to a multi-speed motor is a tricky combination.

 

[mtgianni]

Most new fans will come with a remote control. It should have a simple on off switch wired in if replaced, not a variable switch.

 

[WR Moore]

My first thought would be a wonky controller. The only ceiling fan we've got with lights has a separate on/off and the speed control on the fan and you can reach the fan. However, the previous posts make some good points. Given what I've found in the house wiring over 30+ years, the original installer might have gifted you with some less than stellar work.

 

[LVSteve]

Most new fans will come with a remote control. It should have a simple on off switch wired in if replaced, not a variable switch.

Not applicable in this case. Both fans I mentioned are Hampton Bay pieces of considerable vintage, I would guess at least 20 years old. There is a similar item in the breakfast area that was retro-fitted with a remote controller by the previous owner, with mixed success IMHO.

 

[LVSteve]

My first thought would be a wonky controller. The only ceiling fan we've got with lights has a separate on/off and the speed control on the fan and you can reach the fan. However, the previous posts make some good points. Given what I've found in the house wiring over 30+ years, the original installer might have gifted you with some less than stellar work.

While replacing the wall controller for one of the fans I found that the wiring for another light switch was loose. How does that happen? Come the fall, I shall check that I didn't fat finger something when wiring in the controller for the oddly behaving fan. Mind you, the only way I could see doing that is if the live and neutral entering the enclosure are in wire with the wrong color code.

Bad wiring in the fan fitting is a possibility, but quite often by the time you get into that area, you might as well change the fan/light unit entirely.

 

[WR Moore]

Got a circuit tester? As basic info, black should be hot, white should be neutral and green is ground. If there's a ground fault circuit interrupter in there somewhere, that could also present some issues. They get really picky about how they're wired, especially if there's an issue with the green wire somewhere.

Yeah, I've found loose wiring and missing ground connections. Our contractor loved his electrician. If there'd been a backhoe around, he'd have gone missing. I do have to wonder about the inspectors. Maybe his rep caused the work of new hires to be undeservedly blessed.

 

[LVSteve]

Got a circuit tester? As basic info, black should be hot, white should be neutral and green is ground. If there's a ground fault circuit interrupter in there somewhere, that could also present some issues. They get really picky about how they're wired, especially if there's an issue with the green wire somewhere.

Yeah, I've found loose wiring and missing ground connections. Our contractor loved his electrician. If there'd been a backhoe around, he'd have gone missing. I do have to wonder about the inspectors. Maybe his rep caused the work of new hires to be undeservedly blessed.

Yes, I have a good circuit tester. If I've done the wiring right then I guess the problem must be in the fan wiring or a fault within the device itself. There is a GFCI for that area of the house that I replaced last year as the old one was dying.