I was going to buy a new one, but decided to try and fix it. I just had to replace a $7 capacitor, and it worked! I might still replace it anyway (maybe next year), since I hate the hum of AC fans.

all 8 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Got 2 very nice, and by dumb luck, identical fans off the side of the road. Turns out the US created a provision that ceiling fans have to have a voltage limiter, though I thought that was only for the lights.

In any case, I cut the defective boards out, both with blown caps (one literally exploded off the board!) and now they have a hyperdrive mode. Same deal?

  • source
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Good job!

    DC ceiling fans are a thing?

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Indeed they are! Obviously they have their own power supply to convert to DC, so they connect in a similar manner as a standard AC fan. They are a lot quieter, and usually let you have more speed settings.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] [S] 2 points 1 year ago*

    Thanks! It's actually difficult to find AC fans nowadays. Most are DC. It annoys me because I have separate light and fan switches on my walls, and that doesn't work with DC fans.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    I've learned that if it is just the top speed that is slow, it's a replacement capacitor behind the light switch.

    If all speeds are slow, it's the whole fan to be replaced.

    (We live in a warm place, and fans run 24/7 in some of our rooms, so we go through this process at least yearly for at least one of our fans)

  • source