Rant: Wireless ceiling fans

[RalphInCA]

A silly statement. If a for-profit business intends to stay that way, good customer service practices are required.

Actually, companies are learning that it is more profitable to lose a few customers then it is to try to keep all customers.

In other words they just need to have adequate customer service. Just good enough customer service to stay profitable.




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[One Short]

Any recommendations about fans w/ wall speed control switches?
I am not familiar but I think I would prefer that option

I have two fans with rheostat switches next to the light switch. Been working well for about 23 years with the same fans. The switches are just generic wiring. Makes the fan speed infinitely variable. The only thing I can't do is switch from winter direction to summer direction. But I can never remember which direction of spin is good for which season anyway.

 

[bflynn]

The problem is that the market is not a free one, if you want to use a competing financial market, it makes you a criminal.

There are laws regulating the d esg of ceiling fans? Or are you just inserting that thought because someone observed that free markets eventually solve problems? They might take years to do it, but they will get there.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I have two fans with rheostat switches next to the light switch. Been working well for about 23 years with the same fans. The switches are just generic wiring. Makes the fan speed infinitely variable. The only thing I can't do is switch from winter direction to summer direction. But I can never remember which direction of spin is good for which season anyway.

Well the winter direction is the one that doesn't involve air blowing down on you.

 

[skylanerg]

Mine must be entry level or something.
I have 2 wireless remote Hampton Bat fans from (I think) lowes.
All 3 remotes are now no longer working. They are all about 2-3 years old and all 3 are different models

I met a Hampton rep at the Taipei Hilton bar quite a few years ago. They were having QC issues and he was baby sitting the factory. Perhaps the issues have not been resolved.

 

[Bob Noel]

Well the winter direction is the one that doesn't involve air blowing down on you.

?????

 

[write-stuff]

I'm with you! I have one of those god-awful devices on my deck. Remote no longer works so now the fan is useless. Now I have to buy a whole new fan - just like the manufacturer likes it. Planned obsolescence.

 

[Matthew]

I'm with you! I have one of those god-awful devices on my deck. Remote no longer works so now the fan is useless. Now I have to buy a whole new fan - just like the manufacturer likes it. Planned obsolescence.

Check the wiring to the fan. You can hardwire switches and not have to use a remote.

Are you using a remote for convenience or because the wiring won't support both a light fixture and fan wall switch?

In all my years of ceiling fans with light kits, I've never used one with a remote so I'm not really familiar with all the reasons for having one. I guess it would be nice to lounge on the deck with a margarita and ceiling fan remote, but I typically just flip the switches on the wall - one for the light and one for the fan - and enjoy the deck that way.

 

[CT4ME]

'Had one go out, too. Not a cheapie either... the fan/light is $700 range. Stinking receiver module in the Fan. Easy enough to replace, but for $85. Fan store guys says they go out a lot.

 

[SoonerAviator]

?????

The reverse direction on most ceiling fans results in the fan "pulling" air from below and forcing it up across the ceiling to draw the warm air up from homes with floor registers and circulating the warm air back down the walls. The summer position blows air down from the ceiling, hence my comment about having air blowing down on oneself means the fan is in the summer direction instead of the winter direction.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

Check the wiring to the fan. You can hardwire switches and not have to use a remote.

Are you using a remote for convenience or because the wiring won't support both a light fixture and fan wall switch?

In all my years of ceiling fans with light kits, I've never used one with a remote so I'm not really familiar with all the reasons for having one. I guess it would be nice to lounge on the deck with a margarita and ceiling fan remote, but I typically just flip the switches on the wall - one for the light and one for the fan - and enjoy the deck that way.

I got remotes because I thought it looked a bit more elegant w/o chains hanging down.

And a couple rooms with really high ceilings

 

[Henning]

I like "Bigassfans". I"d love one in the hangar.

But I hate the remotes too.
I have never had the batteries fail in a string.
I have never misplaced my string.
I have never pulled the string on one fan and had the light on another fan come on.
I have never had company ask:
- which string to pull,
- or where the string is
- or "how do you turn the fan on"
If a string breaks, it is easy and cheap to diagnose and fix.

Switch on the wall works well too.

 

[Matthew]

I got remotes because I thought it looked a bit more elegant w/o chains hanging down.

And a couple rooms with really high ceilings

With wall switches you don't need the chains either.

I've installed 5 or 6 over the years and always used wall switches, not pull chains. But, all my installs had 3-wire, so I could control light and fan separately. With 2-wire you have a wall switch set to ON, then have to use the chains to control the fan and light (or a remote).

Pop off a wall switch cover going to a fan and look at the cable going from the switch to the fan. If it's a 3 conductor (3-wire), then it's a simple job to install a dual switch.

3-wire:

The red conductor probably won't be connected to anything. That's the one you'll use to control the light (or fan) and the black will control the other. There will likely be a 2-wire supplying power to the switch, the one that matters is the one from the switch to the fan.

A 2-wire cable won't have the red conductor at all. If that's what you have you'll need to either run a new cable or control with chains or a remote like you are doing now.

I like the dual switches that combine a dimmer for the lights and a h/m/l/off for the fan.

I might swap out the dual sliders style I have to this kind that looks cooler:

 

[Henning]

There are laws regulating the d esg of ceiling fans? Or are you just inserting that thought because someone observed that free markets eventually solve problems? They might take years to do it, but they will get there.

Free markets can solve problems only when all the markets are free. Unless you are independently wealthy,mother financial market controls your business. That's why Henry Ford had to buy out his investors because he couldn't build what he wanted, they wanted him to build what they wanted. Henry Ford never took his company public again.

 

[hockeyrcks9901]

As others have said, many times these remotes are add ons to the fan wiring and can be removed without hurting the functionality of the fan.

I just replaced two ceiling fans in our second bedroom and office. They came with remotes but I didn't use them. Luckily my house was installed with three wire (the bare copper ground doesn't count) to all light fixture boxes so I just had to install a dual switch. If you have three wire, use the red for the light, black for the fan, and white as common neutral.

Another nice thing about my wiring is they ran 12 AWG wire to all the outlets and used 20 A breakers. I could replace all my outlets with 20 A outlets if I wanted and I'm doing exactly that in the garage. They also put three way switches in every room that has more than one entry. The only thing missing that I would have preferred is GFCI breakers instead of regular.

 

[jsstevens]

As others have said, many times these remotes are add ons to the fan wiring and can be removed without hurting the functionality of the fan.

I just replaced two ceiling fans in our second bedroom and office. They came with remotes but I didn't use them. Luckily my house was installed with three wire (the bare copper ground doesn't count) to all light fixture boxes so I just had to install a dual switch. If you have three wire, use the red for the light, black for the fan, and white as common neutral.

Another nice thing about my wiring is they ran 12 AWG wire to all the outlets and used 20 A breakers. I could replace all my outlets with 20 A outlets if I wanted and I'm doing exactly that in the garage. They also put three way switches in every room that has more than one entry. The only thing missing that I would have preferred is GFCI breakers instead of regular.

According to the National Electric Code, you are not supposed to replace those outlets with 20A unless it is a dedicated outlet (i.e. 1 outlet on the circuit). You can have six 15A outlets, 10 lights or 9 in combination with no more than 5 outlets on a 20A circuit. But a 20A outlet is supposed to be dedicated. Is it safe? Sure. Will anybody care? Probably not. But a savvy home inspector (which most I've dealt with are not) will flag it as violating code, and they will be correct.

John
An electrician in a former life.

 

[denverpilot]

Well the winter direction is the one that doesn't involve air blowing down on you.

Not in a basement that's heated from ceiling ducts.

 

[N747JB]

You guys need to buy Fords, with keyless entry, you just type in your code and like Magic the doors unlock! I seldom take my keys out of my truck, unless it's a sketchy parking deck, I just throw them over the visor, lock the doors and walk away.
Oh, and I hate remotes on ceiling fans.

I'll be right over.

I stopped at the pumps and filled my car with gas. I had to go into the office because the pay at the pump was down. Returning to the car, it was locked up tight, and the wireless key was exactly where you put yours... in the cup holder. No way to get the car open. I ended up calling the insurance co and they sent the guy over to open it. 90 minutes lost.

And yes, I don't leave the key thngie in the car any more! Once is enough.

-Skip

 

[Alexb2000]

You guys need to buy Fords, with keyless entry, you just type in your code and like Magic the doors unlock! I seldom take my keys out of my truck, unless it's a sketchy parking deck, I just throw them over the visor, lock the doors and walk away.
Oh, and I hate remotes on ceiling fans.

I love that feature on Fords. I had a group up skiing and someone needed something out of the truck. Instead of giving up my keys I just told her the code.

For ceiling fans I use Casablanca's that come with their own special wall switch. Works great.

 

[GeorgeC]

We replaced our Casablanca when its remote broke and we could not find a suitable replacement. It used 100W halogens, so I was looking to replace it with something that would accept an LED bulb anyway. Ended up buying a couple of Hampton Bay fans that included some mini CFL bulbs. Not ideal, but less bad than the previous solution, so up they went.

After whole months of reliable service, one of the Hampton Bay fans let out the magic smoke. Probably a capacitor. It was under warranty. The bad news is that Home Depot said the fan had been discontinued so they could not provide parts support. The good news is that they issued a refund.

Still, I need to pull the thing and try to find a replacement cap.

In replacing some other 100W halogen sconces, I bought some light fixtures with the intent of installing some Cree LEDs in them as well. Unfortunately, the fixtures did not have the socket that they were advertised to have, and replacement bulbs have turned out to be unobtainium. Need to replace those too.

It seems that the half life of appliances is shrinking.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I love that feature on Fords. I had a group up skiing and someone needed something out of the truck. Instead of giving up my keys I just told her the code.

For ceiling fans I use Casablanca's that come with their own special wall switch. Works great.

If I'm going somewhere where I don't want to have my keys on me (out on the boat, etc) I usually lock the keys in the F-150 and use the keyless entry pad to get in when I return. It's a great feature. It also comes in handy when you need something out of the truck but don't have the keys in hand.