Replies

1. 
   BillHartmann | May 28, 2006 09:18pm | #1

   How was it wired? 2 wire or 3? Does it have a wall controller?

   Does the wall controller have a CONTINOUS variable speed controller (verse a 3 or 4 step controller)?

1. 
   Kish | May 29, 2006 03:34am | #2

   It is three wire: white to white, black to black and black/white also to black. And yes, it does have a continuous variable speed wall controller switch.

1. 
   BillHartmann | May 29, 2006 03:50am | #3

   "It is three wire: white to white, black to black and black/white also to black. And yes, it does have a continuous variable speed wall controller switch."For a wall controller you need 3 wires from the wall switch and you only listed 2.Or you need a controller/receiver system in which case the fan does not hook up to the wiring, but rather the receiver.Or a fan that has the receiver built in and then it only works with the special controller made by that company.More details.Specially give the brand and model of the controller.

1. 
   Kish | May 29, 2006 05:30pm | #4

   My kitchen had an old, ugly, hanging light. I replaced it with a ceiling fan with a light kit already on it (Hunter). The new fan does not have a remote controller. The old light only had two wires, one white and one black. The fan had three wires: white, black and black/white. I connected them to the two ceiling wires as follows: white to white and both the black and the black/white to the black ceiling wire. Obviously, I'm an amateur at this. The old light had a wall switch with a reostat dial that adjusted the former light dim to bright. I didn't even touch that wall switch and don't know the make/model of it. The buzzing noise only happens if the fan is on by itself with the light turned off by pulling the chain. When the light chain is pulled to turn the light on, the buzzing stops. Seems weird to me. Any suggestions?

1. 
   BillHartmann | May 29, 2006 06:01pm | #5

   That is what I suspected, but need verification.You have a light dimmer, not a fan speed controller. Fans are not designed to work with a light dimmer and a light dimmer is not designed to work with the fan motor. The light dimmer is not a reostat, but rather an electronic switch that delays firing into part of the cycle. (It turns off when each AC cycle goes through zero and turns on at some delayed time in the next 1/2 cycle. The amount of the delay controls the brightness.) My guess is that with the fan motor as the only load that it is firing irregular. With the lights on it adds enough resistive load that it works normally.You need to replace that dimmer with a plain switch. In that case you will limited to only turning the whole unit on or off at the same time. For speed and individual control of the fan and light you would need to use the pull chains on the fan.Or you can get a remote control or 2 wire controller. They consists of a receiver modual that you will mount in the ceiling box or fan canopy (I have not installed one so I am not sure how much space that they need, but the whole package is not too big). The come in two types. One uses a handheld remote. If you use that one you still need to replace the light dimmer with a regualr switch.The other model replaces the wall switch. There are a couple of brands. Hunter is one. HD and Lowes has them. At the local Lowes they are by the fans.But they also have a row or two over, with the light dimmers, fan speed controllers and combo fan speed controllers and light dimmers. But those take 3 wires between the switch and fan (plus ground if used) and can't be used in your case without running new wire.

2. 
   DonCanDo | May 30, 2006 03:59am | #6

   Did you add hanger brackets to the box?  Since it was just a light before, it may not have been intended to support the additional weight/movement of a fan.  I'm just asking to help keep you safe.

   -Don

3. 
   Kish | May 30, 2006 02:45pm | #7

   Yes, I did.  It is rock solid.  Thanks for the reminder.