New remote control ceiling fan. When switch is on can't turn off light

Question

Installed a new remote controlled ceiling fan. Went from 2 switches to 1. New fan only has black, white, neutral. I capped off the red. Fan works, light works, but doesn't shut off unless I turn them both off at the switch. So I can't have the fan on without the light being on. Any ideas on how to correct? Replaced light kit already and nothing changed

Answer 1

I suspect you have a miswired remote control module.

The remote control module in many fans is actually a replaceable part. It connects to the ceiling wires on one side to get power and to the fan and light wires on the other side. The module can have an internal defect, or it could simply be wired incorrectly.

If the fan is new and under warranty, I highly recommend contacting the manufacturer. Unfortunately, in this case it gets a bit complicated as this is a private-label product made for Lowes. Which means you probably need to deal directly with Lowes, where with a truly separate company you might be able to pursue it as a direct warranty claim. With some large built-in items (e.g., large appliances), some manufacturers will provide in-home warranty service. I have no idea if that is the case for Harbor Breeze or not.

If the fan is out of warranty, or if it is in warranty but dealing with that is problematic (e.g., you no longer have packing materials and Lowes/Harbor Breeze does not provide an in-home warranty) then it is worth taking the fan down and checking the remote control module. In particular it may be easily removable from the fan and then you may have a few options:

• You may find the wiring is incorrect (take pictures before you disconnect anything!) and rewiring will solve the problem.
• If the remote is a standard type that switches 120V power/loads then you may be able to replace it with a generic alternative. The problem is that while this generally works for fan speed control and light on/off/dimming, that won't generally work for changing light color, which makes me suspect that this is not a standard remote module.
• You may be able to get a replacement remote of the same model/type for a reasonable price.