Advice requested for the repair of 3 of 4 ceiling fans (perhaps remote controlled?)

[Danny D.]

I have three inoperative ceiling fans that I just don't understand.

When I bought the house (foreclosure), there was only 1 remote control which operated only one of the four ceiling fans.

That operating ceiling fan has a wall switch, and a pull switch, and a remote control. The pull switch just changes the speed while the wall switch and remote control appear to work in series.

But, I don't have *any* remotes for the three inoperative ceiling fans. Worse yet, one (the one pictured), is a good 25 feet in the air, with the top of the stairs just out of reach by leaning over the railing - but enough to pull the pull cord.

In *all* the inoperative fans, I have pulled the pull cord multiple times and operated all potential wall switches, none of which operate the fans.

I have never worked on a remote-controlled fan before. QUESTION 1: How can I tell *if* the fans are indeed remote controlled? QUESTION 2: How can I debug why 3 of 4 won't ever turn on?

[clare]

Bypass the remote - IOW, hotwire it.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Maybe they are in remote mode? Remote is programmable? Time to call maker of the fan/remote for support. There ought to be universal type remote around.

[RBM]

That particular fan is a Casablanca 3 or 4 speed pull chain fan. They make a remote kit for it called Adapt Touch (W-52). Each fan can be set with a different code, so you have to access the receiver in the fan canopy to see it's setting, then match it to the setting on the transmitter. Not an easy task as you have to drop the fan and the canopy to get to the specially designed receiver module.

[Art Todesco]

Well, in my experience, you should only have to 'drop' the canopy cover. On the ones I have, you turn the cover a few degrees and it comes down the pipe. The receiver is located in the bracket that holds top of the pipe.

[RBM]

Yeah, that's how the garden variety "universal" remote receiver mounts. Casablanca makes a canopy cover like no others. It's a two piece cover. One piece is 3/4 ths of the cover, which is screwed to the mounting plate using 3-3" machine screws, which go straight up from the bottom. This leaves a quarter section open, which is where you insert the ball hanger of the fan. Once the fan is hanging on the 3/4 part of the canopy, you install the 1/4 section of the canopy with another 3" machine screw to close it up. The receiver kit made for these, (W-52) actually has holes through it, so the canopy mounting screws go through the receiver. The thing I'm not sure of, is the location of the code switches. It is possible that they are accessible by removing just the quarter section of the canopy, but I wouldn't count on it.

[Danny D.]

Ooops. My fault. I'm still getting used to this new photo-sharing flickr account. Here is the picture I *meant* to provide, which shows one of the fans 25 feet up in the air, and just out of arms reach from the stairs.

The biggest problem is HOW to access a fan 25 feet up in the air? I have a 28 foot extension ladder but it has nothing to lean against.

[recyclebinned]

Many years ago I once tied ropes to a handrail on a mezzanine and the top of an extension ladder, braced the bottom of the ladder to lean it away to reach and remove a large chandelier. I had another rope holding up the chandelier while I disconnected one of the links in the chain where I lowered it using the rope once I came down and removed the ladder.

[The Daring Dufas]

When I had to get to a fan like that to repair it for a customer, I rented a "Trestle Ladders", it's like a step ladder with an extension ladder coming out the top. Rent instead of buy unless you is rich. ^_^

?productID=2790&categoryID=33

TDD

[Danny D.]

Nor ever will we be!

I think I'll first tackle the other non-working ceiling fans that are mounted on lower ceilings.

The key question I ask is whether there is a "universal" remote control for fans, which I can test out to see if the fans respond?

[RBM]

There are universal kits. I don't know if a universal transmitter would work with a Casablanca W-52 receiver, but even if it does, you have to set the transmitter dip switches to match the receiver dip switches. Since you have one working fan, why don't you drop one of the lower fans, get to the W-52 receiver and see how the switches are set. Then open your current transmitter and set those switches the same, then see if it works. It may be that you only need to buy new transmitters

[Danny D.]

Thanks for pointing out the Trestle Ladder. I had never seen one of those before.

I had known about the "Orchard" or "Tripod" ladders:

But, they only go up to about 12 feet.

It seems the Trestle ladder goes to 26 feet.

I haven't actually measured the distance, but, I've eyeballed it to something around 20 to 25 feet or so (it's two tall ceilings high).

[Danny D.]

Exactly what I was thinking, simply because none of the wall switches operate 3 of the four fans.

It could be as simple as their batteries are dead (if the remote transceiver inside the fan housing even has a battery).

Or, it could be that the three fans were turned off via the remote and then the remote was lost.

That's what I was hoping to find out.

Here's a picture of the one working fan:

The one remote that works with that one working fan is this white Emerson RF unit on the right, next to three other remotes that came with the house - but which don't do anything that I know of.

The two gray 3-button "Clicker" brand remotes look like RF garage door openers to me; and the one tan "Aloha Breeze" looks like it might be one of the fan remotes; but it doesn't operate any fan.

Yes, I put batteries in all of them. I'm not sure how to test if a remote is working though, other than to aim the infrared remotes directly at a camera and press a button.

This proves the infrared light is working on the "Aloha Breeze" above, because I can *see* the infrared light up in the cellphone camera as I press the buttons (presumably because a cellphone camera is more sensitive to infrared than human eyes are).

[The Daring Dufas]

I had to repair a ceiling fan in the foyer of an apartment building and the fan was way up there. The only way to get to it was a trestle ladder and I learned about them when I went searching for a way to reach the fan. It was 1987 B.I., Before Internet so I had to go around to rental places and talk to the knowledgeable guys there. ^_^

TDD

[Danny D.]

For the three fans in the ceiling, I don't mind dropping them to access the remote unit.

Is that master remote unit in the smaller cap part of the fan that is attached to the ceiling, or in the larger part of the fan housing that is closer to the fan blades?

[Danny D.]

Is this blue DIP switch the settings you speak of?

I wonder how many in-series switches there are for any one fan? a) The remote on/off switch b) The wall (possibly three-way) on/off switch c) The fan chain on/off switch

[Danny D.]

Is the "canopy cover" the small cap attached to the ceiling or the larger housing attached to the fan blades?

[Danny D.]

This makes a lot of sense.

I will try that on a fan that is on a normal 10 foot ceiling and report back.

This happens to be an easy fan to access. Does it also look like that Casablanca?

I have one other style fan, but, someone is sleeping in that room, so, I have to wait 'till morning to snap a photo of it for you to look at.

[Danny D.]

This is also in a foyer. So, that's why it's probably even more than 2 ceilings high, as it's at roof level, so that's about 25 feet or so (I think).

I'm not sure how to measure, but, I can drop a string from the balcony to measure from the balcony down. And then, I guess, I can stick a pipe up from the balcony to measure from the balcony up.

Will report back on the height. Will also call rentals to see if any carry the Trestle ladder.

[Danny D.]

They woke up:

Does this look like a remote controlled fan also? I can't get the fan blades to operate automatically.

This fan happens to be the lowest of them all so it's the easiest to access.