No-hum Multi-fan Speed Control? Does It EXIST?
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Old 04-17-2009, 03:52 AM   #41
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Re: No-hum Multi-fan Speed Control? Does It EXIST?

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.

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Old 04-21-2009, 08:42 AM   #42
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Re: No-hum Multi-fan Speed Control? Does It EXIST?

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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Old 09-30-2010, 07:28 PM   #43
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Re: No-hum Multi-fan Speed Control? Does It EXIST?

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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruger9 View Post
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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Old 09-30-2010, 07:39 PM   #44
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Re: No-hum Multi-fan Speed Control? Does It EXIST?

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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Old 09-30-2010, 09:16 PM   #45
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Re: No-hum Multi-fan Speed Control? Does It EXIST?

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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Old 10-09-2010, 05:41 PM   #46
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Re: No-hum Multi-fan Speed Control? Does It EXIST?

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.
Last edited by svh19044; 10-09-2010 at 05:45 PM.
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