Ceiling fan switch

[Jay]

My mother's ceiling fan (Homestead brand - no model # I can find) switch broke. The pull-chain pulled out of the switch. I drew a good diagram of how it's wired in and then removed it and went to Home Depot and got two replacements (there is another fan just like this one in a different room). I installed the replacement switch and now, instead of High - Medium - Low - Off when pulling the switch I get Off - Off - Low - Low I checked my diagram, I took the cover off the second fan anc checked my diagram against it. I tried the second replacement switch I had bought and I get the same thing. Can anyone suggest anything I should try? The fan worked fine before the switch broke. Thanks in advance. Any advice is appreciated.

[Curmudgeon]

You bought the wrong switch. The one you bought is used to simultaneously control the fan AND a light. Home Depot offers at least two fan switches...one that does the high, med. & low for the fan...and the one you bought. Take it back and get the other one.

[indago]

040712 2158 - Jay posted:

You can take the old switch apart and put a new chain on it. All the switch is is a stepping device that contacts a different contact as the switch is stepped by each pull of the chain. If there was nothing wrong with the switch contacts, then it would be easy enough to just fix the chain. You can get pieces of chain like that at the hardware store. Take the switches that you bought back to Home Depot and tell them they didn't work and get your money back.