# no-hum multi-fan speed control? Does it EXIST?



## ruger9

OK, been doing my homework before wasting anybody's time here... I've got 2 ceiling fans wired to 1 speed control. Of course, 1 of the fans hums.

The fan control company said it's loose motor windings on the one fan, it's normal. They make a "de-hummer" for ONE-fan installs, but not multi.

Hunter (fan) said that you CAN have no-hum operation of multiple fans (on one controller), but it must be CAPCITOR-DRIVEN (not solid-state), and probably has to be a STEPPED control (not variable.) They don't sell such a thing, and don't know if anyone does.

I've googled tons... no one makes one that I can find. And not many people talking about solutions they have found either, just some patents.

Does anyone know is such a thing exists? Or what can be done? Because at this point, the hum is not acceptable, and I'll just wire the fans to a switch & use the pull chains for speed adjustments (not what I WANT to do, but I refuse to deal with the hum.)


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## mrmike

Ceiling fans are driven by an induction motor & usually are 3 speeds. When you pull the chain it just changes the taps on the motor-giving you the speeds. Using a "light" dimmer to control the speed changes the voltage going up there, so it doesn't co-inside with the Speed settings of the 3 position switch that changes the "taps" on the motor. Therefore, the waveform is altered causing frequency changes that make the coils of the fan motor to Hum. You should not use a Dimmer. If you are determined to use a dimmer-make sure you always have the fan switch on Hi. 
If you want more control of the ceiling fan you should buy one with a remote control........


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## ruger9

Got all that... I'm not using a "dimmer", I'm using a fan speed control. It is a VARIABLE fan speed control, and works like a dimmer, and Hunter said a "stepped" (off, slow, med, fast) control might solve the problem, but I can't find one with a high enough amp rating for 2 fans.

I don't need a variable control, a stepped control would be fine. I just wanted to be able to control the speed... of TWO fans... from the wall box, with no hum.


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## sparkyob

Try Emerson website. They have fan speed controllers for multiple fans. have used them in the past in commercial applications. I believe they have some listed up to 10amp. Keep in mind you might need more than single gang box to achieve this i.e. fan + light.


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## Magnettica

I don't think the control device has anything to do with the humming. It has to do with the a bad fan. I suggest replacing the fan. 

Btw, is the fan speed control rated for (amperage wise) for 2 fans? It should have a wattage or amperage rating on the device. 

Good luck.


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## ruger9

The one I have is rated for 6 amps, and specifically says it is for multiple fans.

So, the fan control company says it's a bad fan.

The Fan company says you need a capacitor-driven non-variable (stepped) speed control.

Which is it?

I know the fan that is now humming was NOT humming before- when I had the fans simply hardwired in, using the pullchains to turn on/off & control speed. They were still wired togather, the only difference was in the wall box I just wired the leads together for constant power, because I hadn't received the 6A fan control yet. I could turn them both on high, no humming. Only when the fan control was brought into the equation did the hum occur- and then in only ONE of the fans.


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## mrmike

Magnettica said:


> I don't think the control device has anything to do with the humming. It has to do with the a bad fan. I suggest replacing the fan.
> 
> Btw, is the fan speed control rated for (amperage wise) for 2 fans? It should have a wattage or amperage rating on the device.
> 
> Good luck.


Apparently you have not worked on, or installed many ceiling fans or many variable speed motors !!!! It definatley has something to do with the Hum as what I stated in my Reply to the Post. Also "Replace" is Cop-out before troubleshooting it !!!!!! Anyone can say the fan is bad !! :whistling


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## mrmike

ruger9 said:


> The one I have is rated for 6 amps, and specifically says it is for multiple fans.
> 
> So, the fan control company says it's a bad fan.
> 
> The Fan company says you need a capacitor-driven non-variable (stepped) speed control.
> 
> Which is it?
> 
> I know the fan that is now humming was NOT humming before- when I had the fans simply hardwired in, using the pullchains to turn on/off & control speed. They were still wired togather, the only difference was in the wall box I just wired the leads together for constant power, because I hadn't received the 6A fan control yet. I could turn them both on high, no humming. Only when the fan control was brought into the equation did the hum occur- and then in only ONE of the fans.


Isn't this what I said in my reply ?? I don't believe the fan is bad as another reply said-especially two of them !


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## Magnettica

mrmike said:


> Apparently you have not worked on, or installed many ceiling fans or many variable speed motors !!!! It definatley has something to do with the Hum as what I stated in my Reply to the Post. Also "Replace" is Cop-out before troubleshooting it !!!!!! Anyone can say the fan is bad !! :whistling


Do you really think that after 19 years of doing mostly residential (service and addition work) that I don't know about ceiling fans?

Seriously.


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## Magnettica

ruger9 said:


> The one I have is rated for 6 amps, and specifically says it is for multiple fans.
> 
> So, the fan control company says it's a bad fan.
> 
> The Fan company says you need a capacitor-driven non-variable (stepped) speed control.
> 
> Which is it?
> 
> I know the fan that is now humming was NOT humming before- when I had the fans simply hardwired in, using the pullchains to turn on/off & control speed. They were still wired togather, the only difference was in the wall box I just wired the leads together for constant power, because I hadn't received the 6A fan control yet. I could turn them both on high, no humming. Only when the fan control was brought into the equation did the hum occur- and then in only ONE of the fans.


Either a bad fan or a bad speed control. :w00t:


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## Magnettica

Q: are both fans set to the same pullchain speed?


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## 480sparky

It would be easy to both check the fans for proper function, as well as make sure they are on the same pullchain speed.

Turn the power off, and bypass the speed control. Turn the power back on and see if the fans work as expected, using the pullchain to cycle through all the speeds. If they seem to work OK, then leave them on their highest speed, and turn the power back off and reinstall the wall control.


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## ruger9

just to clear things up:

I bought 2 identical fans

I installed them. I already had done the wiring so that both fans would be controlled by 1 speed control in the wall box. (not sure if this is called "series" wiring or "parallel" wiring)

The speed control had not arrived, so in the wall box I simply wire nutted the 2 leads that would normally go to the speed control together, so the fan motors would be powered and I would use the pull chains to turn on/off.

Both fans worked perfectly & silently.

The fan control arrived. It is a variable speed control. LIKE a dimmer, but not a dimmer. It is a fan speed control rated for 6 amps. I installed it to the 2 leads in the wall box, and 1 of the fans HUMS. 

Both fan pullchains are set to their highest speed, as the fan control instructions stated.

At this point, I'm putting in a single pole switch, setting the fan pullchains to low or med, and that's it. I can't live with the hum. I've been told & have read that when you have MULTIPLE fans on a VARIABLE speed control, this happens. It's "normal". Hunter suggested a stepped control (one with 4 positions: off, high, med, low) MIGHT solve the issue. But I can't find one rated for at least 4 amps.

I don't think it's a "bad fan". When the fans were powered up (with no speed control in the wall box) they both ran silently, at all speeds.

I've read about some kind of switch called an "X10", but it requires a neutral, and I'm running power thru the fixtures, therefore the wall box does not contain a neutral.


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## 480sparky

Why not install remote control (RF) switches for both fans?

Put in a simple SP switch, and set the DIP switches in each fan to different settings. They don't hum, at least the ones I've put in.


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## ruger9

That remote isn't on Hunter's website. How does it work- does the "receiver" go in the wall box, then you point the remote at the wall box?

The Hunter remote that ARE on their website are only rated for 2.0 amps max- I need 4 amps.


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## 480sparky

ruger9 said:


> That remote isn't on Hunter's website. How does it work- does the "receiver" go in the wall box, then you point the remote at the wall box?
> 
> The Hunter remote that ARE on their website are only rated for 2.0 amps max- I need 4 amps.


The receiver goes in the fan canopy.

You have a fan that pulls 4 amps?


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## ruger9

No. I have TWO fans (this thread is about a multi-fan installation being controlled with only ONE controller), each pulls 1.65A. So I need a control that can handle 3.3A, (4A) minimum.


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## Tinstaafl

ruger9 said:


> No. I have TWO fans (this thread is about a multi-fan installation being controlled with only ONE controller), each pulls 1.65A. So I need a control that can handle 3.3A, (4A) minimum.


Buy two of those remotes. The receiver goes inside the fan canopy. Set both receivers to the same code, if you wish, and you can then control both fans with a single control.


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## MALCO.New.York

http://www.azpartsmaster.com/images/catalog/cshop/wes4.jpg



I use Heath/Zenith remotes for all my lights and fans. There is nothing like laying in bed and controlling your Environment!









http://www.plumbersurplus.com/images/prod/6/Heath-Zenith-SL-6021-WH-rw-102678-171549.jpg


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## ampman

MALCO.New.York said:


> http://www.azpartsmaster.com/images/catalog/cshop/wes4.jpg
> 
> I use Heath/Zenith remotes for all my lights and fans. There is nothing like laying in bed and controlling your Environment!


 i have this on my living room fan i can leave the light on by the remote and control the light with the (already existing) wall switch


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## iam14sure

*Fans*

I have seen the same thing regarding the noise. I do the work for 4 large Home Depot stores and install 100's of fans. There are some fans that cannot be used with a speed control. I had Lutron controls and they informed me of this. Now I see some fans say right on the box do not use a speed control. I have found that the solid state controls are more prone to create noise. Can get very frustrating. :sad:


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## petey_c

I'm glad we were able to work our way back to the original topic and away from black half balls and who's put up more fans....


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## JamesMT

*Fan speed control*

I have the same problem, I installed two brand new fans on the same switch, no problem. I than wanted to control the fan speeds so I installed a 5A fan speed control- NOT A DIMMER, HUM regardless if the fans are on high speed, low or Med. If I use the pull cord and shut one off the fans, still has an annoying hum. Reinstalled to the light switch and no HUM. I don't know if there are any anti hum fan speed controls to run multiple fans. Most are rated at 1.5A for single fans. The problem is not a broken fan as someone posted. It has to do with the voltage from the fan speed control to the motors in the fan causing the HUM. Very simple...If you know of a FAN SPEED CONTROL rated at 5A or higher that has something to avoid the hum let me know.


ruger9 said:


> just to clear things up:
> 
> I bought 2 identical fans
> 
> I installed them. I already had done the wiring so that both fans would be controlled by 1 speed control in the wall box. (not sure if this is called "series" wiring or "parallel" wiring)
> 
> The speed control had not arrived, so in the wall box I simply wire nutted the 2 leads that would normally go to the speed control together, so the fan motors would be powered and I would use the pull chains to turn on/off.
> 
> Both fans worked perfectly & silently.
> 
> The fan control arrived. It is a variable speed control. LIKE a dimmer, but not a dimmer. It is a fan speed control rated for 6 amps. I installed it to the 2 leads in the wall box, and 1 of the fans HUMS.
> 
> Both fan pullchains are set to their highest speed, as the fan control instructions stated.
> 
> At this point, I'm putting in a single pole switch, setting the fan pullchains to low or med, and that's it. I can't live with the hum. I've been told & have read that when you have MULTIPLE fans on a VARIABLE speed control, this happens. It's "normal". Hunter suggested a stepped control (one with 4 positions: off, high, med, low) MIGHT solve the issue. But I can't find one rated for at least 4 amps.
> 
> I don't think it's a "bad fan". When the fans were powered up (with no speed control in the wall box) they both ran silently, at all speeds.
> 
> I've read about some kind of switch called an "X10", but it requires a neutral, and I'm running power thru the fixtures, therefore the wall box does not contain a neutral.


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## Tinstaafl

I suspect that the higher amperage speed controls aren't generally intended for nice quiet residential use, and therefore are built with a "rougher" output.

If you read the whole thread, you'll have seen that I posted a workable solution: two wireless receivers slaved to a single control.


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## Jaf

Heh, I had a customer recently who had an electrician put a fan on a screened porch I built this summer. Guess late at night, the bulb flickers on when the fan runs. I've had three electricians tell her it's the flourescent bulb picking up an induction charge from the fan. All she has to do is change the freakin bulb to an incadescent, problem solved.

Went back this week after a couple months, to do some other work. She's still yacking about the flickering light. No, she hasn't changed the bulb. No, I didn't provide the original electrician, nor did I make a single cent from the HDepot fan. So I touched my shoulders to my ears, and said "I have no idea". All she needs to do is change the bulb, how hard can that be. 

If I was a nice guy, I'd do it myself, but...well....I'd probably own the problem then. No markup, no responsibility. Sigh, typing this takes longer than changing the bulb. Like listening to her complain about something where I didn't get a cut, I guess.

Completely off topic, just wanted to share. Fan thread set me off.


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## svh19044

Lutron Maestro fan control. The receivers will also allow the fans to be in sync with each other. 

It's that simple. Again, Lutron Maestro Fan Control. I've been using these for years now and they are the best fan control on the market. How it hasn't been mentioned in a 1+ year old thread is beyond words.

Yes, fan controls CAN AND DO cause humming. However, it's not always the fan controls fault, sometimes people just insist on using crappy things.


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