How To reset Ceiling Fan Remote?

Most ceiling fan remotes on the market today follow the same reset procedure. First, you start by turning the fan off using its remote control.

Then, you’ll need to wait; some brands ask to wait 15 seconds, though others may require as long as 30 seconds. 

Last comes the most critical step: in order to reset remote, press and hold the OFF button for about 10 seconds. Most ceiling fan remotes will reset after you take these steps. 

To be sure, it’s always best to refer to the instruction manual that came with the fan. Don’t worry if you’ve lost it, though.

These days, you can always download another copy from the company’s website.

If you’re experiencing any other issues with your ceiling fan or its remote, keep reading! These days, many, if not most, ceiling fans come with remote controls.

While that offers a lot of conveniences, it also means that newer fans come with unique problems that most of us never had to deal with before.

Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be better prepared to handle common issues with remote controlled ceiling fans.

Let’s get started!

First Of All, Why Is Fan Remote Not Working?

If you’re looking for ways to reset your ceiling fan remote, odds are the remote has stopped working. That’s normal, and it happens to all ceiling fan owners at some point.

If resetting it doesn’t help, then here are a few additional questions you can use to troubleshoot the problem.

Are you too far from the fan?

Ceiling fan remotes aren’t powerful devices, so they have a limited range on them. If your remote doesn’t work, ask yourself whether or not you’re standing too far away from it.

Thankfully, testing it is easy. All you have to do is move as close as you can to the fan and see if the remote works then. If it does, then perhaps the range of the remote is shorter than you thought it was.

When was the last time you changed the batteries?

Remember: all remote controls rely on batteries. So if your remote stops working, you should try to think back to the last time you replaced them, because the odds are that those batteries are weak or dead.

By the way, if the batteries are weak, the remote might still work. However, the range on that remote might be shortened significantly.

If you think the remote battery is weak, just pop in some fresh batteries and you’re good to go!

Remember to dispose of or recycle the old batteries responsibly!

Are the remote and fan both on the same frequency?

Your ceiling fan might not respond to the remote because they’re both on different frequencies. You see, there’s usually a way you can change frequencies on remote-controlled ceiling fans.

The reason for this is simple: if you’re operating multiple fans in the same space, you don’t want the remote to work with another fan instead.

Assuming the batteries are working and you’re in range, you might want to check the fan’s settings to make sure it’s on the same frequency as the remote.

As always, safety first! Refer to the user manual on how to set the correct frequency and keep the fan off before you start trying to change anything yourself.

Do you need a new remote?

Once you’ve walked through all the previous troubleshooting steps, it might be time to consider that the remote might just be faulty. If this is the case, you generally have two options.

Your first option is to get a replacement from the store or manufacturer that sold you the fan. If it’s still under warranty and you didn’t damage the remote, you can probably get a replacement free of charge.

But if your fan is no longer under warranty and you don’t feel like paying for an original replacement remote, you have another option. You could always buy a universal ceiling fan remote instead. These are cheap, compatible with most ceiling fans, and you can usually get them online pretty quickly.

Why Has My Ceiling Fan Stopped Working But Light Still Works?

If you own a ceiling fan that also has a built-in light, there may come a time when you face an unusual problem. Sometimes, your fan might’ve stopped working, yet the light on it still functions perfectly well.

But why is that?

First of all, check your remote and any wall switches. Be sure that all the settings are correct and that you’ve indeed tried to turn on the fan correctly.

If everything is as it should be, but the fan blades still won’t spin, then the problem is somewhere inside the fan itself.

You see, a working light means that the fan is still receiving its supply of power. So, the fan might have a wiring problem, or the fan motor inside might not be working anymore.

As with any electrical appliance, you shouldn’t try to fix it yourself unless you’ve got the right knowledge, training, or experience. If you mess around with the wiring not knowing what to do, you might risk getting electrocuted!

The danger comes from there possibly being a loose connection somewhere inside the fan. After years of using the same fan, some wiring may have come loose, which is why the motor isn’t turning on.

On the other hand, it could also be a problem with the motor or the capacitor. Something as simple as a power surge may have damaged these parts, leading to them failing completely.

The good news is that all of these parts are replaceable. The less-than-good news is that you might need a qualified expert to do it for you.

Depending on how old the fan is, it might be in your best interest to replace the whole unit entirely. Of course, you should do the math yourself to figure out if this is the best option for you.

How Do I Resync My Ceiling Fan Remote?

Ceiling fans and their remotes are usually ‘paired’ with one another, just the same as your phone might be paired with a wireless speaker or headphones. But from time to time, you might need to resync the remote to the fan once more.

Again, the exact steps might differ between brands, but they’re generally the same in most cases.

To resync your ceiling fan remote, start by turning off your fan using the wall switch and then waiting for a few seconds. Different guides will tell you to wait anywhere from 10-30 seconds while the fan is off.

After waiting, turn the fan back on again. This is where the process might differ slightly according to the brand of your ceiling fan. Some may have a ‘pair’ button on or behind the remote control, and pressing it should get the job done. It’s that simple!

If your remote does not have a pairing button, then you’ll need to refer to the user manual. Your ceiling fan might have its own way of pairing with the remote.

How To Turn On Ceiling Fan Without Remote?

Suppose your remote is out of the equation and you still need to turn your ceiling fan on. Are there other ways to do it? Yes, indeed there are. However, it depends on the fan model and how you had it wired when you first bought it.

You see, ceiling fan also have two other mechanisms to turn them on or off: the pull cord or chain and the wall switch.

The Wall Switch

Depending on where you are located, you might see that people typically rely on wall switch that also has a speed-control knob or slide control.

If you have a setup like this in your home then turning your ceiling fan on will be no problem, even without a remote. You could even change the fan’s speed without any problem.

Unfortunately, not all ceiling fans are wired up this way. If that’s the case, you have the second option, the pull cord or chain.

The Pull Cord or Chain

Some ceiling fans come standard with a pull cord or chain. By pulling on this cord, you can adjust the speed of the fan and turn it on or off.

Assuming your fan isn’t too high off the ground, this will act as a straightforward bypass option when you don’t have your remote.

Alternatively, you might need to get someone to install that chain for you. The fan might have the mechanism in place as a backup, but they might not include the actual chain or cord as a standard feature.

Can I Use A Universal Ceiling Fan Remote And How To Pair It?

Finding a replacement remote for your ceiling fan can get frustrating at times. Depending on the model, you might not be able to find a replacement at all! Thankfully, you could try using universal ceiling fan remotes instead.

Third-party manufacturers typically produce and sell these kinds of remotes.

As the name suggests, they’re intended to work with almost all ceiling fans.

These remotes usually come in kits that include a new receiver, so you’ll still need to do some wiring to get it to work.

Usually, you can get these remotes online or at your local hardware or electrical appliance stores.

Before spending your hard-earned cash on one of these remotes, always do your homework and make sure that it’s compatible with your fan make and model. 

Typically, the universal remote will have a list on the box or somewhere online with all the models you can use it with.

As for pairing, the process is pretty much the same as when you pair a regular remote with the fan.

Turn it off, wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on. Then, press the ‘pair’ button to sync it with the new receiver that you’ve wired to the fan.