Ceiling fan turning on by itself? No. You don’t have a ghost. There could be a serious issue with your ceiling fan.
There are several reasons why your ceiling fan may be turning on by itself. Perhaps the most common is that there is an issue with the wiring or the circuit breaker. However, if you have a remote control for your ceiling fan, then this may also be an issue.
On this page, we want to go into a bit of depth into what may be causing your ceiling fan woes. We also want to give you a few handy hints on fixing them. However, do bear in mind that most ceiling fan issues can only be fixed by a professional.
Why Does My Ceiling Fan Turn On By Itself?
There are five main reasons why your ceiling fan may be turning on by itself. Most of these reasons are going to be related to the electrics behind the ceiling fan, so we don’t suggest that you attempt to diagnose the problem yourself. Call in an expert.=
Remote Control Issues
If you have a remote control for your ceiling fan (as most modern ceiling fans do), then it could be causing a big problem.
If the batteries on the remote control are dying, then it could cause your ceiling fan to turn on and off by itself.
In rare cases, other remote controls in your home may accidentally hook into the same frequency as your ceiling fan, turning it on. If you notice that your ceiling fan is turning on when you use another remote control, this is likely to be the issue.
Faulty Switch in Ceiling Fan
In some cases, the switch inside the ceiling fan can get damaged. Perhaps you turned it on a bit too hard at some point. Maybe it has worn down due to repeated use. The switch is always a component that can break in a ceiling fan.
If a ceiling fan switch is broken, then it may ‘complete’ the circuit without you interacting with it. The result? The ceiling fan is going to end up turning itself on.
Wiring Issues
Just like the switches, wires can wear down over time. They can loosen up a little bit. Pests can damage them. Wiring issues are a serious problem, and it is something that you are going to want to have dealt with immediately. Not only are wiring issues going to cause your ceiling fan to turn itself on and off, but there is also the risk of a fire.
Damaged Circuit Breaker
Issues with your circuit breaker can cause your ceiling fan to turn on by itself. In some cases, the power is going to be sporadic i.e. it is going to stay on for a couple of seconds at the most, and then it will switch itself off.
If the issue is with your circuit breaker, then there is a chance that your ceiling fan could turn itself off too. Although, this may also indicate an issue with the wiring, hence why this isn’t really a problem that you will want to attempt to fix yourself.
In some cases, the circuit breaker isn’t damaged, but there is another appliance in your home that is causing issues with your ceiling fan. Switching that appliance off may solve the issue. Although, you will have to track down the appliance first.
The Ceiling Fan Is Broken
While ceiling fans can last for years and years, they do eventually wear down. As we mentioned before, one of the first things to go will likely be the switch. However, there are many components in a ceiling fan that can cause your ceiling fan to turn on randomly (e.g. faulty sensors, capacitors, etc.)
How Do You Fix a Ceiling Fan Turning On By Itself?
In most cases, this isn’t really a job that you can do yourself.
If the problem is with your remote control or the switch on the fan, then you may be able to fix that problem without calling in a professional. With the remote control, you can swap out the batteries. A switch should be easy to replace with a few tools too (make sure that the power in your home is switched off when you do this!). You will need to buy a spare switch from the manufacturer of your ceiling fan, but these shouldn’t be too tough to track down.
If the issue is with the wiring of your ceiling fan, or perhaps with the circuit breaker in your home, then we wouldn’t really recommend that you try and fix it yourself. While some wiring issues could possibly be a simple fix, you still want to ensure that you have a trained eye to deal with the problem. Those wires are going to have a whole lot of power shooting through them, and that can cause problems when not fixed up properly. Far worse problems than your ceiling fan turning itself on randomly.
Of course, if your ceiling fan is a bit on the older side, then you may want to look into replacing the ceiling fan. While many of the issues with the ceiling fan can probably be fixed, if the ceiling fan has already started to wear itself down, then you are probably going to be dealing with repair job after repair job. It may just be better to stump up the cash now and buy something that will see you through the next few years.
Final Thoughts
It isn’t uncommon for a ceiling fan to turn itself on randomly. If your ceiling fan seems to be doing this, then it is recommended that you try and get to the bottom of the problem quickly,. It could be anything from faulty wiring, remote control issues, all the way through to issues with your circuit breaker. Some of these problems can be quite dangerous if not rectified. Thankfully, most pros can fix the problem up for you.
Take a look at the related tags below in order to see related posts:
