AggieJustin

Since we have such a breadth of experience here, I figured I might be able to get some answers here that have eluded by "Google-fu" so far.

I have a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan in our living room that is controlled via a remote control with 3 speeds. The fan won't go any faster than medium speed. We can select low or medium, but there is no speed change when selecting high. We have the exact same fan in our bedroom and with a basic visual comparison, it doesn't even seem as fast on medium as the bedroom fan on medium.

I pulled the fan down checking for any pull chain controls that may be up in the housing, but there were no controls outside of the remote. I bypassed the remote control receiver and wired the fan directly to power and the speed was still no faster.

Are there any other items I can check or possibly replace? Or is my best option just to replace the fan? I'm a little hesitant to replace it as I haven't been able to find a similar fan with separate up and down lighting controlled by remote that isn't high-priced. Hoping I can swap some parts to get back in business.

Thanks in advance for any help!

wyododge

You might try contacting Harbor breeze directly. You could get lucky, there might be a recall on it.

You could try to get an amperage reading while it is running, but it sounds like the motor may be shot. Does it get real hot when running??

annabelle

I have two remote controlled Hunter fans in my den. One fan is noticeable slower than the other fan in the den or any of the other identical fans that are all over the house. I had an electrician friend of mine check all the wiring and connections. He said it must be the internal chip of that one fan.

AggieJustin

Tracking down a contact for Harbor Breeze is more difficult than it sounds. I've been looking for manuals or parts for the fan based on model numbers and I haven't come up with much. Even the search for Harbor Breeze brings back sites that sell Harbor Breeze, but nothing for the actual company.

The motor doesn't feel excessively hot when running. It is completely hidden within the housing so it's hard to get hands on right after shutting it off, but the housing never feels warm even after it's been running for a while.

The other thing I have noticed is that it's slower to start up than the other fan is. The bedroom fan spins right up to medium speed as soon as you hit the button. The living room fan slowly comes up to speed.

Just so I can get at least get some education out of this. How is the speed actually controlled? There are only two wires coming out of the remote receiver (Motor L and Motor Neutral). So is it the receiver that modulates the power going to the motor, or are there additional components that control the speed in/on the motor?

wyododge

Most likely the remote controls a chip that varies voltage to the motor by 'steps'. If the housing is not getting hot, most likely the motor is fine, but the computer circuitry is faulty. It probably goes to a default when there is some sort of failure. Kinda like a limp mode. If you can bypass the internals, and wire directly to the motor, there are aftermarket remotes that you can install on a standard fan. Or just wire direct and install a variable fan control switch on the wall. Or take the fan down and beat it to death with a bat and get a little frustration out!!

coxj53

I was an electritian for awhile. I dont believe I ever ran across a fan with no controls up by the motor, When one came with a remote you always have to get the manual control to the highest setting. If you wired it direct and there isnt anything other controls where it goes into the motor then that is as fast as that motor will go, unless you hook the nuetral wire to the other phase in the panel and run it on 240. Lol, I am just joking but I think the remote reciever cuts the voltage down to the motor and thats why there are only two wires. I havent worked on that stuff for a few years but I think when people set the fan on low and the remote to low it probably ruined the motor so maybe the manufacturer started leaving the manual controls off on the ones that came with a remote. Just buy an identical one, throw yours in the box and take it back. They sold you the p.o.s in the first place. Just make sure to tell them in doesnt work so they dont put it back on the shelf and sell it to me. Which is pry what happened to you.

S.TX.MEGA

If I remember right Harbor Breeze is made by Hunter for Home Depot.
You may have a bad resister unit (little square box with wires coming out) that controls the different speeds.

My mistake it was Hampton Bay not Harbor Breeze.

AggieJustin

Thanks for the feedback guys! I'll have to find some time to take it down and get part numbers off the components on top of the motor. Maybe I'll get lucky and be able to find some replacements somewhere.

I've already tried the new remote receiver route, that was why I had it down in the first place. Same results, that's also when I tried wiring in direct (without the remote) and found that it still didn't spin any faster. So it's either the motor or one of the two components wired in on top.