The breaker box has a metal door and can be found in the basement or garage. If you live in an apartment, it might be in a hallway or utility room. If you can, use the wall switch to operate the fan rather than a remote. When the circuit to your fan is tripped, the power to your fan is disconnected. If the fan trips your circuit breaker, other appliances may also not work in your house.
Most breaker boxes will have a diagram that lists the appliances that each switch is connected to. Look for the switch that connects to your ceiling fan or the room that it’s in. If your breaker box doesn’t have any tripped circuits, the problem could be in the fan’s motor or in the wall switch for your fan.
Push the switch to the side all the way until you hear a click.
If the circuit regularly trips when you turn the fan on, it could be overloading the circuit and points to a more serious electrical problem. If this is the case, contact an electrician. [4] X Research source
Voltmeters are typically cheaper than multimeters.
Your switch should have 2-3 wires connected to the wall and a metal “ground” wire hanging from the top of the switch.
Most ceiling fan switches will have 2-3 wires running from the wall to the switch as well as a metal ground wire that’s not connected to anything, coming out from the wall. If the wires are disconnected, you’ll have to turn off the power from your breaker box and properly connect the switch to the wires in your wall.
The black metal screw is the power that’s running to the switch. If you’re using a multimeter, remember to set the device to volts.
If you aren’t getting any volts coming into either screw, it could mean that the wiring connected to the switch is faulty.
Some ceiling fans will have a 2-part switch while others will have a 3-part switch.
If you have a 3-part switch, the red contact should still read 120V when the switch is flipped off. If it doesn’t, it means that the switch is bad and you need to install a new one.
Make sure that the light bulbs in the fan aren’t burnt out by replacing them with new ones.
If wires are disconnected, you’ll have to properly re-install the ceiling fan.
Make sure that all the lightbulbs in the fan are also fully screwed in. Sometimes a fan will sound noisy or make a clicking noise if the components aren’t seated properly due to loose screws.
If the chain isn’t broken but doesn’t change the speed of the fan when you pull it, it could mean that the internal chain switch is broken. [21] X Expert Source Kevin TurnerCommercial Handyman Expert Interview. 15 July 2020. If the chain switch is broken, you can get a replacement switch online or from a hardware store. [22] X Expert Source Daniel StoescuMaster Electrician Expert Interview. 21 June 2021. Take note of the wires connecting the motor to the switch and connect those same wires to the new switch. Remember to turn off the power at the breaker box and get some help if you’re not familiar with working with electrical equipment. [23] X Expert Source Daniel StoescuMaster Electrician Expert Interview. 21 June 2021.
A wobbling fan may also be a sign of improper installation or warped fan blades. If you believe that this is the case, hire an electrician to come and look at your ceiling fan. Sometimes, fans are installed with the wrong electrical box or with the wrong bolts.
