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-   -   Harbor Breeze ceiling fan wall-switch causing RF interference around house (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=341944)

  • Apr 15, 2009, 11:15 AM
    c0ldzr0
    Harbor Breeze ceiling fan wall-switch causing RF interference around house
    Hi,
    My dad had an electrician install a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan/light over his desk upstairs. He also installed a Harbor Breeze wall-switch with an RF remote (bought separately from the fan). The wall-switch has an on/off slide switch for the power; it has a button for the light, and four fan-control buttons.

    The whole thing worked fine for, I don't know, a year; but a month or so ago, he hit the button to turn the light on and he said it gave him a shock, after which the red light stayed on solid, and continues to stay on whenever the on/off slide switch is switched to on. We didn't put it all together right away, because different ones of us were operating different things around the house, but we finally compared notes and realized that whenever the switch is on, it causes extreme interference with several other RF items around the house, including two Hunter ceiling fans downstairs (one of which was operating on the same frequency [or same remote settings, if you know what I'm trying to say] as the Harbor Breeze switch, the other Hunter was not); and also a remote gate opener outside. However, it causes no interference with another Hunter ceiling fan upstairs, or our Universal RF remote.

    The HB fan and light all work fine from the wall-switch, but won't respond to its hand-held remote; and it's as if the wall-switch is maybe saturating the area with RF or something, because the Hunter downstairs (the one on same remote setting) won't respond to its remote, but keeps sporadically changing directions on the fan. The other Hunter won't respond at all, and the gate opener only barely responds to its remote.

    So, what I'm wondering is if there's an easy way that a novice can get the switch, sort of, reset. I know nothing about electrical work, but Dad knows a bit; however, we don't know how this switch operates, and whether there may just be something that was tripped somehow when he touched the button, and a way to easily reset whatever that was. I've looked around online, and Google-searched it, but can't find anything addressing this issue; and calling any company's customer support on ANYthing is usually a day-long ordeal, to be avoided if AT ALL possible(! Lol.); so any help would be greatly, greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance,
    David
  • Apr 17, 2009, 10:48 PM
    ceilingfanrepair

    There usually isn't a reset, other than cutting the breaker, and back on again.

    Normally I'd say try changing the frequency, and you can. But the shock indicates something is seriously wrong, so I'd remove the switch/RF kit, and either use the fan with the pullchains, or buy a new kit.

    Ceiling fan remote controls - help and FAQ- Ceiling Fans N More
  • Apr 20, 2009, 04:48 AM
    c0ldzr0
    Thanks for the response. I don't know if Dad has tried the breaker or not, but I know I haven't; we'll give that a try first. Hopefully that'll fix it so we won't have to buy a new one, but now I'm kind of doubting it. Lol. Oh well.

    Thanks again, very much, for the answer.
    D
  • Apr 20, 2009, 09:03 PM
    ceilingfanrepair

    Let us know how it works out.

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