I added a ceiling fan to an existing circuit with GFCI protection. I know, I know, they say you shouldn't because the inductance from the motor can trip the GFCI. I figured I'd risk that minor inconvenience rather than the major inconvenience of putting in a whole new circuit for one fan.
The fan worked fine for about 8 months. Despite turning it on and off many times, it only tripped the GFCI twice, which never seemed to cause it any harm.
However, today I came home and the fan no longer works. It makes a humming noise, but the fins don't spin. I read online that it could be due to a burned capacitor (why does a fan need a capacitor?), in which case pushing fins by hand to get them spinning should work. It doesn't.
So my question is:
- Could the GFCI tripping as the fan started up cause the capacitor (or any other part of the fan) to burn out?
- Do these symptoms point to any obvious cause? Is it fixable?
Best Answer
From the perspective of a motor, a GFCI looks exactly the same as any other circuit breaker. The only difference is that a GFCI has extra circuitry which senses an imbalance between the black and white wires (plus control circuitry to trip the breaker)—nothing more.
Many modern ceiling fans seem to be cheaply made. I suspect the failure is a quality control issue or an intentional cost cutting measure of the manufacturer. If it is still in warranty, get it replaced.