[ceilingfanrepair]

Strat, he clearly has non standard wiring, and he attempted to wire a new fan in a standard fashion to the non-standard wiring. This is the root of the issue.

I still need what I asked for in my last post.

Your matrix isn't helpful without knowing what wires they correspond to.

[shimer45]

Ok.

Sounds like a plan to me... I'll take some photos of the wall switches tomorrow after work.

I was hoping that the matrix would be good enough, but I guess more info on the wall switches is needed. Looking at the voltages, you guys think that fan is operating fine? Just the wall switches are miswired? Or what part of the fan broke as a result of the miswiring?

also, the direction switch has 6 wires coming out of it. Does this mean for certain it's a relay and not a switch?

[ceilingfanrepair]

It's a switch.

I have no idea from the matrix since I have no idea what the voltages correspond to.

[ceilingfanrepair]

If you want to test the fan to see if it's the problem, remove it from the ceiling, wire it to an extension cord, and plug it in to a working outlet.

Even if the fan is messed up it could be because of the wiring still. The problem is not necessarily the same thing as the cause.

[shimer45]

Ok... I'm back. Sorry about the delay. I really hope someone will still help me. I have pictures of my wall switches.

I don't know much about wiring so all I can really do is post the photos and ask for your help. As for the ceiling box... there is simply a red wire, a black wire, a white wire, and the unshielded copper wire.

Please take a look and give me a hint as how I can rewire this so that my next fan doesn't break on me.

CeilingFanRepair: I did plug my fan into a wall outlet via an extension cord and it still operates at the slower speeds like when mounted on my ceiling. I guess this means the bad wall switch wiring broke the fan somehow. (though I know it didn't break the cap since I got a replacement from Litex and I soldered it in myself)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31126550@N08/2907772575/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31126550@N08/2908618840/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31126550@N08/2908618808/



Thanks in advance for your help.
-Kevin

[Stratmando]

shimer45, That's odd, never seen a direction switch done with single pole contacts. If so, it could energize a relay to do the multiple wire switching.
With the direction switch that accessible, I could see other people, switch quickly/unknowing and hurt the fan. If the fan is nice/expensive, we will try to help.
A new Fan might be nice? Good Luck

[shimer45]

Stratmando,
I'm not certain the Direction Switch on the wall ever worked. The fan I installed broke after 9 months so I may have switched the direction switch once (maybe).

CeilingFanRepair seemed to think that it never worked and after I took voltage measurements at the Ceiling Fan box, my measurements seemed to confirm that toggling that particular switch didn't alter any of the voltages up there.

The matrix of voltage measurements also confirmed that there is something funny going on with the wiring at my wall switches. I posted the matrix of voltage measurements at the ceiling fan box earlier in the thread.

I'm conceding that I need a new fan... I just want to fix the wiring so this doesn't happen again.

Thanks for you help
-Kevin

[ceilingfanrepair]

We also need pictures of the wiring at the ceiling :)

[shimer45]

Ok. I took the photos at lunch. Here they are. One with flash and one without. It's a little difficult to see up there, but the copper and the Green wire are nutted together and connect to the ceiling mount that came with the fan.

switches 013 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

switches 012 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Thanks again for your help,
-Kevin

[ceilingfanrepair]

I only see three wires-- black red white-- besides ground.

[shimer45]

Yeah. That's all there is.

And in my little matrix of voltages only the Red and the Black changed upon toggling of the 3 wall switches (direction, fan light, fan on/off).

The white was steady between 0 and 1 volt.

What should there be up there?

[ceilingfanrepair]

It only takes 2 switches to control 3 wires. You should get two voltages from each wire: 120vAC or 0. You need to trace this wiring and figure out where it's going.

[shimer45]

So what I need to do:

-Make sure the direction switch is out of the wall circuit.
-Configure the 2 switches (referencing the fan light and fan on/off) so that toggling the 2 wall switches will change the Red from 0<->120 and the Black from 0<->120
-Confirm that the white wire always stays at 0

Before hooking anything up to the ceiling box

Right?
-Kevin

[ceilingfanrepair]

Yes!

BTW the 1v readings on the white wires aren't important.