# Did the rheostat destroy the fan/light?



## Mark53 (Nov 5, 2010)

Hello, people,
There was a ceiling light in the bedroom, controlled by a wall rheostat (dimmer).
I replaced the Light with a ceiling Fan and Light combination, controlled by a remote control.
I Told her to leave the rheostat ALWAYS in the Top (on/bright) position.
The fan and light did work, for just a day or two. Now, it does nothing.
Could the problem be that the rheostat was accidentally lowered/dimmed?
Would that have destroyed/disabled the receiver for the fan/light remote control?
Thanks for any advice that you can offer. :banghead:
Mark53


----------



## Confounded Also (Aug 19, 2015)

Start by replacing the dimmer with a switch. The dimmer may have gone bad instead of the fan.

I find with my fan/light with a remote that sometimes it forgets where it is and what it's supposed to do and I just have to turn the wall switch off and back on a couple of time.

There is always a chance with new items now that you might just get a bad one sometimes. Go Quality Control! Not.


----------



## Mark53 (Nov 5, 2010)

Thanks for your reply, Confounded.
Well, we did not really want any wall switch operating the fan/light, so I just 
put a wire nut in place of that dimmer. There's now full power getting to the fan/light.
And none of the fan/light works. 
I'm guessing that the receiver is dead. Is there a way to test that?
BTW, when the fan was _working_, it ran much slower than I would have expected.
Mark53


----------



## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Are you sure there is power in the ceiling box?

Is there a way to reset the transmitter/receiver?

Do the fan/light work if you bypass the transmitter/receiver?

What is the make and model number of the fan/light?


----------



## Mark53 (Nov 5, 2010)

Yes, there Is power getting to the ceiling.
And... the Receiver is seriously Fried.

I opened it up, to see if maybe there is a burnt Component that could be replaced.
Nope... the pc board is also nicely burnt.
Now to find a replacement... part # AA2009-9RF... 
Easily available for only $1.50 each... IF I buy 1,000 of 'em from China.
Haven't yet found a place that will sell just one of them. Ah, well...
Thanks for your time, people.
Mark.


----------



## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Oops, looks like someone let some smoke out of some of those electronic components. Hate when that happens cause it's impossible to put the smoke back in 'em. :sad: :wink:


----------



## Mark53 (Nov 5, 2010)

Now, THAT's Funny, SpywareDr !


----------



## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

:thumb:


----------



## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

I am assuming that you used a dimmer switch and NOT a rheostat .. although a rheostat is usually just a wirewound adjustable resistor .. Dimmer switches are usually electronic and are for use ONLY with resistive loads ... fans are NOT resisitive loads although the light bulbs (if incandescent) are !

reason your dimmer went faulty (and caught fire) is that it was not meant to be used on INDUCTIVE circuits .. ie Fans motors and stuff like that !

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...6_manual.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0GNY4nNZ3DGeiSWswC6N9i

If you are going to make changes to electrical wiring and switches in your household or elsewhere make sure that you know what you are doing .. this time you were lucky .. next time you may be looking for a way to put the smoke back in your home !!



> This dimmer switch is designed for use only with permanently installed incandescent lighting fxtures. Do not use it to control ﬂuorescent lighting, transformer supplied lighting/appliances, motorized appliances or receptacles. The incandescent lighting controlled by this dimmer switch must not exceed a total of 500 watts.


----------



## Mark53 (Nov 5, 2010)

Thanks for your input, DoneFishin, but just for clarification...
Since the original post, I've learned that the thing in the wall was probably a Dimmer, not a Rheostat.
I'm an old fart, and was simply using terminology learned years ago.
And, it's the remote Receiver that fried, not the Dimmer.

And the follow-up question... 
If the Receiver simply received LESS (amps, watts, volts, whatever) than expected, 
why would that cause it to burn? I can understand that Too Much power would fry it, 
but... why would it melt with Not Enough power?
Thanks for your time, people.


----------



## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Who says "the Receiver simply received LESS (amps, watts, volts, whatever) than expected, " .. 
I don't have the internal circuit diagram for the device that you used however I would guess that the power rail for the receiver was part & parcel of the power supply being used from the mains input .. 

When using Inductive loads in Electronic Circuits that are powered by switched impulses, the Inductor will have stored energy (ElectroMotive force or EMF) which has to go somewhere when the switching action stops (albeit momentarily). This Energy is referred to as Back EMF and is returned to the circuit from whence it came unless there is a circuit that stops it or cancels it out. The Voltage is usually the inverse voltage of the voltage that put it there in the first place .. so if +300Volts peak was fed in then -300Volts peak will be sent back. This can cause a peak to peak Voltage across devices up to 600Volts which may be too much for the components to stand .. resulting in a burn out .. which is why the manufacturers say NOT to use the devices on Inductive circuits and only resistive circuits where there is no possibility of BACK EMF being induced when the circuits are being switched 

As for your statement of being an old fart .. join the club .. I am also a retired old fart of a young 66 years of age .. hence why I say 
I'm not old!!
I'm age impaired

It's only us older folk that know what a Rheostat is .. and we most likely have played with them whilst training or as a hobby !

Please keep asking and also please take care when modifying Electrical Household circuits .. It may not be you that pays the price or loses a life because you thought it would be a good idea to change something .. It all boils down to Murphy's Law .. any modification to a circuit or device requires further modifications to said circuit or device because you made that 1st modification .. 

it turns out that a lifetime of changes could be required to be made !


----------

