[Deezz]

Aprox 1 month ago i installed a ceiling fan/light combo where there was an old light fixture in my bedroom. I purchased the fan from walmart and it worked fine untill today. I was laying in bed , the light on the fan was not on. the fan was running on low and for some reason it popped and a spark fell out of the fan burning out before it landed on the floor. basicly it looked and sounded like a blown light bulb but with the added spark..

anyway, the Fan continued to spin and i have no idea why it happened. I turned the light switch off that powered the fan, checked the box and it had not tripped the breaker. I then turned the power off to that room, took the fan down and inspected.. The wiring was just as i had installed it ( black and blue, to black in ceiling , white to white in ceiling, green to green which was also grounded directly to the fans plate screw.. ) There were no burnt or melted wires.. so then i took the light fixture apart and that also had no signs of wire malfunctions.. i could not get the actual fan motor apart but it appeared fine.. i even smelled it trying to detect that burnt out smell but couldnt..

So now i am extremely confused. the wires in my celing are capped off and im afraid to install another fan without knowing what the problem is.. like i said the light wasnt on, after the sparks the fan continued to spin, and there is no sign of burnt wires or anything wired wrong.. what should i do?

 

[DangerMouse]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

All I can think of is possibly a bug got zapped inside and you saw the end results.

DM

 

[hpp58]

Are you sure that you weren't doing something else to see sparks fly!!!:thumbup:

 

[Bud Cline]

Yup! A bug likely met his Waterloo.

 

[Deezz]

lol yes im sure..

i wish it was as simple as a bug crawled in but honestly i havent seen any bugs.. Although it was my first installation in this house it was not my first time installing a ceiling fan. i suppose im gonna have to throw up a simple light fixture tho.. cant afford to burn the house down that im renting because of a faulty ceiling fan.. i really thought they were made with more caution then that,but now i know why it was only 20 bucks.. i wish i could remember what brand it was better homes or home solutions, something like along those lines.. anyway that was not cool ! thanks to anyone who tried to help.

 

[Deezz]

if it was a bug it would have had to touch a bare wire correct? there were none other then ground.. the wires were capped properly and taped..

 

[DangerMouse]

Plenty of bare wires inside the motor casing.
Mine even has black fabric in the openings, presumably to keep out bugs, perhaps for just this reason.

DM

 

[DangerMouse]

.....although, for $20.00 at wallfart, you can be 99% sure it's Made in China, so who knows WHAT could go wrong with it?

DM

 

[dbkmtice]

DBTrades

Hi Deezz, you're not the only one who encountered this unsual spark from the lights. I had separated my shoulder prior to moving to our present residence and my wife without my knowledge hired a "handyman" to install our Moonglow Ceiling Fan from Harbor Breeze while I was working. Not long after it was installed, I pulled the light chain and it generated sparks only from the candelabra bulbs inside the globe. It did not posed any problem with the regular room light below the fan; however; I discovered that the "handyman" did not installed the plastic lock tab which was required to keep the fan installed properly. (FYI - This house was two wired without ground) I haven't investigated the reason for the spark yet but I'll let you know if I find out a possible cause. Sorry guys, you can't blame this on the bugs... :wink: