Cieling Fan & Speed Controller

[04fivefour]

So last night I installed and wired up two commercial westinghouse fans controlled by 1 Dayton fan speed controller. When I turned the breaker on everything was fine but when I turned the fan controller to on it popped and fried the controller and tripped the breaker.

I wired the 2 fans like you would a regular lighting circuit. I wired the conroller like you would a switch. The controller says it is rated to 6 amps and the fans say that they are .5 amps a piece.

Did I wire them wrong or is the fan amperage rating for running not start up? Here are links to the controller and the fans.

http://www.grainger.com/product/48C172?cm_mmc=PPC:GooglePLAC-_-HVAC%20and%20Refrigeration-_-HVAC%20Controls-_-48C172&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=48C172&gclid=CMLF9ZTWhMICFZFzMgodRTIAtQ


http://www.westinghouselighting.com/ceiling-fans/56-inch-ceiling-fan/industrial-56-inch-three-blade-indoor-ceiling-fan-7812700.aspx

 

[Labradorian]

So last night I installed and wired up two commercial westinghouse fans controlled by 1 Dayton fan speed controller. When I turned the breaker on everything was fine but when I turned the fan controller to on it popped and fried the controller and tripped the breaker.

I wired the 2 fans like you would a regular lighting circuit. I wired the conroller like you would a switch. The controller says it is rated to 6 amps and the fans say that they are .5 amps a piece.

Did I wire them wrong or is the fan amperage rating for running not start up? Here are links to the controller and the fans.

http://www.grainger.com/product/48C172?cm_mmc=PPC:GooglePLAC-_-HVAC%20and%20Refrigeration-_-HVAC%20Controls-_-48C172&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=48C172&gclid=CMLF9ZTWhMICFZFzMgodRTIAtQ


http://www.westinghouselighting.com/ceiling-fans/56-inch-ceiling-fan/industrial-56-inch-three-blade-indoor-ceiling-fan-7812700.aspx

Did you read all the warnings in the Fan literature/install manual to see if the fan is compatible with solid state speed control? I have seen this on some fans.

Does the fan not already come with a speed selector switch?

CHeers

 

[04fivefour]

It does come with one but it says it can only run 1 fan and is rated at 1 amp. The instructions with the fan said it work with "most" controllers so who knows what that means. I was wanting to run 2 fans from 1 controller. I am going to have 6 fans when its all said and done so I'd really like to have only 3 switches for front,middle, and back.

 

[04fivefour]

I have another of the same controller, is it possible that it was just a defective one?

 

[Mustang51js]

You prob had a wire grounded somewhere,sometimes when you put the cap on the fan it crushes the wires and shorts them out.

 

[04fivefour]

That would cause the controller to burn up?

 

[Zeke]

You prob had a wire grounded somewhere,sometimes when you put the cap on the fan it crushes the wires and shorts them out.

That would cause the controller to burn up?

Duh?

Another thing is that you are reducing voltage to a reducing voltage device. If you want to control the fan speed other than what the fan board does, you have to leave the fan speed at the fan at full speed.

I think.

 

[04fivefour]

Duh?

Sorry, I just assumed the burnt area would be where it shorted at rather then overloading the controller since the breaker had tripped immeadiatly.

Another thing is that you are reducing voltage to a reducing voltage device. If you want to control the fan speed other than what the fan board does, you have to leave the fan speed at the fan at full speed.

I think.

I'm not sure what you mean. The fans have no speed control on them if that is what you mean.

 

[marty_p]

...you have to leave the fan speed at the fan at full speed.

That I do remember when I installed one at my first house in '93. It was from HD and expensive at the time ($30) but it sure handled two fans like a boss!

 

[Mustang51js]

Must be a wire shorting out somewhere,either in switch or fan connections. To check if it's the fans turn power off, take out controller and wire nut one fan at a time to the power and turn breaker on, if it trips you know which fan it is. If they don't trip then it was prob one of the wires from controller when pushed in the box.

 

[wssix99]

It does come with one but it says it can only run 1 fan and is rated at 1 amp.

There you have it. You need to meet both conditions in the instructions. You can only use the controller with one fan AND with a load less than 1 A.

The electronics in fan motors and the controllers are such that you need a special multi-fan controller for wiring two fans on the same circuit. ... you probably won't like the choices you have, though.

The thing with standard multi-fan controllers is that they make the fan motors "hum." This can be a little annoying. You can get a no-hum multi-fan controller, but I understand most of them are commercial grade, expen$ive, and may require special oversize switch boxes. (The controller instructions will give you specs on how much air space you need around the switch and if you can install other devices/switches in the same box with it.)

I just had to install one of these controllers and had to go with a model that hums. (I wanted a light and fan control in a single-wide switch box.) If you don't need the light control, something like the Lutron Maestro might work well for you: http://www.lutron.com/en-US/Product...ntrols/Maestro/ModelNumbers.aspx#SectionHead5 Since the Maestro works as a wired "remote control," I've been thinking that it may not hum in a multi-fan setup - but I don't know for sure. Maybe there are some reviews on it somewhere for a multi-fan setup?

 

[04fivefour]

There you have it. You need to meet both conditions in the instructions. You can only use the controller with one fan AND with a load less than 1 A.

The electronics in fan motors and the controllers are such that you need a special multi-fan controller for wiring two fans on the same circuit. ... you probably won't like the choices you have, though.

I was using a commercial multifan controller. It says its rated at 6 amps.

 

[wssix99]

Ah. I missed that you were talking about the one that the fans came with.

When you say you wired them like lights, is that white to white and black to black?

 

[04fivefour]

When you say you wired them like lights, is that white to white and black to black?

Yes, I am going to recheck are the connections and check for a short. It makes sense that it would overload the controller if it grounded out.

 

[wssix99]

I'm thinking that your fans may not be compatible with the control you selected. The fan instructions call out:

"Some fan motors are sensitive to signals from Solid State variable speed controls. DO NOT USE a Solid State variable speed control."

The control you selected appears to be marketed for HVAC fans, which are different from ceiling fan motors. Grainger has a different set of controls, with a similar look for ceiling fans.

 

[04fivefour]

I'm thinking that your fans may not be compatible with the control you selected. The fan instructions call out:

"Some fan motors are sensitive to signals from Solid State variable speed controls. DO NOT USE a Solid State variable speed control."

The control you selected appears to be marketed for HVAC fans, which are different from ceiling fan motors. Grainger has a different set of controls, with a similar look for ceiling fans.

Yeah, I found that in the warnings last night. Even worse, the fans are burnt up now.

 

[wssix99]

I'm sorry to hear that. That's brutal.

 

[Tronyadorable]

Save all the good parts for it's replacements-----if you choose the same.....or ebay the parts.