Electrical – motor hums, light works, fan won’t turn

I just wanted to post what worked for me. There are some common issues that can easily be fixed if you hear a hum but it does not spin.

1. The switch used to reverse the fan direction (not found on all fans, typically found on the side of the fan when present) is between the two settings. Move the switch to either of the two settings.

2. The bearing has seized. If you open the fan up, take the motor apart, there is a bearing that spins the fan. Spray that with some WD40 and it will fix the issue (this fixed it for me).

3. The fuse is gone. There will be a small fuse that needs replacing, this happens when the power gets too high for the fan.

4. The wires have become loose. Check to make sure that the soldering is secure at the ends of the wires to where they connect to the coils.

5. The motor is covered in dirt and dust. Take the motor apart and vacuum out all of the debris.

Hope this helps someone.

You are not wired the same way as the picture in your instructions. I think the power comes in to the ceiling box, and the switch is a separate cable.

To verify this, disconnect all of the wiring in the ceiling box and at the switch. Turn the breaker on and carefully check for voltage between the black and white wires. When you find the black and white pair (or just the black wire if you are using a voltage tester) that has power, then you can turn the breaker off.

If this test confirms voltage on just one black wire, then connect as follows:

1. In the ceiling box:
   • Connect the black powered wire to the other black wire in the ceiling box.
   • Identify the white wire that is paired with the black powered wire. It will be in the same cable sheath. Connect that white wire to the white wire on the fan.
   • Connect the remaining white wire (which would be coming from the switch) to the black wire on the fan/controller. Wrap a piece of electrical tape around the white wire about a half inch back from the wirenut. This will signify that the white wire is carrying live current and is not a neutral.
2. In the switch box:
   • Connect the black wire to the switch wire with the yellow sticker.
   • Connect the white wire to the switch wire with the blue sticker. Also mark this white wire with electrical tape.