[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

You have the wrong capacitor, the values are not the same. Go to Amazon to get an exact match. You need a 4/5/6 but you bought a 5/5/5.

This one was shown as being a replacement for the fan I have, so I'm hoping it will work.

Would trying it out cause any problems? I don't want to start a fire!

[villagetinker]

Your fan speeds will probably be slightly different with the capacitor you picked, in an ideal world, yes I would have matched the original unit exactly, but since your fan is 20 years old this may not be possible. The one you have is very close and should work just fine.

[Toymeister]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

This one was shown as being a replacement for the fan I have, so I'm hoping it will work.

Would trying it out cause any problems? I don't want to start a fire!

Hmm, there are dozens of 4.5/5/6 capacitors on Amazon. This is much closer than what you bought

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

Hmm, there are dozens of 4.5/5/6 capacitors on Amazon. This is much closer than what you bought

A shame, but at the time I bought it, several months ago, I had not taken out the old one (as it was still running two of the three speeds) so I didn't know what type it was. I just went with the fact that it was listed as a replacement for my fan. Will post here how well it works, or doesn't.

[Ellwoodrick]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

You have the wrong capacitor, the values are not the same. Go to Amazon to get an exact match.

You need a 4/5/6 but you bought a 5/5/5.

Good catch!

[dsgreen3]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I'm back!

I have removed the old capacitor (big bulges on both sides) and have the replacement ready to go in.

Trouble is, the color of the wires is slightly different so I want to be sure that I am connecting like to like.

The old one has red, purple, brown (right to left) whereas the new one has green, brown, red (right to left).

I would be tempted to connect red-red, brown-brown and green-purple but any thoughts would be welcomed.

At the other end of both capacitors are two gray wires. Does it matter which is which?

I have attached photos of both capacitors

Youtube, has some very helpful videos on changing ceiling fan capacitors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpc5MQvHGo8

[sjeffries]

It’s your fan and your call, but after having a ceiling fan awaken me and burst into flames over my bed one night, I’d say, “REPLACE IT!”

[Burnie]

It seems to me that if you want to do this for the fun of doing it, go for it. However if it was me, I'd just get a new fan.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

Your fan capacitor is bad. It is in the part where you attach the light. You can get these on Amazon for 10.00. It's a simple remove and replace.

Many thanks for correctly diagnosing the problem, Toymeister.

All now working well

Nice to have all three speeds back (and they seem to be similar to before, but can't tell exactly).

[Elixir34]

[QUOTE=Arctic Fox;2235249]The ceiling fan in our lanai has stopped working - the motor still makes its usual noises as I sequence through the speed settings, but the blades remain motionless. It is 20 years old so I suspect a new fan is in order.

The fan has a 3' pipe joining it to the high ceiling. My ladder isn't tall enough to reach the top but I can get to the top of the fan unit where it joins the pipe. Is this likely to be something that unscrews so I can leave the pipe in place and just mount a new fan unit on the bottom?

Is there a particular "fan man" that you recommend if I decide to have it replaced professionally (which Mrs Fox assures me is the way to go!)?

Thank you[/QUOTE

My lanai fan failed. I opened the housing under the motor and inspected the components. The “multi” capacitor that enables the 3-speed feature had a bulge on one side. Purchased an exact replacement (by part number, under$10) from Amazon and wired it in. Did not have to take the fan down to make the repair. Fan still working normally after two years.

BTW … Repaired a failed 12-year-old microwave oven by replacing its shorted electrolytic capacitor and a blown internal fuse. An on-line troubleshooting guide explained how to test the oven’s diode, capacitor and magnetron. Both exact replacement parts (fuse and capacitor) purchased from Amazon for about $12.

[RICH1]

DANS FANS…. Cheaper in the Long RUN…. Big mistake, Lowes
Quality

[Carl Q]

I can install a new one, or just remove the old one. HandymanQ quennie@wcvt.com

802 503 7088

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

The ceiling fan in our lanai has stopped working - the motor still makes its usual noises as I sequence through the speed settings, but the blades remain motionless. It is 20 years old so I suspect a new fan is in order.

The fan has a 3' pipe joining it to the high ceiling. My ladder isn't tall enough to reach the top but I can get to the top of the fan unit where it joins the pipe. Is this likely to be something that unscrews so I can leave the pipe in place and just mount a new fan unit on the bottom?

Is there a particular "fan man" that you recommend if I decide to have it replaced professionally (which Mrs Fox assures me is the way to go!)?

Thank you

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by Carl Q

I can install a new one, or just remove the old one. HandymanQ quennie@wcvt.com 802 503 7088

Thank you, Carl.

I'll keep your contact details for any future needs, but fan now working after capacitor replacement.