We have a harbor breeze ceiling fan. The blades have quit turning but the motor continues to hum when switch is on. Any suggestions as to what the problem may be?
I called Lowe's and they told me to turn the blades by hand with the switch off and if I heard a buzz it was probably the ball bearings (sp?). There was no sound when I did that so she said it was the receiver. Can someone help?

Do the blades turn freely by hand?

Is this a remote fan? Does it have pullchains?

http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-general-troubleshooting-and-FAQ.php

Yes it will turn freely when I move the blades. It has two pull chains. One for the light and one for the speed of the fan. It is also a remote, but that part has never worked after the electrician installed it. I told him I did not need the remote.

Ok, is the remote receiver still wired in the circuit? If so you will want to remove it. Make sure also the reverse switch is firmly in the up or down position.

The remote receiver is still attached. The switch is in the down position. If the remote receiver is removed will the blades run then? They were running fine up until a couple of days ago and we have been here since Feb.

Try wiring the fan without the remote. Here are wiring instructions:

http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-wiring.php

The motor is probably shot,throw it away and buy yourself a new fan,they are very cheap now anyway

The ones that are very very cheap are garbage, that's why they are so cheap. Anything worth buying is worth fixing unless the cost of the repair parts approach or exceed the cost of a new one.

And the motor is VERY RARELY what's wrong with a fan. Usually it is something simple like a switch or capacitor, in rare cases it is the bearings. In remote fans it's almost always the receiver. I don't recommend buying remote fans they are unreliable.

Thanks for your suggestions. Will try to get an electrician here to help. I don't want to buy a new fan as this is a new fan in a brand new house... hopefully, the builder will get someone to fix it for me. Thanks again.

Try checking the capacitor. If that part is bad, it would end up costing $10 - 15 plus s/h self-installed.


I had the same problem. The problem started when we noticed the fan slowing down. Finally it stopped altogether. Mine would hum like you described but not spin. I checked my wall switch and power to the ceiling with a volt meter, both were good.
After reading several posts about how cheap these builder grade fans are, I figured it was the motor.

I priced an electrician and replacement fan. The replacement fan of similar quality was way cheaper than the electrician visit.

While I was narrowing down the choice to two or three models, I found tons of stuff explaining the difference in grades and we decided to upgrade to a higher model ceiling fan. Still, this upgrade ceiling fan (self-installed) is the same price (if not a bit cheaper) than the electrician visit.

As I was taking the old fan down, I found the capacitor had overheated and popped. Well, I had already put the nicer one up. Maybe I'll put this one in the kids room or craig's list it .

I agree the capacitor is a likely culprit.

Ceiling fan capactors - troubleshooting and resources - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-capacitors.php)

Calling an electrician to repair a ceiling fan is usually a waste of money, they will tell you to just replace it.

Light and fan both turn

Huh?

I have a Habor Breeze ceiling fan that I purchased 3 years ago for my daughters room. In the process of moving we lost the ball and socket part that hooks it to the ceiling. Do you have any idea where I would get that part? I goggled Harbor Breeze parts and have had no luck.

Do you know where I can fine a capacitor for outdoor harbor breeze ceiling fan?

Find

Most electronic stores will carry a wide range of caps. For that matter, even Radio Shack stocks caps.

Take a picture of the cap showing all the identifying markings and connections. Then remove the cap and take it with you. Personally I would start t an electronic supply store rather than Radio Shack because I'm not sure they would have one in the size you need. The supply shop will either have the size you need or be able to cross reference to one that will work for you.