Home ownership

Who installed that fan? It doesn't seem wired correctly. Do you have a single simple switch to power the fan, and then a remote with fan and light buttons? Are there speed controls and a dimmer at the wall switch? If your fan has both a remote and pull chains, it seems like it is kind of old. It probably has a replaceable remote receiver in the top of the fan, where it attaches to the ceiling.

Can't remember who installed it; some local electrician.

The setup is: an on-off power switch to the entire assembly (built into the house). When I moved in, there was just a cap on the ceiling, no fan.

At some point (~2005?) I decided to have a fan put in. Now, there's a downrod and the fan hanging off that.

I'd guess the bottom of the fan is ~ 11' off the floor. I can just reach the chain with my ladder, but wouldn't be able to get high enough to to work on the unit.

The remote has buttons for the fan and lights. It's been the last year or so that the light button quit turning them on and off. I stumbled into the fan solution ("oh wow, when I turned on the fan, the lights came on too. hmmm.") last summer, but now the fan button only turns on the fan.

No wall controls. The speed/brightness controls on the remote are multiple pushes for the fan (one = on, two = 3/4 speed, etc). For the lights, it used to be hold the button and they would start dimming until I let go (IIRC).

I saw some replaceable remote things at HD, but I don't have ladder enough (or probably skill) to try that out.

I don't really use the lights much, but it would be nice to have it all working. If I ever see one that I like, I figure I'll buy it and the remote kit; get someone in here to try remote replacement first, then replace the entire unit if that doesn't work, and I can return whichever was unused. This in opposition to paying two trip charges. At this point, it's more about finding a replacement I like.

Just hoping that somebody would point out an approach/test I'd missed.

Have to ask. Do you have fresh batteries in the remote?

Open the remote battery door and see if it has dipswitches to set a code. If it has those you can at least try replacing the remote before you have to replace the whole thing.

If it does you also might check to see if you accidentally flipped one while changing the batteries. Take a pic of the original positions before starting to flip em, haha

I vote read the manual. Google for it.

If the remote still operates the fan, then the dip switch code is not the problem. It's possible the button went bad on the remote, and the receiver is still good. So you could try to get a new remote and set the code to match the one you have.

Good notion, Cowboy. First thing I tried. The LCD display is powered, so the new batteries are good.

Dipswitches behind battery #2. I will have to try a new remote at some point. Maybe even today. Good idea!

sounds like you need a bigger ladder, for one. have you considered that the light itself is out? Even LEDs fail.

All true. The lights are four bulbs, not an LED. Had considered this, decided the chance of all bulbs being burnt out simultaneously was remote.

I was thinking about renting a ladder, but figured I'd do something like drop the fan to the floor while up there and smash it to pieces.

As part of my morning errands, wandered into HD and looked at the replacement remotes. Even had Hampton Bay to match the brand I have.

Opened one box, looked at the remote. No dipswitches. :(

Did not see a replacement fan/light I liked online to go back to plan A. I'll get to it at some point; it's not critical.

you can probably find plenty of dipswitches here in this thread

Depending on the fan and how it is mounted, you can probably replace or remove the receiver without taking the whole fan down. (Maybe just removing one blade if its in the way of you getting close). The "cup" that covers the wiring at the ceiling can often slide down to give access to the wiring and receiver, though sometimes it also holds the whole fan.

You probably need an electrician. They can give you extra options such as removing the remote receiver completely and operating the fan only by the switch and pull chains. If there is an extra wire from the switch to fan, you can then replace the wall switch with a fan speed / dimmer combo. The pull chain switches also do go bad and can be replaced.

Hard to believe the only dipswitches are in this thread. If that remote is to replace one that has them, there has to be a way to set the code.

I live in a condo complex. When I installed a new fan, I left it on the default code (0000). I turned it on and within a minute it turned off. Tried again and it happened again. When I changed the code it worked fine. Pretty sure my neighbor and I were fighting for control over both of our fans for a bit, and they never knew why.

You're a better man than I.

I would have so much fun with that!

Omg, same.

Still can……

I still remember the day my buddy left his garage door opener in my car. He was pretty pissed at the end of it. 😀

I replaced a ceiling fan after a lightening strike at my in-laws beach house that had 16ft ceilings. Even with the down pole I was at the top of an 8ft ladder and my buddy was trying to assist standing on the coffee table and using the fan box as an extender.

I'm putting this in the same category as getting on the roof - F that, would rather pay somebody

I did a coffered ceiling in one room with 16' ceilings. Scaffolding works pretty well, but I also understand the "pay somebody" feeling.

👍

that gave me a good chuckle red 😀

Finally fiound an open source clipboard app, so here are some pics

The thumbnails are tiny , so I hope these are actually the after pics.

Looks phenomenal. Thanks for following up.