This is a companion post to my prior post titled Ceiling Fan Capacitor Woes which details the search for a supplier of replacement capacitors to restore several broken ceiling fans to full working order. That post also linked to a number of reference sites, and if this topic is interesting, but confusing, it is suggested to refer back to its links. This posting details knowledge I’ve gained in the process of successfully replacing ceiling fan capacitors that had blown, but additionally, understanding of how to alter the fan blade’s revolutions per minute (RPM). To my knowledge and data searches, this speed-alteration information was not detailed elsewhere. Many sites offered hints, presented, to my mind, in a puzzle-like form of bits and pieces, and none of which showed the bigger picture which I felt I needed to both understand how the various capacitor values worked, and minimize the number purchased, unless I simply wanted precise factory-specified microfarad-valued replacements. Even the manufacturer of the fans didn’t seem to include either a detailed or basic schematic of their circuit, something that is historically quite common for appliances.

In some respects, my prior post created more questions as well as providing some answers, (read more . . . )

When we moved, the house we moved into did not have forced air circulation or heating, so in order to circulate the warm air from the single wall heater into the various rooms, we installed 4 ceiling fans about 8 years ago, one in each room, and one in the central hallway, which is closest to the wall heater. One of the issues we’ve encountered over the years with these 3-speed reversible ceiling fans is the fact they have speed-control capacitors that occasionally burn out. So far, it has always been one of the two in control of the lowest speed circuit, which uses the least power when it’s working properly, and it’s also the speed that the fan is operating on most of the time it’s on. The factory module is an integrated three-in-one unit, molded into a single, insulated plastic housing, with five wires. These fans are now about 7- or 8-years old.

While on our monthly grocery shopping trip, we stopped by the store where we purchased the fans. They either no longer carried these replacement capacitors, or never carried them in the first place. (read more . . . )