I have a strange problem that I am not sure how to fix. My ceiling fan light has started flashing on and off at regular intervals (about 2-3 times per second). It is very steady and not a flicker. I am pretty sure that it is not a problem with the switch as the fan still works fine. Any ideas on what the problem could be? The fan is only about two years old.
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Ceiling fan light flashing on and off
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Last: 9 yr ago by Aggietaco
Loose wire.
Modulating High impedance air gap.
In other words loose wire. Unless you have a remote or other controller that went caddywhompus. Start with the idiot plug between the fan and light kit.
In other words loose wire. Unless you have a remote or other controller that went caddywhompus. Start with the idiot plug between the fan and light kit.
Be sure to check for aluminum and copper wired taped together somewhere.
I will check, but I don't see how it could be a loose wire. It is blinking continuously (think turn signal on your car), and the fan works fine. I googled it and some people are saying it is the wattage governor messing up and you should just bypass it.
And as far as I know, I don't have aluminum wire in my house.
What kind of light kit do you have?
I'm not sure what you mean. It is a Hunter fan, and the light kit is what came with the fan. It has two candelabra sized bulbs. I don't have any dimmers or remotes installed on it.
Incandescent.
Is your flux capacitor...fluxing?
Do you live in a mobile..er.. manufacturered home, and if so, are you in the process of making a left turn?
Somewhere in a past life I remember reading about the issue with fan light kits and the push for energy conservation. Did a little Google-fu with DOE, and voila. If you have other than "normal" medium base light bulbs, there is a restriction to no more than 190W. The black box is the lighting version of the emission controls in newer diesel engines (in my two bit opinion) - a half ass idea poorly executed, and overall worthless once you discover how it can be defeated.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/72_fr_1270_4.pdf
So all that to say your black box is broke.
Do you live in a mobile..er.. manufacturered home, and if so, are you in the process of making a left turn?
quote:
two candelabra sized bulbs
Somewhere in a past life I remember reading about the issue with fan light kits and the push for energy conservation. Did a little Google-fu with DOE, and voila. If you have other than "normal" medium base light bulbs, there is a restriction to no more than 190W. The black box is the lighting version of the emission controls in newer diesel engines (in my two bit opinion) - a half ass idea poorly executed, and overall worthless once you discover how it can be defeated.
quote:
DOE is interpreting these two
requirements as design requirements.
The first requirement, that ceiling fan
light kits shall not be capable of
operating with lamps that total more
than 190 watts, is being interpreted as
requiring manufacturers to incorporate
some electrical device or measure, such
as a fuse, circuit breaker, or current
limiting device, to ensure that the light
kit is not capable of operating with a
lamp or lamps that draw more than 190
watts.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/72_fr_1270_4.pdf
So all that to say your black box is broke.
So basically if I bypass that black box, it should fix it?
1. Removing the black box will void the UL listing for the light kit.
2. Removing the black box will cause 0.00000000232 more trees in the Amazon rainforest to die a horrible death, early.
3. Removing the box will make Al Gore cry.
In other words, yeah you can take it out - with one big caveat: make sure you take out the limiter and not the fan capacitor which may look the same. That, and make sure you reconnect the light kit individual wires correctly.
Ain't misguided legislation grand??? Thanks EPACT!
2. Removing the black box will cause 0.00000000232 more trees in the Amazon rainforest to die a horrible death, early.
3. Removing the box will make Al Gore cry.
In other words, yeah you can take it out - with one big caveat: make sure you take out the limiter and not the fan capacitor which may look the same. That, and make sure you reconnect the light kit individual wires correctly.
Ain't misguided legislation grand??? Thanks EPACT!
And just think, someday soon 100W light bulbs will cost more than hydroponic weed.
I have found that you can't buy 100W bulbs with the smaller base anyway.
I meant in general. The reason for the limiters is to keep Hunter/HarborBreeze/Chinese Fan, Inc from having to give you CFL's if they used medium bases.
That worked! I figured out which one was the watt governor, clipped the wires, and connected them directly to the hot and neutral wires. From reading online, this apparently happens quite frequently. It does seem kind of silly to put it in there given how easy it is to bypass it.
Like the low flow water restrictors in showerheads. They put them in because they have to. They make them easy to remove because you want to remove them.
Just had the same thing start happening to me on a Hunter fan in the bedroom. Had never heard of this issue, did some Googling and found a TA thread. Planning to pull the current limiting device this weekend.
Bump for anyone else that may experience this issue.
Bump for anyone else that may experience this issue.
No governor, no speed limit.
quote:
I have found that you can't buy 100W bulbs with the smaller base anyway.
Sylvania makes a 100 watt replacement cfl that uses 23 watts in candelabra base. It can be found at lowes.
The offender:
