Paddlefan / RF remote on Knob & Tube

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al hildenbrand

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
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Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
I have interviewed a possible client for about 20 minutes during which she reported a Living Room paddlefan behaving erratically. I have not laid eyes on the dwelling yet.

The paddlefan is the last of four, installed to the ceiling of the living room and connected to a legacy Knob & Tube branch circuit. The legacy wall switch for the living room lighting outlet (paddlefan) has the switch device removed and the conductors wirenutted together. City property info states the dwelling original construction was 1900. I do not yet know if the switch (that is removed) was in the neutral or supply to the paddlefan.

The paddlefan has RF remote control of paddle speed / direction and RF remote control of the light kit included on the paddlefan body. The RF remote can be digitally registered with the receiver in the paddlefan body, but, after some amount of time, the homeowner reports, the remote looses the ability to control specific functions, and after more time will fail to control the paddlefan at all.

This has happened on four paddlefans. The homeowner is upset with her "usual electrician" because "he thinks I'm confused."

A daughter has found that exercising select dining room and kitchen switches will restore the ability to register the remote control and will last for a short while. I do not know if the daughter's trick sequence was used on all four paddlefans, or just the most current one.

Question: Has anyone encountered such erratic behavior with a K&T supplied RF remote paddlefan? And how did it get fixed?

I am likely going to follow up with a site visit when the homeowner checks with her schedule.
 
Perhaps the absence on an EGC is having some effect on the RF receiver?

Maybe you have intermittent issues on the circuit and actually don't have full voltage at times?
 
chris1971 said:
Are the frequencies of all the remotes and receivers programmed the same?
Click to expand...

There has only been one fan installed at a time. The living room is the only location of a single paddlefan. Four different ones have been mounted one replacing the next, etc., over time.

So, at any time, only one paddlefan with a matched remote has been present in the dwelling.
 
al hildenbrand said:
I have interviewed a possible client for about 20 minutes during which she reported a Living Room paddlefan behaving erratically. I have not laid eyes on the dwelling yet.

The paddlefan is the last of four, installed to the ceiling of the living room and connected to a legacy Knob & Tube branch circuit. The legacy wall switch for the living room lighting outlet (paddlefan) has the switch device removed and the conductors wirenutted together. City property info states the dwelling original construction was 1900. I do not yet know if the switch (that is removed) was in the neutral or supply to the paddlefan.

The paddlefan has RF remote control of paddle speed / direction and RF remote control of the light kit included on the paddlefan body. The RF remote can be digitally registered with the receiver in the paddlefan body, but, after some amount of time, the homeowner reports, the remote looses the ability to control specific functions, and after more time will fail to control the paddlefan at all.

This has happened on four paddlefans. The homeowner is upset with her "usual electrician" because "he thinks I'm confused."

A daughter has found that exercising select dining room and kitchen switches will restore the ability to register the remote control and will last for a short while. I do not know if the daughter's trick sequence was used on all four paddlefans, or just the most current one.

Question: Has anyone encountered such erratic behavior with a K&T supplied RF remote paddlefan? And how did it get fixed?

I am likely going to follow up with a site visit when the homeowner checks with her schedule.
Click to expand...

rf interference combined with a 3-way system? I know that here, everytime the Wii is on, and the microwave stops a cook cycle, it locks up the Wii, everytime. They arent on the same circuit and are separated by 25' and two plaster walls. If its not remote batteries, or 3-way, try the microwave a few cycles.
 
JFletcher said:
everytime the Wii is on, and the microwave stops a cook cycle, it locks up the Wii, everytime. They arent on the same circuit and are separated by 25' and two plaster walls.
Click to expand...

Fascinating! (I almost feel like Spock, saying that. :D)
 
Maybe some food for thought,
Is it possible that they have LED lamps installed in the fans or throughout the home which may be emitting enough interference to cause trouble with paddle fan receiver?
 
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