While changing the ceiling fan wall switch I forgot to shut off the breaker and must have touched a live wire with the screwdriver because a spark occurred, my screwdriver had burn marks, and I tripped the breaker. I then made sure the breaker was off all the way and finished installing the new wall switch for the ceiling fan. After I was finished I turned the breaker back on. However, I can't seem to get the ceiling fan to work. Did I do irrepairable damage to the fan or to the wires? What should I do?

Sounds like you rewired your switch wrong you should just have a hot wire and your switch leg going to it no white wires possibly your ground wire too

Hello abcwen123

Is this a pull cord fan or a remote controlled fan ?

The problem is almost sure data like, not hardware like.
It's not very likely that the short has damaged the fan circuitry itself.
But it can have caused pulses that have resulted in processor problems that can be reset.

What brand and type is your fan? Do you have just one on/off switch (see below) or a 3 or more position switch?

In the mean time please check the switch function itself in case there is only one on/off switch (it may be burned out) by either a multimeter or any other device you may have. Even a lamp with two wires will do. Just be careful however ! Measure between the hot-switched wire and any neutral.

:)

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Originally Posted by abcwen123

While changing the ceiling fan wall switch I forgot to shut off the breaker and must have touched a live wire with the screwdriver because a spark occurred, my screwdriver had burn marks, and I tripped the breaker. I then made sure the breaker was off all the way and finished installing the new wall switch for the ceiling fan. After I was finished I turned the breaker back on. However, I can't seem to get the ceiling fan to work. Did I do irrepairable damage to the fan or to the wires? What should I do??

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This is a pull cord fan that I just installed a remote for. I had pulled out the switch to see what color wire went to the fan from the switch and after installing the remote and testing to make sure it worked. I then went to put the switch back and that's when the sparks flew. I also tried swapping the wall switch with another working wall switch as I saw some burn marks on the switch. However, after doing that I still couldn't get it to work.

Short circuit at the switch will not affect the fan itself the electronics in it are not that sensitive. Make sure your getting power at the switch, you might of fried your breaker. If u do then check for power at the fan.

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Originally Posted by BrandonB23

short circuit at the switch will not affect the fan itself the electronics in it are not that sensitive. make sure your getting power at the switch, you might of fried your breaker. if u do then check for power at the fan.

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Actually just the opposite is true. The remote electronics are that sensitive and fail all the time, that's why I don't recommend remotes.

Try removing the remote receiver and wire the fan without it, as it was wired before, and see if everything works.

Ceiling fan wiring - Ceiling Fans N More

A short at the switch will do what at the fan? Send power to it for a split second like if you was to flip the switch on then off real quick. If you accidentally sent power through the neutral to the fan then yes it would burn up. Otherwise your just fine

If he tripped the breaker, the screwdriver must have contacted both hot and ground.

Trust me, it can do it. Read the hundreds of other similar posts on these forums if you don't believe me.