Electrical question

1,839 Views | 22 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Marvin_Zindler
chjoak
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AG
My wife recently decided that she wanted a ceiling fan over our kitchen table (vs the basic light fixture there before). Installed one earlier in the week and within the 1st 15 minutes there was a mild electrical burn smell. I pinpointed the smell to the fan motor. Took down the fan and had my wife return it. Installed the replacement fan that night and it is doing the same exact thing. I've played around with it and so far the issue only seems to occur when running on high speed. There are no other signs of an issue (actual smoke, sparks, excessive heat, etc...). Wife spoke to a guy at Lowe's (don't know I trust his expertise) and he thinks the issue is our electric (the wiring). I don't know enough about electrical to fully vet this out but I can't logically see how the wiring could be an issue when the fan is on high but for no other time or with basic light fixtures.

Anyone have any ideas/suggestions?
BrazosDog02
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AG
First, don't ask the guy at Lowe's. He doesn't know ***** I don't know him, but I worked at Lowe's and I can tell you with certainty I know more about every department than likely all employees combined and I know just enough to Get in trouble.

That said, I can't tell you what the issue is because I can't see it but if I've hooked up a fan per directions and my breakers aren't tripping and I'm sure I do not have wiring dragging or arcing inside....then maybe it's just offgassing. I'm not suggesting you let it go but are you sure it's not just the new smell working itself out?
JP76
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Is there a dimmer switch on the old light circuit ?


chjoak
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I hear you RE: Lowe's empoyees. Thought about the "burn off" but was unsure since this was the 1st time I have experienced this in approx 20 fans I have installed over the years.
chjoak
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AG
No. Wiring from the ceiling is basic black & white. With a simple on off switch at the wall.
Fan is white, black & blue wiring. Have it connected white to white and blue & black to black just as the instructions say.
Everything is running fine. No visual arching, no visual smoke, no excessive heat, no tripped breaker. Just a mild electrical burn smell.
chjoak
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Just ran the fan on medium speed for almost 3 hours... No smell. Switched to high and getting the smell in under 10 min.
chjoak
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Switched back to medium and smell is gone.
Actionag
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I suggest edibles if you're looking for high without the smoky smell. If you prefer smoke, you might consider installing a fan to move the air a bit.
sts7049
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that is strange.

anything weird in the manual/specs for power usage/requirements of the fan??
chjoak
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sts7049 said:

that is strange.

anything weird in the manual/specs for power usage/requirements of the fan??
Not that I have seen but will take another look.

Update RE: potential burnoff... Ran on high for over an hour this morning. Smell persisted the entire time. Thinking burnoff is not the issue.
sts7049
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AG
you might also wanna go up in the attic and look around by this box. just to see if anything looks off.
chjoak
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unfortunately I can't. 2 story house, fixture in question on 1st floor, directly above is my daughter's bedroom floor.
BrazosDog02
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I'm going to be honest, if you have run the fan on high a few times and smelled it, there should be pretty obvious signs in the fan itself. I mean, most all of the wires that can burn are located in the fan itself and you can mostly see them all.

What is now concerning is that you found this with two fans. When it's on high and you smell it, does the light switch get warm or hot? Have you pulled the switch to check it? Id say at this point the smells is in or around the fan and you probably ought to figure out how to inspect that wiring.

I know this is getting wild, but it's bothersome...

Is there a light kit on this fan? Are the bulbs in it correct? Is there any chance the smell is coming from that, like, you smelled it after running the fan for an hour while the lights were on?

Honestly, the only thing I can think of is motor windings being faulty since you only smell it on one speed, but the last fan did that too and that would be pretty nutty for two bad fans in a row.

Is it a Hunter fan?
chjoak
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AG
BrazosDog02 said:

When it's on high and you smell it, does the light switch get warm or hot? Not at all
Have you pulled the switch to check it? Hadn't seen a need yet

Is there a light kit on this fan? Yes
Are the bulbs in it correct? Hope so, it's the ones the shipped with the fan
Is there any chance the smell is coming from that, like, you smelled it after running the fan for an hour while the lights were on? A) haven't had the lights on the vast majority that I have been testing. Matter of fact the current fan doesn't even have the bulbs in it at all. B) When I took the 1st fan down I could specifically smell the odor coming from the vents on the upper part of the box opposite the light kit.

Honestly, the only thing I can think of is motor windings being faulty since you only smell it on one speed, but the last fan did that too and that would be pretty nutty for two bad fans in a row. Yep and per my wife, the model is rated really well too.

Is it a Hunter fan? Yes
Gary79Ag
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Have you checked the wiring in the junction box that the fan is attached and wired to?

Look for the possibility of a pigtail wiring connection in the junction box that may not be securely wired tightly and is heating up when the fan is in the high speed setting due to the higher current draw on high speed.
JP76
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Gary79Ag said:

Have you checked the wiring in the junction box that the fan is attached and wired to?

Look for the possibility of a pigtail wiring connection in the junction box that may not be securely wired tightly and is heating up when the fan is in the high speed setting due to the higher current draw on high speed.


I've never seen a residential ceiling fan that pulls over 2 amps even on high.
Aggietaco
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AG
I'd call the Hunter support line and see what their explanation is.
UnderoosAg
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AG
JP76 said:

Gary79Ag said:

Have you checked the wiring in the junction box that the fan is attached and wired to?

Look for the possibility of a pigtail wiring connection in the junction box that may not be securely wired tightly and is heating up when the fan is in the high speed setting due to the higher current draw on high speed.


I've never seen a residential ceiling fan that pulls over 2 amps even on high.

That. The difference between high and medium shouldn't be enough to heat up something to the point of smelling it.

It'd be odd to have back to back bad fans, however, two fans from the same store are likely the same lot or production run, which could have the same crappy capacitor in them.

+1 on calling Hunter. Might also try finding a fan from a different store/batch, but at that point, I'd just get a different model altogether.
87IE
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AG
Since you seem to have the routine of R&R down hook up the new fan where you already have one. I'd bet the smell follows indicating a fan problem vs a wiring one.

Yes it's a pain but you rule out a problem with the wiring in the kitchen.

It's Laken Riley, not Lincoln you idiot
5C
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AG
Wonder what amps the fan pulls and what size wire you have running to it. Seems weird that would be the issue but getting the smell with 2 fans only on high tells me it's an over current problem. Maybe your builder used smaller gauge wire with a correctly sized breaker.
UnderoosAg
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AG
SMC Flex said:

Wonder what amps the fan pulls and what size wire you have running to it. Seems weird that would be the issue but getting the smell with 2 fans only on high tells me it's an over current problem. Maybe your builder used smaller gauge wire with a correctly sized breaker.


Fans top out at a couple of amps. It would have to be speaker wire or some such to overheat the conductor. If the previous kitchen fixture was anything decorative or pendant-ish, it's entirely possible to swap it for a fan and actually reduce the load.
The Fife
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Is any part of the fan getting hot when it's run on high?
chjoak
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AG
Wiring was standard housing electrical wiring

No part that I could see/feel was getting hot

Update - wife ended up buying a different brand/model fan for the 3rd go around. That one is installed and has had no issues for 3-4 days so far. Think UnderoosAg wins with his suggestion of 2 fans off the same assembly batch with the same bad part in each.
Marvin_Zindler
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AG
Gotta love cheap Chinese junk.
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