The pull chain that turns the lights on/off on a ceiling fan has fully retracted into the housing. Is this fixable without installing a new pull chain switch?
Switch – Pull chain fully retracted on ceiling fan
ceiling-fanswitch
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As far as I can find, having taken the fan down, there is no way to add a pull chain to this fan. There is also no remote receiver in any user serviceable area of the fan. The light housing connects to the fan body via a six pin Molex connector and contains a wattage limiter of some kind (per the Hampton Bay specs for similar fans).
I am unable to buy a replacement remote with a reverse button, nor have I been able to get the fan to reverse or speed up. The Home Depot staff were also unsure how to fix the problem, and the service personnel at the 1-800 number included with the fan remote were also unsure how to fix the problem.
The fan appears to be worth at most $70, so I am just going to replace it in its entirety. Lesson learned: avoid Hampton Bay remote controlled fans.
Edit: A look inside showed that the light housing was fubar (partially melted, probably killed the receiver). I replaced it with an aftermarket kit and voila:
Here is a good diagram that shows how a 3-speed switch works.
To control the fan speed without the switch, you'd have to apply current to the proper wires to get the speed you want. Since this is likely a mechanical device (not electronic), the only way to change the setting is to physically move the switch to another position.
A tiny bit of chain is visible
If even a small bit of the chain is left, you may be able to pull it using needle nose pliers. If the fan is connected directly to power (not controlled by a wall switch), you'll probably want to shut off the breaker to stop the fan while you do this (so you don't loose your head). Most fans have the same click pattern.
- 1st Click = High.
- 2nd Click = Med.
- 3rd Click = Low.
- 4th Click = Off.
So be careful to count your pulls, or you'll be making another trip to the breaker.
The chain is just GONE!
If the chain is completely gone, the easiest option would be to replace the entire fan.
If you like to tinker; and have a bit of knowledge about this stuff, you could take the fan apart and replace the switch. It's probably a good idea to have the old switch in-hand, when you make your trip to the hardware store for a replacement. Don't forget to label the wires when you remove the broken switch, you won't remember where they all went.
Note: Flipping the breaker on/off a couple times, will do nothing but turn the fan on/off a couple times. It is possible to control the speed of the fan by continuously flipping the breaker on/off, but your arm would get tired pretty quick.
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Best Answer
Just about all the switches I have encountered over the years can be taken apart to reroute the chain. Some have screws you can just remove, some have metal screws that have to be removed with pliers. Before you try to take the switch apart, remove it from the fixture and just shake it slowly to see if you can get the tip of the chain out. If this doesn't work, then apart it goes. Separate the two halves carefully because there are some springy contacts in there and you don't want them flying across the room.