Hunter cieling fan prob: request advice!

[PE]

Hi all: I have a Hunter ceiling fan that's about 8 yrs. old and that has begun to malfunction. It has a four-way pull-chain switch (cycles through off-high-med-low-off, etc.). Lately, when the switch is pulled to move from high to med, the fan does not slow to the med speed but, instead, continues to rotate at high speed, and when the switch is pulled again, as though to move from med to low, the fan stops altogether, as though the switch was on off. Request and would appreciate any suggestions re. probable cause(s) of symptoms just described (I suspect the switch is faulty), and steps required to remedy. Thanks for your replies! PE

[Jerry Levine]

[John Gilmer]

I don't know about Hunter in particular, but many (most?) ceiling fans change speed by changing the value of the capacitor that's in series with one of the windings.

The capacitor internally has two sections. The speed switch selects one, the other, or both sections.

IMO it is more likely that one section of the capacitor failied than did the a section of the switch. Were I you, I would pick up a space capacitor along with the spare switch (and some crimp on connectors to splice the new part to the old wires.)