ceiling fan update

Had a new switch delivered today and installed it in my 2006 wildcat 28RK for the fan switch that had melted, It works, but the new switch feels very very warm to the touch, pretty sure thats why the other one melted but no idea why it's getting hot, going to call the factory tommorrow to see if they have had any complaints about the switch. Any idea's welcome

All I know is that from somebody's suggestion on here, if you run it on low, it does not melt. Please let us know if you learn anything.

Sounds like the fan is drawing more current than the switch is designed for. Does the fan have a plate on it stating the current draw information? That would be a good start to see if the switch is design to support the current draw. If that is not the problem, then you may need to look for loose connections or something that would introduce resistance in the circuit. If you have a DVM, you could measure the current draw and compare to the information plate on the fan. Good luck and keep us in the loop!

rdsknfn_57 wrote:Had a new switch delivered today and installed it in my 2006 wildcat 28RK for the fan switch that had melted, It works, but the new switch feels very very warm to the touch, pretty sure thats why the other one melted but no idea why it's getting hot, going to call the factory tommorrow to see if they have had any complaints about the switch. Any idea's welcome

mine did the same thing. they sent me a new switch from forest river and that got hot too. i took the cat down to elkhart to the manufacturer to have them fix the seals on the superslide, the converter and the switch. they replaced the switch AND the fan. i just hope they got the seals right because driving in the rain flooded the inside. call rod at forest river( i don't have the number), i'll bet he sends you a new switch and fan. my cat is also a 2006 and this was all done after the warranty expired.....

My switch will do the same thing. I always only let it run for a little while ever since I noticed it was getting soft/melting inside.

What I attempted once was to located the manufacturer of the fan. I found a reseller, but no manufacturer. I was hoping to call them instead of FR.

Joel

Not to but here's some more data on when the switch gets hot.

It is getting warm here in mountains of Western NC. We've had temps in the 80's. Now all winter long, I've had the ceiling fan turning on the lowest setting and in reverse. This keeps the warm air from trapping against the ceiling when my two electric radiators are running in the winter. The switch is never hot to the touch at this setting.

So, now that warm weather is here, I turned the fan on high in forward to circulate air in the trailer and to force any hot air out the ceiling vents. Within 15 minutes the switch was hot to the touch.

So, in my 29RLBS the fan switch stays cold to the touch when operated in the two lowest settings, warm to the touch in 3rd and hot to the touch in 4th (high speed).

Interesting, because one would think that operating at the lower speeds would cause more resistance and more heat. Oh well, so it goes.

Hmmm...

We run ours constantly when parked. Talking 24X7X5months average each year over the last 3 years. First thing turned on and last turned off, outside of moving the slide. That just seems to be our mental checklist for some reason. Nothing, fan or switch gets hot. Although mine has developed a practically inaudible squeak. Can't find anything to lubricate.

And saw above about speed. Ours is almost always "low".

Anyone have ideas on a remedy? Only thing I've found is references to old style rheostats that heat up, but this one is not the same...

I am wondering if this could be a poor ground or something?

Joel

The only way I can think of that would work would be a PWM (pulse width modulated) circuit. PWM is more efficient because it sends out pulses of 12V and then drops to zero to simulate a lower voltage to get the "low" speed. You have to make sure to get a controller that can handle the required current the fan requires.

The factory switch probably uses resistors to drop the voltage which generate the heat.

Link to 12V, 10A PWM controller

I pulled mine apart yesterday and it gets hot no matter what the setting is (Reverse, Forward, Fast, Slow, etc).

It does have what my untrained eye would believe to be a resistor with a heat sink that is decently large.

I would think that the manufacturer of the fan would know how to build them so they didn't overheat, even if they are a crappy resistor instead of PWM style. I wonder why some have no trouble, and others like me do. It is confusing, and it appears to me this is the only 12v on the market that I can find so far.... Anyone know who the manufacturer is? I can find them for sale all over, but no idea what the brand is?

Joel

Here's the fan. Search part number DC1242WH. I can't recall the actual mfr.

http://www.dyersonline.com/Products/RV-12-Volt-Ceiling-Fan__16621.aspx

Yeah thats the one. I've tried searching google on this one, and only get a few results. Not much out there on this fan.

It's too bad someone smarter than me hasn't found a fix because this could take awhile if it's all up to me. Something tells me I'd be better off finding a new fan controller.

Joel

jetskier wrote:The factory switch probably uses resistors to drop the voltage which generate the heat.

Wouldn't that make it get hot when running on low speed? Most report it getting hot on high speed. I haven't paid much attention, but I usually use low speed.

scottz wrote:Wouldn't that make it get hot when running on low speed? Most report it getting hot on high speed. I haven't paid much attention, but I usually use low speed.

It would heat up more in low. I haven't had an issue either. I use mine to keep the smoke alarm from going off when we cook bacon.

I found the mfr. I remember posting this on the other forum.

Lasalle Bristol.

http://www.lasallebristol.com/includes/LaSalleLightingBrochure.pdf

Go to page 16.

I'm sure it's going to be fun to contact them because of the economy in the Elkhart area.

LaSalle Lighting
1203 State Road 15 South
P.O. Box 1309
Bristol, IN 46507-1309
Phone: 574-848-1700
Fax: 574-848-0322

I ran my ceiling fan in both hi and low. The switch doesn't get hot at all. Each run was at least 30 minutes. It may be a different series. I'll try to pull it out and get the numbers on it.

Mine heats up more then if I reverse it. Seems to heat more when on a Low setting than a high, and most of the time I use high.

I left mine on for several hours "reversed" mine is wired backwards over this last week while camping. It did not heat up enough to melt anything. If I turn it off and let it run "Forward" then it gets hot enough to melt something.

Joel

Hampton Bay ceiling fans will make you feel like you are living like a king on a pauper's budget. These fans look like they come directly off those expensive showroom floors. With an extensive amount of designs and finishes to fit any room you are sure to find a Hampton Bay that is right for you.

jetskier wrote:Here's the fan. Search part number DC1242WH. I can't recall the actual mfr.

http://www.dyersonline.com/Products/RV-12-Volt-Ceiling-Fan__16621.aspx

That is a dead link.

Here is a fan a lot like it.It's a different mod. number,But sure looks the same.
Company is LaSalle Bristol.

Portagie1968 wrote:

jetskier wrote:Here's the fan. Search part number DC1242WH. I can't recall the actual mfr.

http://www.dyersonline.com/Products/RV-12-Volt-Ceiling-Fan__16621.aspx

That is a dead link.

I only posted it in 2009.....

One of the issues that I found with the fan is that it sits at a 5* angle from verticle. I had one fan fail because the brushes wore irregularly due to that angle. I replaced the fan and made a shim that reangled the fan to verticle. No problems since with running at any speed. I think that the faster the fan runs (under load) at the 5* angle, the more current it draws cause the motor has to work harder against the drag of the brushes. Somewhere on here is a post with pix of my solution.

JMHO

JMHO - Can you find it.

Portagie1968 wrote:JMHO - Can you find it.

Just my humble opinion?

Here is were it is talked about.

http://www.wildcatcamperforum.com/t1539-ceiling-fan-failure?highlight=ceiling+fan

No pictures were ever posted that I can find.

http://www.wildcatcamperforum.com/t2752-fan-leveler

Here's the link to the post with the pix of the fan leveler.

Looks like U used that plastic stuff that we use in the Farm Machinery for wear. Can not remember its name but great stuff.