# Hunter Ceiling Fan/3 Light Kit - Light Stopped & Won't Work



## EiigyPocr

I'm new and not sure if this fits in this category.

I have a Hunter ceiling fan/3 lights. It's almost three years old. My wife flipped the wall switch the lights came on, then off. The fan still works. These are the facts and what I've done so far.


All three lights don't work. The bulbs do work on other lights when tried.
I have one wall switch for the entire fan/light
I ordered and installed a new light kit and the lights still don't work.
The fan works fine.
I tested the wire harness from the ceiling and have 120 volts.
I've not tried looking at the wall switch (only one switch for both) because the fan works.
I'm not sure where to go now.


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## EiigyPocr

Well, I just won a trophy for my first post! But, I guess I am losing on who knows about ceiling fans?


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## cwwozniak

By any chance are you trying to use a combination of light bulbs that exceeded the wattage rating of the fixture? If so look for a little device in the fan wiring called a Limitor.






EDIT" We are all volunteers here that help each other if we can and when we can. If you are expecting solutions in under three hours, you may not always find them here.


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## cwwozniak

I did a bit more on-line reading and people are reporting that the Limitor device can sometime blow when an incandescent bulb in the fixture burns out.

EDIT: Just noticed where you posted. The Hardware forum is only for computer hardware issues (Drivers and peripherals such as printers, webcams, and USB devices.). Your post belongs in our Do It Yourself forum (Help with things NOT computer-related (Appliances, TVs, electronics, cars, home projects, etc.).


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## EiigyPocr

First, my apologies for being somewhat impatient today. Have you ever had what I call a two step day? It is when absolutely everything takes two steps, that is, nothing comes together on the first try. 

I was excited to get the replacement light kit, thinking that was the problem for sure, or something within the old light kit wasn't good. That did not work. :-(. As for the light bulbs, I've used the same bulbs for almost three years. It's those small base candelabras. When I installed the new light kit, I only tried it with one bulb. I will check it i the morning, but I believe it is 40 watts.

I hope this additional information is helpful. I do appreciate all the responses. In the future I will find the hardware section.


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## Drabdr

When there is one switch for a fan/light combination, both the fan and the light are wired into the switch and are on/off from that switch. The ability to turn either/or fan or light has to be done at the fan/light. There are usually two pull chains; one very near/coming out of the fan motor; and one coming out of the light connection part.

So look at the below. The bottom pull chain (where the person's fingers are) will operate the light. The chain hanging to the right of the person's hand is for the fan. So with the switch on the wall "on", operate the pull chains to turn on the light and/or the fan.


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## EiigyPocr

Thank you for your response. You are correct, and that is how ours would normally work. It has worked fine for almost three years. 

When the lights stopped working, I had eliminate the possible reasons. Since the wall switch is for both, the light and the fan, and the fan works, I felt the wall switch was not the cause.

When I tried all three bulbs in another fixture and they all worked except one, I felt the bulbs were not the cause.

I decided the cause could be the pull chain for the lights, or some other issue going on within the light kit. So, I just ordered a new light kit. After installing the new light kit via a wiring harness, nothing changed, and the lights still do not come on.

Next, I used a meter to check the white and black wires in the wiring harness coming from above, in the outlet. It passed with 120 volts.

So, bulbs are okay, new light kit, correct source voltage, wall switch is okay. What's left?


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## EiigyPocr

Possible Duplicate: I typed this once and it seems to have disappeared...

Thank you for your response. You are correct, that is exactly how our fan/light works. The fan/light has been in use for the past three years.

When the lights would not work, I had to eliminate the possible causes. 

I knew the fan was working, so I felt the wall switch was not the cause.

I tried the bulbs in another light and all but one worked. One was clearly burned. There is no way of knowing when one bulb burned out as this room has much lighting. So, I knew the bulbs were not the cause.

Feeling that the cause could be the pull chain that operates the lights only, or something else within the light kit, I decided to just order a new, complete light kit. After installing the kit, via a wiring harness, still no lights.

I then used a meter to check voltage from the source side of the wiring harness. The black and white wires checked in at 120 volts.

So, wall switch is okay, new light kit, bulbs are okay, source voltage is correct. I'm out of ideas.


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## cwwozniak

Other than the pull chain switch, do you see any kind of small device in series with the hot side of the lamp feed anywhere from where the wiring enters from the ceiling junction box to where it splits up to the three sockets?


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## Drabdr

That's a good point, Chuck.

At the bottom of the ceiling fan, you should have two wires that connect to the light kit. This picture may not be exact, but it will be close. So where this person has their fingers, you should have 120VAC when the light switch at the wall is on, and the pull chain on the fan/light kit is on for the light.

So if you have 120VAC coming out of the ceiling box from the switch, and 120 VAC at the below connection, then your light kit should work.


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## cwwozniak

If your fan and light kit are manufactured for use in the United States, then federal regulations demand that a lamp wattage limiter be built into the fan or light kit. These can be non-resettable devices such as a fuse. The unexpected failure of this limiter in Hunter fans is discussed on many web sites.

Please tell us where this wattage limiter is located in your fan's wiring. If you are unsure of this, please tell us the model numbers of both the fan and the light kit.


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## EiigyPocr

Happy New Year everyone!

The holidays are over and my light has not been given proper attention. My wife needs the light, so I am working at it again. I watched the video above. It was very interesting and I got excited that the limiter would be the problem. I ran up the ladder to only realize that I did purchase a brand new light kit. Interestingly, I did not see a limiter in there. I did find a larger item that turns out to be the capacitor. But, a new light kit, has everything new. Voltage check shows 120 coming through the plug to the new kit, and I dropped the cover and found 120 coming from the power source. Any other ideas?

My model number is the attached pictures. I took several to give you a flavor for what I have. And the icy 4-runner? That is to show you that it snowed in the Bluffton/Beaufort/Hilton Head area. That is crazier than this light kit mystery. I've been here three years from Ohio, and I brought my snow shovel and ice scraper as a joke!


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## EiigyPocr

UPDATE!

I did find the limiter. It was hidden within the wires going to the switch that changes the fan direction. Then a plastic tie holds it in place. I'm guessing they do that to keep people from finding it? You can see it on picture IMG_2181 above.

I called them and they will not sell just the limiter. I have to pay $15 for a new wire harness.

My question now is, if I bypass the limiter, is it a safety problem? And if so, how?


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## EiigyPocr

It turns out that the two ends of the hot wire can just plug in to each other. When I did, the light came on!


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## Drabdr

Ok... thanks much for the pictures and the updates. So you installed the new light kit, plugged it in to the harness coming from the fan, and the light works now. Correct?


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## cwwozniak

EiigyPocr said:


> My question now is, if I bypass the limiter, is it a safety problem? And if so, how?


My personal opinion is that the limiter is there to satisfy the EPA mandates about limiting the wattage of lamps that can be used in a ceiling fan. However, it can also prevent damage and possibly a fire if the light fixture somehow overheats. Should you bypass the limiter and then have a fire, your insurance company may refuse to pay for any damage.


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## EiigyPocr

Yes, I did not need the light kit, but had already purchased and installed it. I removed the limiter and bypassed it. Now the lights work. 

I have to decide if I will purchase the wiring harness from Hunter with the new limiter attached. You could take this pretty far. Why isn't there a limiter on all lighting? I'm guessing because enough people did not follow the max on bulb wattage for ceiling fans, and caused enough fires for this to happen. They are not intended to be the only lighting in a room. A little common sense can go a long way.

Thank you everyone for the help.


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## cwwozniak

Somewhere around 2007, the EPA or DOE decided that the light kits in ceiling fans were accent lighting and not intended for primary lighting. They mandated limits on the maximum wattage permitted for this accent lighting to be Energy Star compliant. To enforce this, the light kits for fans sold after a certain date were required to use smaller candelabra base sockets (typically only used on lower wattage bulbs) and to incorporate a wattage limiter. I would not be surprised if the light kit manufactures, wanting to save a few dollars, then designed new light kits that were only safe to use with lower wattage lamps.


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## EiigyPocr

That's a good thought. As much as I don't enjoy installing ceiling fans (I have 10 foot ceilings), I decided I'm going to remove the light kit and install this one in my garage. I'm in SC and I need more air movement during the hot summers. Then, I will just buy a new one for the room this one is in. In the meantime, I have three 25 watt bulbs, a very low risk for these.


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