Ceiling Fan

tgoodwin

Hopefully someone out there can give me some advise.
I bought a ceiling fan 3 years ago. There are two switches on the wall...one that turns on the lights on the ceiling fan; the other turns the fan on. The lights work, but the fan won't turn on. I've taken the wallplate off the switches to see if there was any soot in there, thinking something had shorted, but there was none. I've tried just about everything other than hire an electrician (VERY tight budget...If I can do it myself I will). Any ideas why fan won't turn on? It was a pretty expensive fan and I'd like to think that it hasn't gone bad. Any suggestions?

elkangorito

Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury or death.

Actually, I should have the above info for in every post I submit.

Others may try to give you instructions upon how you may try to resolve this situation but I advise against it unless you are well versed in electricity & to some extent, your local/national wiring regulations.

It could be anything from a switch/speed controller failure to a fan failure.

You need an electrician.

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Switchboard design engineer & Licensed Electrician (Australia).

tgoodwin

Thank you for the reply. I will look up an electrician. Is there a way to test, though, if the switch is bad?

elkangorito

There is a way but you will need a multimeter. If the switch is attached to a speed controller, the testing process may be complicated.

__________________
Switchboard design engineer & Licensed Electrician (Australia).

joed

Did you try pullng the chains on the fan with the switch on?

tgoodwin

I may be blonde, but I'm not stupid

I tried everything regarding the fan except touching the electrical hookups behind the face plate. I was hoping it would be something simpler and less costly if I could do something myself. I appreciate the replies and will find an electrician....or buy a new fan and hook it up. If it works then it may be the fan, if not, I'll return it and hire an electrician. Again, thanks!!

joed

If you can change the fan yourself you should be able to change the switch. It could be a bad switch. A new switch is only $1-$2.

BigJimmy

Not to suggest that the OP is a dumb blonde (I too am of the fair color), but here's one I've seen before. Most ceiling fans have a forward and reverse switch so that you can make it blow down in the winter and pull up in the summer. I had a buddy who couldn't make his fan work and I found that that switch was somewhere in the middle. Moved it all the way to one side and viola! The switch is usually a small, black two-position slide switch on the fan body itself.

Check it out.

Jimmy

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