Electrical question

Installing new ceiling fan with leds. Everything is tight & getting power but the fan and light won't turn on. I changed the codes on both the remote and reciever numerous times, rewired the unit several times thinking there was a loose connection.
The other lights and outlets on the same circuit are working just fine. This is the 2nd unit with this issue.

The wall switch installed in the room worked with the old fan. This is a 2 button switch where 1 is for the light and the other is for the fan.

Now that I'm thinking about this could it be the switch is not compatible?

What could be the cause of this and how to fix it

Did you use a meter to see if it has juice?

I used a no contact voltage tester

I'll use the multimeter tomorrow. My fibro is kicking my donkey

If it is just the LED bulbs that are not lighting. They are diodes, you might have to reverse the leads to make them work. Current has to go through a diode the right way to work. If the fan motor will not work it is probably not getting power. old243

It's both that are not firing up regardless if from the switches or the remote.
There's a black and a white wire with a plastic connection from the motor to the lights and there's only 1 way to plug it in.

Try the wall switch in different spots and then remote.

Just got off the phone with the manufacturer, they had me bypass the reciever same result.
They had me remove the fan wire from the switch still nothing.

The only thing left is the switch itself is bad. Who knows how old it is.

Use a meter to make sure you didn't lose a neutral

X2 if you contact tester( you touch it to wire and it lights up) says it's hot it may be neautral , BUT takes very few volts to make them glow.

I had this happen to me, it was a bad wall switch. I bought a new one and everything was fine. Been 15 years now.

Thanks. I'll check it out later. Waiting for kids to get out of school then stop for a wal switch just in case

Neutral has 120.
Pulled the pancake box no Knicks in the romex.
Here's a few pics.

Is the switch before it after the load in the circuit? In any case,if you're measuring 120v after the load, you have an open after the load. That open could be a bad switch if the switch is after the load, or it could be an open in the circuit if the switch is before the load.

This is what I'm talking about. In any electric circuit you'll have source voltage at the beginning (in this case 120v), and 0v at the end of the circuit. The voltage.drops at each load. If there's only one load, all 120v drips across that load to 0v.....if the circuit is complete. That's the key. If the circuit isn't complete and there is an open (broken wire, open switch, etc) then the loads don't matter, it's as I'd they're not there. You'll have source voltage all the way up to the open, and 0v after that.

Think of the "water in a pipe" analogy that's often used to describe electricity. Voltage is electrical pressure, equivalent to water pressure. In the pic below, you start out with 100psi. If the valve is open and water is flowing, you'll have 100psi before the load and 0psi after. If the valve is closed (equivalent to an open in an electrical circuit) you'll have100 psi before and after the load, all the way up to the valve, and 0psi after the valve. It's as if the load/restriction isn't there. It only matters if the water/current is flowing.

Never switch a neutral.

Open the switch box. Use your NCV to test for power. Find the correct breaker to kill the power. Remove the leads from the switch and wire nut them together... Constant power to the switch leg. Turn the power back on.

If fan works, the switch is bad. If it doesn't work then there is an issue elsewhere.

Those non-contact voltage testers are handy. But don't bet your life on one. If you are ever in a position that you have to touch wires and use an NCV, do a Live-Dead-Live test to make absolutely sure the NCV isn't lying to you.

Mike

Best pick up a reasonably priced volt , ammeter ohmeter.. When you are at a hardware store . You can test voltage, load and continuity. Mike gave you good info, to test your switch. If you have 120 volts in your pancake box, when your switch , is jumpered and live. Your problem is related to the hookup , of your fan and light. Just follow your circuit through. Good Luck old243

If the white wire on the switch is really a hot wire, mark it with a piece of black tape or a marker. If it is a neutral, remove it from the switch.

What is the red wire attached to the switch??

It's been hectic here tonight, I'll go through the comments in a bit.

I should've clarified, the neutral with 120 is at the pancake box. The pictures of the double stack switch is the original switch and how originally wired and the grounds aren't connected to the switch. There's no red to the ceiling but one in the box.
This switch is part of a circuit that includes my son's room and there light/ fan works fine

If you got a meter try finding the wires from the pancake box in the switch box by tying the white and black together and using the ohm part on the meter to read the wires . But make sure the power is off or you will have a few sparks .

Totally off the original subject... that box looks to be fan rated but I've never been a fan of pancake boxes for ceiling fans. However, it is what it is.

Back on track...

So that switch has 2 separate toggles: one for the light, one for the fan... But there's only one 2 conductor cable going to the ceiling box? What was the bare ground in the ceiling box attached to before?

Mike

Looks like the ground is being used as a neutral to get 2 switch legs at the fan location. No good. Change to one switch on and off. Use remote to change speed and control lights.

That’s my question. Where is the neutral for the fan/light in the ceiling box? Hope you’re not using the bare copper for the neutral.

Did you check the fan to make sure it works?

Would not be the first time something brand new was DOA

If everything was working and now this fan is not then that is what I would start with

That was my suspicion as well.

Mike

It has been a busy day finally had time to get to this.
I decided to look at goe the boys room is wired with the same exact fan/ light and stacked switch.
I had to install a fan pancake box because of the location of the hole for the wires and the original setup is....well here's the pictures. Exact same setup so



Here's the switch in my daughter's room.

Using the ground as neutral. Rewire and use remote or pull chains for fan and light selections.

Very bad wiring job .... you CANNOT use the bare ground as a neutral ....
Fire waiting to happen .....
Call an electrician now !!!!

JBT, can't use pull chains yet that is on a vaulted ceiling.
Slowpoke, just like every single thing the previous owner touched electrician will be here sometime this week or next to start rewire and full inspection because of the kitchen fire. I told him while other contractors here that since the ac (swamp cooler) got hooked up (which led to fire) I've been having a lot of lights flickering. Thankfully the electrical was ran so poorly in the kitchen rewire and full inspection has to be done.

Between what the fire revealed and this I think this whole house needs a complete rewire.
I pray the insurance will cover it.
I'm honestly surprised this house hasn't burned down or collapsed yet. I wish I could hold the previous owners accountable for creating such a dangerous situation. If I wasn't in such a tight spot at the time I would've walked away from buying this house.