I just recently replaced a 4-wire (3-speed)
Ceiling fan switch on my ceiling fan. The chain had broken off inside the switch.
After installing the new switch, the fan wouldn't turn
At all. I have tried the swithes at all speeds
And even went out and purchased another switch thinking the first one I bought may have been defective. I am certain I have the new switch wired the same as the old one as I cut off and restripped the wires (so the wires were still on the old switch).
The fan still won't turn (however I can hear a hum in one of the switch positions).

Am I missing something here? I am really stumped.

PS. I've seen this same questions in other bulletin boards... But no fixes were offered. :(

I just recently replaced a 4-wire (3-speed)
ceiling fan switch on my ceiling fan. The chain had broken off inside the switch.
After installing the new switch, the fan wouldn't turn
at all. I have tried the swithes at all speeds
and even went out and purchased another switch thinking the first one I bought may have been defective. I am certain I have the new switch wired the same as the old one as I cut off and restripped the wires (so the wires were still on the old switch).
The fan still won't turn (however I can hear a hum in one of the switch positions).

Am I missing something here? I am really stumped.

PS. I've seen this same questions in other bulletin boards... But no fixes were offered. :(
... worked, prove to yourself that you wired the others the same by putting the old back in. I'd offer more but in the absence of a wiring diagram, this is where I would start.

I am confused about the 4 wires. You should have 2 white wires connected to each other and not the switch, 2 green or bare likewise, and one hot in and 2 wires out, for 3 wires to the switch. It is possible the new switch is not the same internally as the old. Was it sold specifically for the fan, or just a switch?

Did the fan run at any speed with the old switch? If so, use a multimeter or conductivity tester to find out which wires are connected in what ever position it is stuck in. Then remove the new switch, and connect those wires without it. If the fan still doesn't run, the problem is other than the switch.

Did not work as the chain broke off inside. The wires were in this order. Purple to the "L" connector, Black to the "1" connector, Brown to the "2" connector, and Grey to the "3" connector. The new switch is identical to the old one from the outside... I guess it could be different inside. I obtained it from Home Depot and the staff there seemed knowledgeable and pointed me to this one. When I thought it was defective, I returned it and purchased another at Lowe's... Same problem.

did not work as the chain broke off inside. The wires were in this order. Purple to the "L" connector, Black to the "1" connector, Brown to the "2" connector, and Grey to the "3" connector. The new switch is identical to the old one from the outside... I guess it could be different inside. I obtained it from Home Depot and the staff there seemed knowledgeable and pointed me to this one. When I thought it was defective, I returned it and purchased another at Lowe's... Same problem.
... comfortable with some experiments, you can shut the main power (wall switch or panel breaker) and connect the black wire (line hot) to one of the motor wires at a time to check that it works correctly. One side of the motor should already be wire nutted to the line neutral (white wire). Use a small wire nut to make the connections with the power removed and then use the switch (?) to reapply power briefly to check the fan.

I did that and the motor will run so I know the motor coils are good. I'm starting to think the new switch is wired differently inside... 4 connections is how many combinations... That may be my next step.

I did that and the motor will run so I know the motor coils are good. I'm starting to think the new switch is wired differently inside... 4 connections is how many combinations..... That may be my next step.
... is for the common input (hot line). The others (assuming it is the simplest of switches) allow for:
1. None connected to the common (off)
2. 1 set of windings (low speed)
3. 2 sets of windings (medium speed)
4. 3 sets of windings (Full speed)
There are many combos and if you don't have a continuity tester use a flashlight, remove the end cap and start checking the switch (write it down) by connecting the common to the battery end, and the other wires to the battery end connector while 'yanking your chain' and checking the flashlight for ‘on’.

You need to figure out how the old switch worked and find a new one that works the same way. I have not found Lowe's and Home Depot employees helpful on anything but the basics. You could check with the manufacturer of the fan, their tech service line or web site. You could take the old switch to an electrical supply house and see if they can match it. You could take the switch apart and try to figure out how it worked yourself. Drill out any rivets holding it together and carefully pry it apart. There may be spring loaded parts inside. If they fly everywhere, it makes it harder to figure out. Perhaps you could even replace the chain, and put it back together replacing the rivet with a small screw.

I too have encounter the same problem when replacing the three speed swithc on a Hampton Bay fan. I have even looked at two other Hampton Bay fans just to make sure I rewired correctly. Three fans, three different wiring!
I believe that I have a switch with different internal workings. If anyone figures out which wires goies to the L, 1, 2, 3 positions please let me know.

If you are getting electricity to the motor (hum), you probably have a fan capacitor problem. The capacitor is packaged in a little black box inside the switch housing and it has either 2 or 3 wires. Be sure to get the markings off the capacitor (eg. 2uf + 7uf [3 wire] or 5uf [2 wire]) You will probably have to go to an electrical warehouse to get this part. I've found that Lowe's and Home Depot don't carry this part. It will run about $7-$10
Hope this helps.

http://www.regencyfan.com/help/faq/?FAQ=3

:D OK... I've exhausted trying to fix this fan... Metered out the switch. Its OK. Bypassed the reverse swith and capacitors... I'm convinced I have an open motor winding and its not worth wasting any more time on this. Here's the good news. I found Hampton Bay's Tech Support Hotline number at 800-749-3267. I called them and they said if I supplied the UPC # from the top of the fan, they'd send me the part I needed. As my fan is too old for the UPC number, they said they'd send me a $50 gift certificate from Home Depot to use how I want. I think that's very fair! I'm waiting for the gift check to arrive in the mail (if I don't get it, I'll report back). Good luck!

Tomorrow I'm headed to Home Depot to start the same process. Went to turn on the fan, and the pull-chain was stuck. I opened up the light box and removed the pull-chain switch. Found that the plastic rotor inside cracked and jammed the switch. I found this thread and decided to meter the switch. I have four spring type wire connections. L-1-2-3.

Off : X
High : L-1
Med : L-2-3
Low : L-3

I didn't expect the Medium setting, but it makes sense looking at the load block. Position 1 connects straight through. Position 2 and 3 are each labeled as 5 uF and are used in parallel for Medium.

Found this site that has a diagram of the switch in my Fan

http://www.dansfancity.com/techhelp/parts/sw300nn.htm

Well Tec 108
--
Rick

Hi, my chain broke while the fan was in op, and so it was stuck in one setting. So I know the motor & capacitor are OK.

I bought another similar 3-speed switch from OSH, marked all the old wires. I stripped the wire to expose some metal wiring and stuffed them into the switch. They were quite loose. And the fan doesn't work.

My question is, was I supposed to strip the rubber off? Also, there are four slits on the bottom of the switch. Was I supposed to leave the wire as it is without stripping off the rubber, insert the wires in, and push into the slit using a screwdriver and it will cut a contact into the wire. THere were no instructions on the switch so I had no clue until after I put in a wire. Any help is greatly appreciated.

George H.

Examine the switch. Some connectors are designed to swing open, insert the unstripped wires, and squeeze it closed. Very quick and easy once you figure it out.

My daughter called me the other day and said Dad the ceiling fan in the kitchen is not working only the light works. I went over and removed the three screws that hold the light and pull chain for the fan down and found that the fan control switch had snapped open and all 4 wires had popped out. The snap clips on each side of the switch had broken off. I went down to Home Depot in the ceiling department and found the switch I was looking for. It said for a four wire ceiling fan. OK, know lets put it back together. First of all if you look at the new switch you should see four holds were the wires will be pushed into. The black wire in the fan is the hot or load wire, this wire is hot whenever the wall switch to the fan is turned on. Put this wire in the hole that is marked “L” this stands for load. Now with this switch in the off position the fan will not work until you pull the chain. The other three holes are marked #1, #2 and #3. On most fans #1 is usually high speed. # 2 medium and #3 low speed. What you now have to determine is what wires are high medium and low. The easiest way to do this is before you put any of the wires back into the new switch is to FIRST MAKE SURE NO POWER IS GOING TO THE FAN. Then simply take one of the colored wires at a time and twist it together with the black hot wire.
Turn the power back on to the fan and knot the fans speed. Do this with all three wires one at a time until you can determine which wire is high speed. Note the color of the wire and mark it down on paper.(Example; blue wire high speed.) Do this with the other two wires to determine there speed. Once you have the speed of each wire you can reassemble the new switch.

Black wire (Load) goes in hole marked L. High speed wire goes in hole marked # 1. Medium speed goes in hole marked #2 and low speed goes in hole # 3. MAKE SURE THE POWER TO THE FAN IS TURNED OFF WHILE YOU ASSEMBLE THE NEW SWITCH.

For those of you that have all these wired hooked up right and still the fan won't work I would then look for an open neutral wire. It should be a white wire. Check to see if all the wires are securly attached.

Good luck. One more word of advice. If you're not sure on what you are doing when it comes to electrical wiring then please do not attempt to do this or any other electrical work yourself. Call a licensed electrian. Any mistakes on your part could void your home owners insurance in case of a fire. Better safe than sorry.

I read you post and I need to replace the piece that is in the fan that the pull chain is connected to... the piece is: K.T.E. 250 vac is that the same as you replaced and if so where do I get it? Thanks

tracker 153

The pull chain came out of our fan switch so I opened up the fan and removed the old switch (using a paper clip) making sure to write down the wire colors and their locations (Was L-Purple, 1-Black, 2-Grey, 3-Brown). I went to HD and found the only 4 wire, 3 speed switch they carried and installed it back into the fan but it did not work. I called the Hampton Bay support #, which is a joy to find, and they directed me to a company called Compass East (CEI). I called CEI and some kid said to try a different combination but that did not work either. Seeing that we have several Hampton Bay fans in my house, I removed a switch from a fan in an area that was lower in priority and installed it in our bedroom fan. This worked for the night, well, sort of, it gave me low and medium only but it was better then nothing. So needless to say, I then started to search the internet for ideas and...

That's when I read this thread and saw your repsonse. I went back on the ladder for the third night in a row (and, of course, it's been very hot and humid the whole time) and tried your suggestion of connecting wires together to find out which speeds were what. Here's what I have found:

Black, purple, grey = slow
Black, purple, brown = medium
Black, purple, brown, grey = fast

So I called that kid back at CEI (1.800.233.3306) wondering if they had a switch that fit this pattern and he said they only have what I would get at HD.

ARG!

So, anyone know where to get a 3 speed fan switch that fits that pattern?

Anyone, Anyone... Bueller.

I don't quite understand what you mean when you say the switch from HD didn't work? Were the speeds not right, or did the fan not run at all? It sounds like all you need is a simple 4 position switch. Try a hardware or Radio Shack. Don't say anything about the fan, just ask for a 4 position switch, off and 3 other contacts.

HD switch didn't work = no fan movement what-so-ever.

Thanks for the other idea. I'll give it a try.

Actually,

I found exactly what I need (HD didn't have it in stock)... see this link

http://acmehardware.com/pd-5824602-Fantec-Inc-21105-Split-Contnu-Fan-Switch.aspx

Notice the Description:

Model 21105:

3-speed Single layer Basic 4-wire application Split continuity function Operation sequence: Off, 3-L-1-2, 3-L-2, 3-L-1 UL listed

It matches my findings.

Switch ordered... that should do it.

Thanks

I had the same problem with the switch I bought. Problem was, HD only had one kind of SINGLE layer and one kind of double layer switches. For those with the DOUBLE layer switch problem you have to find a switch with a sequence of operation like this: ( or similar) 1-2-3 OFF
2-3-L High
3-L-1 Med
L-1-2 Low
Note that there are three terminals listed instead of two, this is because the old broken switch has a cam inside that touches three terminals unlike the new one that only touches two.
If you can't find the proper replacement switch ( and I searched a lot of internet sites) you may be able to carefully drill the old switch rivets ( this is for practice before drilling the new switch) and separate the layers to take out the old cam. Then drill the new switch carefully so as not to crack it. Take out the 2 position cam and replace it with the old 3 position cam. Line up the layers and replace the rivets with a length of paperclip, twisting the ends to make it snug but not overtightening it causing it to break.
Worked perfectly.

Simply cut out the bad switch leaving 4 wires (blk, grn, gray, brn)

Wire them together using electricians tape and cap

Reinstall ---fan should be running on high speen now! If not you have another problem elsewhere.

Go out and buy a dimmer switch and installal at wall where fan/lite turns on.

Now you have total control, only lite will dimm as does fan, slight drawback

So work around it or your other alternative is to buy a new fan OK

I am having same symptoms and problems that you report. The old switch literally fell to pieces so that I can't figure out exactly what it did. I put in a simple 4 pole switch from HD, and had only one speed (fast) in one position; others were stop. But HD also had the split continuity switch as you describe: pos 1=off, pos 2=3-L-1-2; pos 3=3-L-2; pos 4=3-L-1. Result was fast fan speed in 3 positions, and off in the other. This fan has a capacitor type speed control in it and I think is a FASCO Gulfstream circa 1993.

Maybe some other configuration switch needed?
---:confused:


Actually,

I found exactly what I need (HD didn't have it in stock)...see this link

http://acmehardware.com/pd-5824602-Fantec-Inc-21105-Split-Contnu-Fan-Switch.aspx

Notice the Description:

Model 21105:

3-speed Single layer Basic 4-wire application Split continuity function Operation sequence: Off, 3-L-1-2, 3-L-2, 3-L-1 UL listed

It matches my findings.

Switch ordered....that should do it.

Thanks

Simply cut out the bad switch leaving 4 wires (blk, grn, gray, brn)

wire them together using electricians tape and cap

reinstall ---fan should be running on high speen now! if not you have another problem elsewhere.

Go out and buy a dimmer switch and installal at wall where fan/lite turns on.

now you have total control, only lite will dimm as does fan, slight drawback

so work around it or your other alternative is to buy a new fan ok

As a follow up:

My fan now works fine except there is a slight buzzing sound at faster speeds
Does any one know why or how to correct this

Simply cut out the bad switch leaving 4 wires (blk, grn, gray, brn)

wire them together using electricians tape and cap

reinstall ---fan should be running on high speen now! if not you have another problem elsewhere.

Go out and buy a dimmer switch and installal at wall where fan/lite turns on.


Cap all four wires together? Use a dimmer switch? This is bad advice! Both of these things can damage your fan, and even catch your house on fire.

The only option for ANY of the above pullchain problems.. . Is to carefully note how you removed the broken switch, find an exact replacement, and wire the new switch in the way the old switch was. Anything else, and you're better off just getting a new fan.

Sites like www.ceilingfanparts.com should be able to tell you what sort of switch you need. Some local hardware stores have a good selection, some do not.

http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-parts.php has more info on ceiling fan parts including pullchains

Good news for the masses: I have finally gotten around to writing a set of instructions on replacing the pullchain in a ceiling fan. This should answer most questions, at least the answerable ones!

http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php

Hello-
Well I took the advice on some of the posts below and contacted King of Fans directly vian the phone (Hampton Bay's Tech Support Hotline number at 800-749-3267) and they sent me a replacement switch.
Lo and Behold, it works!
It turns out that the switches from the local hardware stores are not the same.
Call them and get yourself a new switch.

I'm glad it worked for you. There are many different types of pullchain switches that look pretty much the same. The hardware stores sell the most common varieties.

I have this exact problem. I determined that the old switch has normally closed switch positions rather than normally open that the replacement switch has. I need to know where to buy the normally closed type of switch.

Thanks,
b-dog

Some hardware stores have a variety, or you can try the manufacturer of your fan. Otherwise www.ceilingfanparts.com has a good selection of switches reasonably.

When the pull cord came out of my 3-spd ceiling fan I replaced the switch. The wires in the fan were soldered and I just pushed them firmly into the propers slots on the side of the switch... turned the thing on and nothing... I jiggled the wires a little bit and that was the problem... even though they are firmly in the slots its very easy for them to not connect on the inside...

Just try jiggling the wires around a bit and it will probably work

That won't solve the problem when the chain breaks, and/or when it is replaced with an incorrect replacement switch.

http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php

Hello,

I had EXACTLY the same problem today, i.e.:

- Fan switch failed
- Replaced with 4-wire Home Depot switch
- Fan doesn't run and "hums" in one switch position

I took both switches apart and found that, as one poster has already mentioned, the old switch had NORMALLY CLOSED contacts, and the new one had NORMALLY OPEN contacts.

The good news is that the parts that differ are, with a little modification, interchangeable between the two switches - even though they don't look as if they had the same manufacturer. So if you're prepared to do a little filing, you can fix it TODAY (as I did).

What I did (after writing down which color wires went to L, 1, 2 & 3, as appropriately emphasized above) was to open up each switch by drilling the flared ends off the two aluminum rivets of the old one, and by prying the black plastic "keepers" over the white plastic "clips" on the new one (a little tricky - do it carefully lest you stab yourself or break the plastic beyond repair). The switches will break into two parts, which I'll call the "pullchain/tumbler" half and the "armature/contacts" half.

Then, I removed the red "armature" from the new switch's armature/contact half, and the black one from the same half of the old switch, noting which way they faced. You'll see that each armature has a square hole on one side; this is what is driven by the "pullchain/tumbler" half of each switch, and so faces outward from the case when reassembled.

These armatures are what differ. If you look at them carefully, you'll see that in the old switch, the common brush is connected to all but one of the other contacts at all times, and that in the new one, the common connects to only one other contact at a time. You should also see that the old armature is a little longer than the new one, which prevents interchanging them - unless you shorten the old one a bit.

What I did, which worked, was to line up an imaginary line between the upper and lower contacts on each armature, then file the old (black) one as necessary on each end so that it was the same length as the new one. I then installed the filed old armature in the new switch case, snapped it back together, wired it up as it was previously wired, and tested it... All good!

Summary, Sounds like differernt internal switching, Direct replacement best,
Like above, Carefully take apart, so you can switch, Do continuity test.
I believe 1 of the switches, does L+1+2, L+1+3, L+2+3, off.
Since Fan worked before, Switch likely problem.

It can be done, I've done it before, but I find it easier simply to use the correct replacement switch. Then again, I have a large box of switches in my basement.

Your problem is likely to be the capacitor that is wired to the switch. It is usually a small black plastic box with 3 wires (yellow, red, and purple) which is wired to the switch. The small rectangular plastic box has 2 capacitors in it (like 2.25 & 3.3 microfarad caps) and is tucked in the wiring near the pull chain switch). Will cost about $12 at a fan store.

The capacitor failing can create the symptoms you describe however seeing as the fan was working before the pullchain was replaced, it's NOT the capacitor.

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

Can you dissasemble switch, and reinstall chain. Many newer ones can't unless you want to drill rivets. Can be done.

I just recently replaced a 4-wire (3-speed)
Ceiling fan switch on my ceiling fan. The chain had broken off inside the switch.
After installing the new switch, the fan wouldn't turn
At all. I have tried the swithes at all speeds
And even went out and purchased another switch thinking the first one I bought may have been defective. I am certain I have the new switch wired the same as the old one as I cut off and restripped the wires (so the wires were still on the old switch).
The fan still won't turn (however I can hear a hum in one of the switch positions).

Sounds like you need to get the specific replacement pullchain. What make is the fan?

Ceiling fan pull chain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

I just recently replaced a 4-wire (3-speed)
ceiling fan switch on my ceiling fan. The chain had broken off inside the switch.
After installing the new switch, the fan wouldn't turn
at all. I have tried the swithes at all speeds
and even went out and purchased another switch thinking the first one I bought may have been defective. I am certain I have the new switch wired the same as the old one as I cut off and restripped the wires (so the wires were still on the old switch).
The fan still won't turn (however I can hear a hum in one of the switch positions).

Am I missing something here? I am really stumped.

PS. I've seen this same questions in other bulletin boards... But no fixes were offered. :(
I am having the same problem. How did you fix it?

Can we please back-up a little. When you dropped the fan down, did you see 2 pairs of Black/White wires or just One? This is fairly critical.

Do you own a volt meter? If so, Connect the red lead from the meter to one of the bare ground wires or the green ground wire if you have one. Once you find the correct wires, make sure you open the circuit breaker that supplies power to the fan.

Connect the Black lead to one of the Black/white pairs in the overhead. Turn the switch "On". You shoulld see the meter deflect toward the 110 mark. If you get that, then turn the switch off and check the other Black/ White connection. You are looking for the black line that carries the voltage from the switch to the fan.

If one B/W pair is dead, and the other is Hot all the time, you have disconnected the wall switch. If there is only 1 B/W pair then the load voltage is being delivered from the source to the switch to the fan.

To reconnect the switch, tie both black wires together with a wire nut. Wrap a smll amount of black elctrical tape to the white wire coming from the switch to shw that this is no longer a Return wire. It a "Load" wire. Next, there should be a (1) Black and (1) Blue wire coming up from the fan's wiring harness. They both would be tied to the White wire with the black tape by a wire nut. Black = Fan Motor Power, Blue is for the light attachment. If you do not have a light attachment, do not use the blue wire.

Tie the white from the fan to the white from the supply and wire nut them.

Now turn on the breaker and wall switch. Work your pull chains until you get the fan going on high. Once you do that, then try the next two steps down. If every body works, you are a happy sailor. Remember to be very careful around electricity on a boat!

Again, all pullchains may look the same, and have the same wiring connections, but they are not the same. See:

Ceiling fan pull chain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

I just recently replaced a 4-wire (3-speed)
ceiling fan switch on my ceiling fan. The chain had broken off inside the switch.
After installing the new switch, the fan wouldn't turn
at all. I have tried the swithes at all speeds
and even went out and purchased another switch thinking the first one I bought may have been defective. I am certain I have the new switch wired the same as the old one as I cut off and restripped the wires (so the wires were still on the old switch).
The fan still won't turn (however I can hear a hum in one of the switch positions).

Am I missing something here? I am really stumped.

PS. I've seen this same questions in other bulletin boards... But no fixes were offered. :(
I recently replaced a ceiling fan switch. After reading the posts here, I was careful to replace the wires in the same positions on the new switch as they were on the old. When I turned the fan on , the slow medium and fast speeds worked when I pulled the chain. Unfortunately a fourth yank on the chain got me back to the fast speed. It doesn't shut off. Can anyone help? Should I try a different switch? Thanks

Yes it does sound like you have the incorrect switch. However having no off position is unusual. What make is the fan?

The Hampton Bay fan probably has two capacitors (if it is like mine) and you need a special four wire three speed switch for this setup. I ended up going to a lighting store that sells Hunter/Hampton Bay products.

No lighting store sells Hampton Bay products.

I had the same problem, but found that terminal 1 and 2 were reversed.

I had the same problem, and found that terminal 1 and 2 were reversed in the construction. Reversing them fixed the problem.

I have the same problem exactly, Bought a 3 speed switch from Lowe's and installed it only to hear a jum from the motor in only one position. So I took the old switch apart and looked at the guts. My Fan is a Harbor Breeze built in about 1990. At least that is when I bought it. Seems that the switch I bought connects L with 1 or L with 2 or L with 3 but not all at the same time. The orginial switch will connect L with 1 then Lwith 1 and 2 and then l with 1,2,3. This switch was manufactured by DEfond with a part number of E72989. I have called several places only to be told they don't have it. I am still looking. The fan is good if only I could find the switch. For those of you that only have a broked chain, and the switch itself is good, drill out the two rivits and take it apart. It is easy to reinstall the chain end and then use either a small screw and nut to reassemble the switch. I had to do this several years back and it work until now. The switch housing is broken on my switch so I cannot use it at all.

Try CeilingFanParts.com Home (http://www.ceilingfanparts.com) they have all sorts of replacement switches.

I just recently replaced a 4-wire (3-speed)
ceiling fan switch on my ceiling fan. The chain had broken off inside the switch.
After installing the new switch, the fan wouldn't turn
at all. I have tried the swithes at all speeds
and even went out and purchased another switch thinking the first one I bought may have been defective. I am certain I have the new switch wired the same as the old one as I cut off and restripped the wires (so the wires were still on the old switch).
The fan still won't turn (however I can hear a hum in one of the switch positions).

Am I missing something here? I am really stumped.

PS. I've seen this same questions in other bulletin boards... But no fixes were offered. :(

Holy Cow! The answers you got! It's a wonder you didn't electrocute yourself. There are two kinds of ceiling fan switches: Single Continuity and the other kind (as far as I know, it doesn't have a name). Now, if you got the single continuity switch and it didn't work, then you need the other kind. Good Luck. Since it's been over 2 years since you asked for help. LOL :D

Actually, there are a LOT MORE kinds of switches than that. See:

Ceiling fan pull chain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

Not every fan takes the same switch. I sell about 14 different swithes for different fans. Internalley they are all different. There is know way to tell from the outside casing or numbers .I usually have to take to switch apart to tell the difference. Ihave been fixing fans for 20 years. Know I don't know everything but am pretty good.

Do you have a website?

I think I may be able to offer some help. I have just ran into the same problem and after shopping at 4 electrical supply houses,Home Depot and Lowe's yesterday, I think I have possibly found the solution.

My old switch has L-Black, 1-Grey, 2-Brown, 3-Purple. But also the old switch when compared to the new ones I found have the L and 1 wires 180 degrees from each other (opposite) where the new have L and 1 - 90 degrees (adjacent). Checking the old switch best I could (it fell apart) with a meter tells me that it uses a combination of the 1,2 & 3 wires to change capacitor settings for the different speeds. (I.E. - one speed has continuity between 1,2&3)

With that being said, the closest I found yesterday was manufactured by NSI and has the numbers 101 on it versus the 108 on the old switch. Part number LJY280A is the same on both. I am ordering the 108 switch today with hopes to solve mystery. FYI - C.E.D. electrical supply house is helping with ordering.

Hope this helps.

The numbers on the casings often don't matter. It is matching up the contact pattern. The most common is L-1-2-3 individually like you mention.

Ceiling Fan Switch Repair

I tried finding the switch to match my old one. No Luck. Even CeilingFanParts.com did not have the correct configuration. The fan I was working on was a Lowe's product as well. I finally took the new and old switches apart very carefully with a small screwdriver prying on the two plastic latches. Be careful as the spring loaded parts will fly. Put the new piece with the long chain back in the old casing with the correct switch and cam pattern and everything is working perfect.

Uncle TDub

Did you try the manufacturer (Litex)?

Update and I hope this can help someone. I also tried to replace my about 10 year old Hampton Bay ceiling fan switch. So went to Home Depot and didn't work. Wound up trying 3 of the same and to no avail. The sales people were of course no help. Finally called their help desk and had to dig out the model number and they said the company was no longer in business. I spent quite a bit of time on the inernet. Last Monday I'll bet I spent $15.00 in gas going to several electrical shops to no avail. Somewhere along the line I found out how to check the continuity and found the switch is: off, 3(hot)+1+2+L=High, 3+2+L=medium, and 3+1+L =low.
I had given up on finding the switch. I read somewhere here that if you connect all four wires together you will have high speed. So I figured at the very least I could do this, then put a standard 2 way pull chain between the hot wire just to turn it off and on.
So off to home depot to get the two way chain pull. While there I reviewed fan switches and noticed there was another three or four wire fan switch. HD personnel of course did not even talk about it the other day. So bought both of the pull chains and at home carefullly opened up the 4 position and then checked it with my volt meter and lo and behold. It was corrrect. Put that sucker in the fan and now its purring like a kitten; all 3 speeds.
FYI, the switch that did not work was Westinghouse 77021 and the one that works is 77020.
Hope this helps someone.

CeilingFanParts.com Home (http://www.ceilingfanparts.com) has all varieties of pull switches.

No company is out of business, either, that I know of. Sounds like you found a lot of people that didn't know what they were talking about. Should have come here first.

ceiling fan 3 speed switch replacement.

purchased new one, took off the old bad switch wiring as follows:

L = RED
1 = BLACK
2 = BLUE
4 = BLACK

I rewired EXACTLY as came off the bad switch and as marked on the new switch, plug it in, pull the chain and NOTHING happens on ANY amount of puls.

please help

thanks
barry

Where did you purchase it from? Not all 3 speed 4 wire switches are the same.

Ceiling fan pull chain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

I just recently replaced a 4-wire (3-speed)
ceiling fan switch on my ceiling fan. The chain had broken off inside the switch.
After installing the new switch, the fan wouldn't turn
at all. I have tried the swithes at all speeds
and even went out and purchased another switch thinking the first one I bought may have been defective. I am certain I have the new switch wired the same as the old one as I cut off and restripped the wires (so the wires were still on the old switch).
The fan still won't turn (however I can hear a hum in one of the switch positions).

Am I missing something here? I am really stumped.

PS. I've seen this same questions in other bulletin boards... But no fixes were offered. :(
I had the same problem and ended up taking the switch apart to find that it was very different.This switch connected all 4 wires together in high speed and dropped one leg for medium and another for low. Weird I know but true. I cannot find a manufacturer name anywhere but I do have a model and serial and phome number.

CeilingFanParts.com Home (http://www.ceilingfanparts.com) has all replacement pullchains.

I just recently replaced a 4-wire (3-speed)
ceiling fan switch on my ceiling fan. The chain had broken off inside the switch.
After installing the new switch, the fan wouldn't turn
at all. I have tried the swithes at all speeds
and even went out and purchased another switch thinking the first one I bought may have been defective. I am certain I have the new switch wired the same as the old one as I cut off and restripped the wires (so the wires were still on the old switch).
The fan still won't turn (however I can hear a hum in one of the switch positions).

Am I missing something here? I am really stumped.

PS. I've seen this same questions in other bulletin boards... But no fixes were offered. :(

This is literally, word for word what I just experienced. I have read all of the comments and helpful replies, however, the problem I have, is that the replacement switch has exactly the same part number on it as the old switch. It says it's a ZING EAR, ZE-208S. It also has the number E-89885 on it. Again this old switch has the same number as the new switch. So if I try to get the "right" switch, they are going to just give me this one which I already know is the wrong switch. How do I get the right, right one?

Darrel, what colors do you have to what numbers?

Darrel, what colors do you have to what numbers?

Thanks for responding. I have these numbers:

L = Purple
1 = Grey

Darrel, what colors do you have to what numbers?

Thanks for responding. I have these numbers:

L = Purple
1 = Grey
2 = Brown
3 = Black

I finally got it to work. I just had to drill out the rivots on both the old one and new switch, and put the old cam into the new switch. This company who designed it was crazy. They changed from a three of four wires connected to one of four, and never even changed the part number. Fortunately for me, the cams were completely interchangeable with no alterations needed.

Thanks for toughing it out, When I run into a broken chain at the switch, I will dissassemble switch reconnect and snap switch together, It is tricky, and getting spring on the right side of some stop. As tough as it is, it is sometimes much easier than getting a replacement switch.
Good Deal, Take Care

Those colors/numbers are not normal. I have:

L - Black, 1 - Grey, 2 - Brown, 3 - Purple

However it is clear the switches were not the same.

Ceiling fan pull chain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

I am having the same problem with a smc fan I tried 6 different switches finally I took the old switch apart totally different from the one home depot and Lowe's and the electric supply stores sold me. Sorry I can't give you the answer to your problem I just found mine out and will try to get the right switch tomorrow

Bob, once you get the right switch, it will work fine.

This link may help you:

Ceiling fan pull chain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

My ceiling fan light pull broke off. We replaced it but now I can't get the light to work directly from the ceiling fan, only from the wall switch. What did we do wrong?

You probably didn't wire it right.

Did you follow these instructions here?

Ceiling fan pull chain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

I have the same problem. The ceiling fan 3 speed pull chain switch broke in the FAST position and there is no way to slow the fan down. I went to Home Depot to get a replacement switch for the Hampton Bay fan but, although these fans are solely manufactured in China for Home Depot, they do not stock replacement switches. They have a universal 4 wire General Electric switch that they sell for these fans. I took one home and followed the instructions exactly; gray wire in the #1, purple wire in the #L, brown wire in the #2, and the black wire in the #3 position. Guess what? The switch does not work. I had to re-install the old switch to keep using the fan in fast speed. I returned this GE 4 wire switch and they gave me a different switch to try which is a 3 or 4 wire switch. I will try it out tomorrow and let you know how it goes. So far, the problem is that Home Depot manufactures this Hampton Bay fan but they do not provide the exact replacement switch for it.

In that case, I would forget about the switch, leave on high, and get a wall Speed Control.

In that case, I would forget about the switch, leave on high, and get a wall Speed Control.

Thank you for your suggestion. It's a great fix around and I will do just that if this second switch doesn't work. The point is, however, to let other users that run into the same problem know about these replacement switches that HD sell for their exclusive Hampton Bay fans.

I do know it can be a pain finding correct switch, being stuck in High is best case.

Thank you for your suggestion. It's a great fix around and I will do just that if this second switch doesn't work. The point is, however, to let other users that run into the same problem know about these replacement switches that HD sell for their exclusive Hampton Bay fans.

Sorry! My statement should read:... the GE replacement switches that Home Depot sell for their exclusive Hampoton Bay fans are not interchangeable and do not work.

Follow-up to my previous posts. OK... as I said before the first 4 wire 3 speed fan switch did not work and had to return it. I then got the other switch they had in stock which is a Westinghouse #77020 3-4 wire 3 speed switch and this one did the trick. It works just fine.

Here is what you must do:
1. Once you have access to the switch and before you pull the wires make sure to write down the color and position of the wires like this: #1=gray, #2=brown, #3=black and #L=purple. Also, do not make the mistake of cutting the wires; there is no need to cut the wires.

2. To pull the wires from the old switch, insert a straightened out paper clip into the wire terminal and push down the spring while you pull the wire.

3. Rewire the new switch with the color/position wires as the old switch

If if your fan is stuck in high speed like in my case and you can’t find the correct switch; the other work around as suggested by ‘Stratmando’ is to opt to install a ‘wall speed control’ also known as a dimmer switch.

First of all, when you say it was stuck on high, what happened when you attempted to switch it to a different speed, did it click?

Ceiling fan pull chain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

[QUOTE=ceilingfanrepair;1509572]First of all, when you say it was stuck on high, what happened when you attempted to switch it to a different speed, did it click?

I said it was stuck on high because the pull chain broke off inside the switch and luckily the fan was running in high speed. I could not switch it to different speeds because there was no chain to pull.

Some can be dissassembled by pressing 2 or 3plastic clips, can be reattached, a little tricky.
Wouldn't suggest repairing the rivited ones unless, able to do safely.

CeilingFans Link is very helpful for finding a replacement switch.

What make is the fan?

I am also needing to replace the switch due to a broken chain. I tried a similar switch from home depot and it did not accommodate for the 'off' position which I must have as there is no wall switch for the fan (it is wired directly into the breaker box). The original switch is a dual layer switch that I disassembled to see how it works. One layer controls the on & off with the line wire and in the on position it gives power to the other layer for the 3 speed control. Mine also has the black capacitor box that I was able to test by straight wiring each speed position individually. I have pretty much figured out that I must obtain this same particular type of switch in order for the fan to be controlled properly. Home depot basically only sells a 4 wire switch that does not provide for the 'off' position and an 8 wire switch which is dual layer that fuctions entirely different (although it it shaped exactly the same as my broken one). So I'm basically still at square one with the switch and have decided to straight wire the low speed setting and use the breaker box for on & off until I find the right switch (hopefully by next spring).

If you cannot find correct switch, maybe wire for Full Speed, and use a Fan Control?
You may find additional info on one of the last 9 pages.

What make is the fan?

A hunter fan

A hunter fan

A hunter fan

A hunter fan

Let me see if I get this right, You have a Hunter Fan? If so, what colors do you have?

What about your Hunter fan?

This is an old question; However I will endeavor an update; First the
3 speed 4 wire switch wiring connections are always the Power to 'L' Which is the BLACK WIRE Silver/grey #1,Brown #2,Purple #3..
The high speed wire is usually the SILVER # 1... A simple test would be connect the Black (Line wire) to #1 Silver directly w/o switch should make fan fly. Check each wire same way note results. As fragile as the pull chain switch is I always turn on/off from a wall switch. Leaving the pull chain on medium will result in lesser strain on pull chain. SECONDARY cause of malfunction is the Capacitor Module
Which connects to switch. This part has to be ordered from Manufacturer.. Most electricians do not carry them except they may utilize spare parts from broken fans etc.

did not work as the chain broke off inside. The wires were in this order. Purple to the "L" connector, Black to the "1" connector, Brown to the "2" connector, and Grey to the "3" connector. The new switch is identical to the old one from the outside... I guess it could be different inside. I obtained it from Home Depot and the staff there seemed knowledgeable and pointed me to this one. When I thought it was defective, I returned it and purchased another at Lowe's... Same problem.

The fan I have is about 20 years old. The neck of the switch broke, but the switch still worked. I did what most everyone else did, went to HD and Lowe's for a 4 wire, 3 speed switch and installed it. The fan would not work! I uesed my OHM meter to check and compare the switch configuration of the old switch with the new switch. The were very different. The original switch was a KTE 308-A. Using my meter I measured between L and each of the other three connections( 1,2,3) for each position of the chain pull. The following are the results of the test.

Position L / 1 L / 2 L / 3
1 ON ON OFF
2 ON ON ON
3 OFF ON ON
4 ON OFF ON

This is the switch configuration that I need. It may be time to replace the fan.

This is an old question; However I will endeavor an update; First the
3 speed 4 wire switch wiring connections are always the Power to 'L' Which is the BLACK WIRE Silver/grey #1,Brown #2,Purple #3..
The high speed wire is usually the SILVER # 1... A simple test would be connect the Black (Line wire) to #1 Silver directly w/o switch should make fan fly. Check each wire same way note results. As fragile as the pull chain switch is I always turn on/off from a wall switch. Leaving the pull chain on medium will result in lesser strain on pull chain. SECONDARY cause of malfunction is the Capacitor Module
which connects to switch. This part has to be ordered from Manufacturer.. Most electricians do not carry them except they may utilize spare parts from broken fans etc.

1. High is not always silver in many fans
2. Don't go randomly connecting wires, you may fry something
3. Leaving fans on medium is silly. The speed switch is there for a reason
4. Capacitor malfuction is actually more common than pullchain malfunction, and they can be ordered online.

The fan I have is about 20 years old. The neck of the switch broke, but the switch still worked. I did what most everyone else did, went to HD and Lowes for a 4 wire, 3 speed switch and installed it. The fan would not work! I uesed my OHM meter to check and compare the switch configuration of the old switch with the new switch. The were very different. The original switch was a KTE 308-A. Using my meter I measured between L and each of the other three connections( 1,2,3) for each position of the chain pull. The following are the results of the test.

Position L / 1 L / 2 L / 3
1 ON ON OFF
2 ON ON ON
3 OFF ON ON
4 ON OFF ON

This is the switch configuration that I need. It may be time to replace the fan.

CeilingFanParts.com Home (http://www.ceilingfanparts.com) should have that switch for you.

Ceiling fan pullchain replacement and repair - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php)

Contact SWITCHCO. Only correct answer! After searching these forums and many others, I finally broke down and called the Texas based company and a few days later and simple a description of and previous wiring layout for my fan, and POOF my fan once again works beautifully.

Thanks so much Switchco.

The ONLY correct answer is to call, email, fax SWITCHCO.

After searching this and many other forums, I decided to call switchco and after a brief description of my fan and its previous wiring scheme, a few days later and POOF my fan works beautifully once again.

Thanks so much Switchco (http://www.ceilingfanparts.com)

If the manufacturer of the fan is still in business, I recommend calling them first. If not, I recommend calling CeilingFanParts.com Home (http://www.ceilingfanparts.com)

Both are the same site.

I know.

Here is what the problem is boys when you replace your original 4wire/3 speed switch with a Home Depot 4 wire/3 speed switch... I'm an electronics engineer and fell into the same trap you guys did. I figured it out though after burning 3 hours of time. The damn 4wire/3speed switch Home Dopot sales (and I may add the only one they sell) has a different internal switching logic than the original! Inside the switch is a electrical commutator that has the fan speed wiring logic on it for your particular fan. The switch HD sales even though it has the Same numbers on it has different switch logic! So what I did was remove the top half of my old switch by releasing the clips on the side and installed it on the new bottom half of the HD switch. Since the pull chain part was bad on mine that fixed it. That was a stumper for a while though!

Was the trick preloading the spring a little more?

No. I just swapped the top half of my bad switch and installed it on the bottom half of the new one. In other words, I used the mechanical (pull chain) part of the new switch and installed my electrical part (top half of switch) on that to make one whole switch again. And it worked just fine. Spring tension was OK on my electrical part of the switch.

I've repaired many switches, easier than finding a replacement, actually in most cases, it was just a broken chain, found lack of preloading spring enough is learned quickly.
Here is the Logic for many fan switches:

CeilingFanParts.com - Switchco Products - Pull Chain Switches (http://www.ceilingfanparts.com/images/pullchainsw.htm)

Here is a possible solution.
I have a Regency, Professional Series Fan
The wiring on the switch is 3=Purple, L = Black, 2 = Brown and 1 = Gray, with 5 wires coming out of the capacitor.
If you have this wiring sequence, call SWITHCO at 800-365-4548 and order Part No: A09. It worked for me. If the wiring is different, call anyway with the wiring sequence and they may be alble to help you out. Good Luck.

They did a wonderful job for me, I called them, gave a description of my fan make and model unknown, anyway, told them how it was wired originally and they didn't even have to look it up, the nice lady knew her stuff and a few days later, my fan worked perfectly.

I replaced a 4 wire Unit (3-Speed Fan Switch) on 4/22/2010 Earth Day because the old one that it was on my ceiling fan started to sparked fire. So what I did, I went to Lowe's and bought a new 4 wire Unit (3-Speed Fan Switch) so I replaced it and it didn't work when I installed the new 4 wire Unit (3-Speed Fan Switch). So what I did, I used a # 18 solid wire and hooked them on the 4 wire Unit (3-Speed Fan Switch) and it started working again. (:

You got to watch out on what replacement switch you are buying. What I noticed is there are at least two different types of 4 wire switches at Home Depot. They look the same from the outside except for the color of the plastic, but what the different is the pattern they electrically switch the four wires which is not the same. There is a logic tumbler inside the switch and that is what is different between the two types. If you install the wrong switch, the fan will not work or just hum in one of the speeds. So if this happens buy the other switch.

↑1= Yellow
�2= Purple
↓3= Black
→L= Orange

This is from Ceiling Fans Earlier post:

L - Black, 1 - Grey, 2 - Brown, 3 - Purple
L - Orange, 1 - Black, 2 - Yellow, 3 - Purple
L - Black, 1 - Grey, 2 - Brown, 3 - Green
L - Grey, 1 - Yellow, 2 - Purple, 3 - Black
L - White, 1- Black, 2 - Blue, 3 - Yellow

I know this is an old post but maybe I can help someone who has the same question. 3 speed pull chain switches are not universal. Fans have different wiring, different color codes and most importantly different "cams" inside the switch. Just because a switch looks similar, It is probably different inside. Here is a company I found that you can send your switch to. http://www.fanmanlighting.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=69 You will have to send the switch to them and they will have to break the switch open to identify it and will hopefully have a replacement.

If you look up into the fan housing and see a rectangular black device with three wires coming out of it, you must get a 'Dual Capacitor' switch. The power wire (black)goes on #3; the wire from the fan direction switch (purple) goes on the 'L' terminal; the two wires from the rectangular device go onto (yellow)#1 and (Blue)#2.

This has been going on so long, and don't know I I posted the solution for this or not, but Home Depot carries two switches; one works and the other one doesn't. I at one time had written down the number of which one works. Try one, if it works great, if it doesn't, take it back and get the other one.

The best way to figure out switch compatibility is using a continuity meter and paper clips:
http://www.dansfancity.com/techhelp/parts/testswitch.htm

Test the old switch and then compare to the operation of the replacements. Make a grid on Excel to keep track:

Defond E72989
L+1 L+2 L+3 1+2 1+3 2+3
Pos1 y n y n y n
Pos2 y y n y n n
Pos3 y y y y y y
Pos4 n y y n n y
Pos1 y n y n y n

Westinghouse 77020
L+1 L+2 L+3 1+2 1+3 2+3
Pos1 y n y n y n
Pos2 y y n y n n
Pos3 y y y y y y
Pos4 n y y n n y
Pos1 y n y n y n


Westinghouse 77021
L+1 L+2 L+3 1+2 1+3 2+3
Pos1 n n y n n n
Pos2 n n n n n n
Pos3 y n n n n n
Pos4 n y n n n n
Pos1 n n y n n n

If you would read down on all the replys below you will find the answer to your problem. The issue lies with the switch you bought. Even though the switch looks the same on the outside, it is not the same on the inside. Therefore with the wrong switch the fan will just hum like you found out. Home Depot has two different types of switches. They both look the same on the outside, but only the right one will work your fan and the wrong one will make it just hum. Since there are so many different fans out there, it's possible you fan may use a different switch than the two the Home Depot sales. Good luck.

These people are very helpful. They know the switches and have a good stock of the harder to find items.

http://www.ceilingfanparts.com/

I was able to fix my old Walmart fan with a four wire switch after researching this site and others. The switch I used was from Home Depot and was a Westinghouse Part Number 77020.

Home Depot had this switch and number 77021 on the same peg but the 77021 would not work. That switch along with the ones from Walmart and an electrical supply store just make the fan motor hum.

The wiring for my fan was:

L = Orange (fan direction switch)
1 = Purple (black capacitor box)
2 = Yellow (black capacitor box)
3 = Black (Hot)

After wasting half a day running to a number of stores I hope that this helps someone out.

Update and I hope this can help someone. I also tried to replace my about 10 year old Hampton Bay ceiling fan switch. So went to Home Depot and dint work. Wound up trying 3 of the same and to no avail. The sales people were of course no help. Finally called their help desk and had to dig out the model number and they said the company was no longer in business. I spent quite a bit of time on the inernet. Last Monday I'll bet I spent $15.00 in gas going to several electrical shops to no avail. Somewhere along the line I found out how to check the continuity and found the switch is: off, 3(hot)+1+2+L=High, 3+2+L=medium, and 3+1+L =low.
I had given up on finding the switch. I read somewhere here that if you connect all four wires together you will have high speed. So I figured at the very least I could do this, then put a standard 2 way pull chain between the hot wire just to turn it off and on.
So off to home depot to get the two way chain pull. While there I reviewed fan switches and noticed there was another three or four wire fan switch. HD personnel of course did not even talk about it the other day. So bought both of the pull chains and at home carefullly opened up the 4 position and then checked it with my volt meter and lo and behold. It was corrrect. Put that sucker in the fan and now its purring like a kitten; all 3 speeds.
FYI, the switch that did not work was Westinghouse 77021 and the one that works is 77020.
Hope this helps someone.

rdsatkaycee--your solution was spot on! I am fortunate that I bought both part numbers at my Home Depot. They cost approx. $4.50 each. I installed the 4-wire (77021) first, because my fan switch has 4 wires. After turning power back on and checking the switch, nothing happened except for "the hum" on one position. I then installed the "3-wire 77020" per your tip and it worked perfectly.
Thank you for posting your solution, you saved me a lot of certain grief.

Some of you may be old enough to remember a song called "Yes, I Remember It Well" which was made popular by Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold. In it the husband reminisces about the couple's early years. It goes something like this. The husband sings, "We met in spring", (the wife) "It was the fall." (the husband) "It was at the park", (the wife) "It was at the mall", (the husband) "Ah, yes, I remember it well!" Where does this lead to? A few days ago when my fan switch problem started the first thing I thought of was what brand of fan was it, where did I get it and could I get a replacement switch there? Couldn't remember the brand but was sure I bought them at Home Depot. Tonight it dawned on me- there was no Home Depot where I live when I bought the fans 25 years ago. When I mentioned it to the wife she said- "Of course not, we got them at Pergament." Sometimes I should listen to her. A few nights ago I noticed the bedroom fan was a little noisy and commented on it and how I'd hate to have to go up there and replace it with something that probably wouldn't just install or fit like the old one does. The wife said- "It works fine, just leave it alone!" I should have kept my mouth shut. The next night when I went to shut off the living room fan it went from high to medium to low to off to chain came off in my hand. That's where the story starts.

Got the 8 foot ladder out and the switch came out really easy. Remove the bulbs, light shades and light assembly and the switch was right there. Remove 4 wire nuts (after noting which color wires were attached to each other) and the knurled nut holding the switch to the fixture and it was out. Switch in hand I was off to Home Depot because that's where I thought I bought it and figured they would have the switch for it. On the way there I passed an electrical supply house. Hey, if anyone would have one of these things it would be an electrical supply house. "Sorry, just ran out of them and ordered them this morning." OK, on to Home Depot. Passed the local hardware store which has always had a good selection of things and unlike the big box stores, in stock! They had switches but nothing like mine. On to Home Depot. Space for a 3 speed fan switch but nothing there. Ask the clerk, "We have them." After checking the rack "I thought we had them." Any stock? "I'm sure we do." After checking- "Sorry, the box is there but someone put the wrong switches in it, we're out of them. You could try a (another) electrical supply house but they probably close at 3 or 4." It was 4:35 PM and not really out of my way so I took a chance. Got there a few minutes before closing at 5. "No problem, we have them right here." Yours only has 3 wires, mine has 4. "Guess we don't have them."

That night the Internet search started. Using the information on the switch the only place I found them was on eBay but the seller was on vacation until July 11th and it's hot now! During my further search I came upon a number of sites, including this one, that provided me with a lot of good information. The main thing I learned was that a lot of people were having problems finding these types of switches. The big problem is that just because a switch looks like another switch and may even carry the same part numbers on it there is no guarantee that the internal circuits of the switch are the same and will work in your application.

My fans are 3 speed- off, high, medium, low, off is the sequence. I think they may be Hunter brand but don't quote me on it. As indicated I didn't even remember where I bought them. The switch is black and white plastic. The white half is marked- ZING EAR ZE-208S, has a reverse RU logo on it, E-89885 3A-250VAC 6A-125VAC. The black half is marked ZING EAR with the number 1 in a circle. Looking at the black half with the pull chain hole at the top there are markings on the back where 4 wires are inserted into it. It is marked 1 with a gray wire at the 12 o'clock position, L with a black wire at the 3 o'clock position, 3 with a purple wire at the 6 o'clock position and 2 with a pinkish brown wire at the 9 o'clock position. All 4 wires were connected to the same color wires coming out of the fan with wire nuts. The gray wire was connected to 2 gray wires coming out of the fan.

ZING EAR apparently makes most if not all of these switches. From what I've read on these boards even though they may carry the same part numbers the internal circuits of the switches may be different. The colors of the housing may be an indication of that as may be the number in the circle. You may want to browse these pages FYI-

http://www.zingear.com/Templates/En/ProductList.aspx?typeid=34

http://www.shemoilighting.com/PULL_SWITCH.HTML

In reading these boards several switches seemed of interest in that they might work for me.

The Mainstays Ceiling Fan 3-Speed Switch at WalMart. This got me because it comes with 4 wires in the same color that my switch had. I did not check it out because there are no WalMarts near me.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Ceiling-Fan-3-Speed-Switch/16913740

The Harbor Breeze 600-Watt Black 3-Speed Rotary Ceiling Fan Control # 0033905 at Lowe's. Someone mentioned it but it is no longer available at Lowe's. I went to Lowe's but they had no 3 speed switches in stock at all.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_33905-1811-FSW1_4294722444__?productId=3128675&Ns=p_product_price%7C0&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_price%7C0&facetInfo=

Someone said ACE Hardware has the right switch but I could not find anything on their web site. My local hardware store is ACE affiliated and they had nothing similar to my switch.

Home Depot has 2 switches people mentioned- the Westinghouse 77020 and the Westinghouse 77021. Someone said the 77020 worked and not the 77021, someone said the 77021 worked but not the 77020. I decided to go to a different Home Depot and get one of each to see which of them, if any, would work for me. Of course with my luck, when I got there they had neither of them on the rack. The clerk checked and said that both of them had just come in today but had not been put out yet. He checked to see if he could get them for me but unfortunately they were still on the truck and would not be unloaded until tomorrow. Now here's where it gets interesting.

There was one other Westinghouse 3 speed switch on the rack, the Westinghouse 77286. The clerk had checked to see if they had any 77020s or 77021s in inventory on the floor. The computer showed they did but they could not be found. But what he did notice was that the Westinghouse 77286 had the same SKU number as the 77021. I also noticed that the 77286 was a ZING EAR switch and the card carried the same E89885 number that was on my actual switch. As the 77020 and 77021 would not be available until the next evening (if they were really there, we've all been through that before), for $4.25 I took home the 77286 just to play with.

At home using a test meterI was able to determine that the 77286 circuitry functioned as follows:
OFF- none of the 4 terminals are connected.
1st POSITION (assume HIGH)- L and 1 only are connected
2nd POSITION (assume MEDIUM)- L and 2 only are connected
3rd POSITION (assume LOW)- L and 3 only are connected
Back to OFF- none of the 4 terminals are connected

Several people suggested that the only way to find the proper replacement switch was to check how your switch functions electrically. Unfortunately for most of us that could not be done as the pull chain had broken off rendering the switch inoperable. But since the switch doesn't work anyway why not open it and check it out and that's what I did. Drilling off the rivet heads with a Dremel tool and small bit was easy. The rivets are in there tight and had to be pushed out with a very small awl or jewelers screwdriver. Once out the halves come apart easily. Don't worry about the half with the pull chain hole, you don't need it. But be gentle with the half the wires come out of, you want everything in it to remain intact to test it.

Make yourself a chart- 4 columns across by 6 rows down. For now label the columns 1, 2, 3 and 4 (later you will change them to OFF, HIGH, MEDIUM and LOW as appropriate). Label the rows L-1, L-2, L-3, 1-2, 1-3 and 2-3.

Take resistance reading with your meter (you can get cheap ones at Radio Shack, always good to have one) between the 2 terminals indicated in the chart rows. If they're connected indicate CC on the chart for closed circuit or if they're not connected OC for open circuit. Do this for all 6 rows in the first column.

Now in the center of the switch half with the contacts there is a wheel with 4 raised edges (my wheel was red). Place the blade of a small screwdriver against one of the raised edges and gently push it until it snaps into the next position. Take your readings for this position of the wheel. Do this (rotate the wheel and take readings) 4 times. The 5th time you take readings they should match your 1st readings. If they don't try the whole process again, you might have pushed the center wheel too far or not enough at some point.

When you have all of your 4 column readings complete look for the column with all OCs. That should be your OFF position, relabel the column as such. If your fan sequence is OFF-HIGH-MEDIUM-LOW relabel the columns in that sequence or whatever sequence your fan operates in.

Now whatever switch you purchase make the same test on it (DO NOT TAKE IT APART- use the pull chain to rotate through the positions). When you find a switch with the same readings it should work for you.

What happened with my Westinghouse 77286 switch? The readings matched my switch and it works just like my old switch. It's a little stiff when you pull it but that may be just because it's new, my old ones are 25 years old. Think I'll buy a few spares while they have them.

Hope this information helps others. Good luck finding the switch you need.

I had the same problem. I noticed at HD that there were two different kinds of 3 speed ceiling fan switches. The 2 types are: single and a dual capacitor. (The guy there couldn't tell me the difference so I bought both) The single capacitor one didn't work even though it looked just the same, so I tried the dual. It worked like a charm. It looks a little different, but worked.

Hi All, I appreciate this forum. I have an older ceiling fan. Not sure of the manufacturer. It is a 3 speed 4 wire switch. L=Black 1 =Purple 2=Brown 3=Gray.

The only switch that would make it work correctly I bought at Lowe's. Harbor Breeze part # 0033905. Hope that this helps! JJ

Our Hampton Bay fan switch broke and was stuck on high. We went to Lowe's and brought a Harbor Breeze 3 speed fan switch. Part # 003905. We changed it and wired as #1=Gray, #2 = Brown, #3 = Purple, and L = Black.
Works just fine with all three speeds :) Hope this helps someone out there!

Just went through this PITA with my ceiling fan. Googled the issue and was led to this site. After much trouble and some choice words along with a wasted trip to HD for a incompatible switch I got it working. With a lot of patience and frustration I was able to take apart the switch and connect the chain back up with a link from parts from another fan which remote controlled. All good now except when I was all done the wife who was helping me at said "darn now we have to live with that old fan again! I was hoping to get a new one"! Talk about mixed emotions - Oh well I just laughed it off and grinned while putting my tools away. And a little pat on the back for myself. Cheers

Oh BTW I learned (from other posts here) that if nothing else you can permanently have it locked on any of the 3 speeds by connecting the black (hot) wire to any of the 3. You'll see it change speeds as you change from one to the other.