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kimkim · Jul 10, 2006, 03:43 AM

Inside housing case are two boxes. One box has #1,2,3,and letter L.
The other box has 1 red wire glued in silicone. There are two cords running into housing case.
A gray cord coming from fan's motor with 5 wires:
White,yellow,blue,gray,green w/white stripe.
A black cord (two prong plug) with 2 wires: black and white.
The black(bc),white(gc),yellow(gc),blue(gc) wires are
Attached at the appropriate post on the box labeled 1,2,3,L.
The green w/white stripe and red wires are connected together.
The other end of the red wire is enclosed in a plastic cap.
There are two wires that are loose:
The gray wire coming from the gray cord and the white wire coming from the black cord. Where do they connect?

ceilingfanrepair · Jul 10, 2006, 10:11 AM

Any chance of a picture? Your description is a little unclear to me.

kimkim · Jul 10, 2006, 05:40 PM

Thanks for responding. No, there is no picture. Maybe I was too detailed?
I can draw a picture by hand and scan. Do you think that might help?

ceilingfanrepair · Jul 10, 2006, 11:35 PM

What would be best is if you could snap a picture of the switch housing and email it to me.

It sounds like one or more wires came loose from the red wire's plastic cap. Without actually seeing it I doubt I can tell you more.

This is a ceiling fan, right?

kimkim · Jul 11, 2006, 05:08 PM

I don't own a camera. The fan is a floor fan. You might be right about the red wire with cap. When I removed the cap, there was a stray cooper wire next to it. The red wire has silver wires. The loose white wire happens to be cooper. The loose gray has silver wires.

ceilingfanrepair · Jul 11, 2006, 05:13 PM

I don't know much about floor fan wiring, but try connecting the loose wire to the red wire that's not connected to anything. That's really all I can tell you without seeing it.

kimkim · Jul 12, 2006, 04:34 PM

Thanks again for responding and for your help. Is there another site like this that I can go to? One that deals with Fan Switch Wiring?

ceilingfanrepair · Jul 12, 2006, 04:52 PM

No, and if there was, they too would need a picture. It's simply not the kind of question that can be answered without hard information. Either I (or anyone else) would need to be familiar with the specific model fan, or see it.

kimkim · Jul 13, 2006, 04:29 PM

Again, Thanks for the response. Someone from another site was able to help me using just the details that I had written. Pictures are not always needed. I guess some of us don't have an imagination.

ceilingfanrepair · Jul 13, 2006, 04:31 PM

Please, share the link to this other site, so we all may learn (because I don't believe you)

kimkim · Jul 14, 2006, 04:30 AM

http://www.wiringsecrets.com/

Stratmando · Jun 2, 2007, 11:58 AM

I just went to this site, even though old post. To Make clear, The Book "wiring secrets"is $9.95

ceilingfanrepair · Jun 2, 2007, 12:45 PM

And I DOUBT there's anything in it about replacing a ceiling fan pullswitch, which is what the thread was about. Spammer!

sellers · Jul 1, 2009, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by ceilingfanrepair

Please, share the link to this other site, so we all may learn (because I dont believe you)

Hi, you sound very helpful, so hope you don't mind if I ask you two questions also.

I have a typical box fan, 3 speed, that didn't work but I couldn't return or exchange at the store (I didn't open the box and try it until a few months after I bought it). The switch has four wires, the grey one goes to the ac cord (measured), the other side of the cord (white) appears to go to the motor, as I would presume also the other three wires (red, blue and black) from the switch go to the motor (best I can see).

My question is if the switch is simply a switch, perhaps a single pole three position (four position actually, counting off), no diodes or circuitry in the switch?

If so, then the motor must have its coils wired for three speeds. So my 2nd question is, since it would seem it would take extra coil wiring and a heavier and more expensive motor, does the switch connect more than one wire to get faster speeds, i.e. is the switch special and not as asked in first question?

I was going to try just cutting the wires and put an old toggle switch to connect the grey wire to whatever wire or wires sets the medium speed. The fan cost about $15 (certainly less than $20) so it doesn't seem worth it to try to find a replacement switch. Maybe it is, but in any case I am very interested to know how the switch and motor work.

Thank you.

sellers · Jul 2, 2009, 09:00 AM

Just FYI, part of this question was figured out. While trying to stick a small nail in the switch where to wires go in, the wires came out - guess everyone knew that if they were going to replace the switch. Anyway, the switch ohmed out as a single pole normal switch, nothing wrong or special about it. So, the motor is broken and the 1st question about the switch I think is answered.

There's a phone number in the box for Healthsource in Lansing Michigan, but they apparently are out of business. The motor is from Lakewood Inc and is clearly stamped for the wire connections (white-common, black-high, blue-med and red-low). I presume the white is broke somewhere since nothing worked when previously I shorted any and all to the grey wire at the switch. So, to the 2nd question answer appears to be yes, there are three separate windings in the motor. One each for high, medium and low speed. There is also a 4uF cap on motor I don't know what for.

Unless someone wants to explain better or more, this seems to address the two questions. I doubt it is practical to try fixing the motor. Already spent more time than the fan is worth even at minimum wage, but hopefully learned something.

ceilingfanrepair · Jul 21, 2009, 01:48 AM

Lakewood is out of business.

Do you have an ohm meter?

sellers · Jul 23, 2009, 07:09 AM

Yes, as mentioned the switch and wires ohmed out so there must be a broken common wire (white) inside the motor. Too bad Lakewood went out of business along with those losing jobs there. Most of my fans are Lakewood, but there must be something real fragile in the newer fans as another one quit working after being tipped over on a tile floor, whereas a couple of the older fans have be knocked off windows and still work. Is there something more than just coil windings and magnets in the motor? If a magnet was jarred loose wouldn't the motor still show continuity with an ohm meter (unless the wire burns out when stalled)?

Stratmando · Jul 23, 2009, 07:22 AM

If the fan got bumped, check the direction switch is not in the middle.

sellers · Jul 23, 2009, 07:44 AM

This one has push button switches and it ran after being uprighted (although seemed slow) and then noticed it had stopped about 10 minutes later. The motor was warm so I suspect a motor winding wire burned open. Too bad as it was a very quiet and most used fan the last three years. As mentioned, they must be built fragile as a similar fan got banged up a lot worse a few years ago and still works.

ceilingfanrepair · Sep 2, 2009, 10:02 PM

How old is this box fan?