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Phantom electric in ceiling fan

B

bczoom

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Staff member
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OK, here's a weird one.
I have a Hunter ceiling fan in the master bedroom.
Starting a few weeks ago, every time the furnace/heat pump kicks on, it turns on the ceiling fan as well. It is not just spinning the blades from air movement, it actually turns on the fan motor. I tested by running the furnace fan on high without the heat pump/furnace running and the blades don't spin.
I checked voltage on the circuit and it's 120.7V without the furnace running, 120.1V with the furnace running.
What could cause this? There's a capacitor in the fan, could that be shot?
 
Another thing.
I can turn it off at the wall so it doesn't spin.
There's a wireless remote and trying to turn off the fan from the remote doesn't do anything. I did put a fresh battery in it.
 
So heat pump power is completing it's circuit through the fan switch, through the fan, and then to the neutral?
Id be opening junction boxes looking for a wire that has become disconnected.
Somewhere, the fan circuit has a connection with the heat pump fan motor or the compressor. But I'm thinking the heat pump fan motor. If compressor amperage was going through your ceiling fan, I'd think the fan would burn up.
 
waybomb said:
So heat pump power is completing it's circuit through the fan switch, through the fan, and then to the neutral?
Click to expand...
No. Different breakers, on different bus bars.

I've checked voltages everywhere and all looks good. No volts on ground or neutral lines. so that's good.

Right now, I'm "thinking" that there's a RF source coming out of the furnace/heat pump or t-stat that's getting the fan confused thinking it's supposed to come on (fan is normally controlled via remote control).

The fan is 30 years old so at this point, I'm thinking it's serviceable life is nearly over. I've ordered a new fan and will install later this week and see what happens. When I have the new fan, that's when I'll tear into all the boxes to confirm wiring is good.

Still wondering if it's an RF signal or ghost or ???
 
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