Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Does a pull chain three way switch exist for a ceiling fan light?
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Does a pull chain three way switch exist for a ceiling fan light?
chirkware
11-27-04, 09:47 PM
You know how annoying it is. You walk into a room that has a light on the ceiling fan, flip the switch, and nothing happens. Someone turned off the light with the pull chain. :( So you have to stumble through the dark room and pull the chain.
Now, if I had a little 12-3 wire, a regular 3-way switch, and a 3-way switch for the ceiling fan light, that problem would go away.
My question is, does such a switch exist? I know there are pull chain switches that switch from Wire1-Wire2-Off, but what about just Wire1-Wire2, like the regular 3-way switch you use when you want two switches controlling a light (ie, the pull chain switch acts as the second 3-way switch)?
THAT would be nice. If someone does turn out the light from the pull chain, flipping the 3-way wall switch turns it back on.
Any ideas?
Now, if I had a little 12-3 wire, a regular 3-way switch, and a 3-way switch for the ceiling fan light, that problem would go away.
My question is, does such a switch exist? I know there are pull chain switches that switch from Wire1-Wire2-Off, but what about just Wire1-Wire2, like the regular 3-way switch you use when you want two switches controlling a light (ie, the pull chain switch acts as the second 3-way switch)?
THAT would be nice. If someone does turn out the light from the pull chain, flipping the 3-way wall switch turns it back on.
Any ideas?
John Nelson
11-27-04, 11:54 PM
The problem is that the fan only provides one power input to the light, and the wall switch completely removes the power on that input. So there's no way a switch replacement could give you what you want.
But there are a number of remote controls that might be kind of close to what you want. On many after-market remote control units (such as the Hunter All-Fan), the wall switch can always be used to turn on the light on even if the remote control has turned it off (you have to turn the switch off and back on again). Then you could remove the pull chain (or make it too short to reach), and use the remote control when you would otherwise use the pull chain.
But there are a number of remote controls that might be kind of close to what you want. On many after-market remote control units (such as the Hunter All-Fan), the wall switch can always be used to turn on the light on even if the remote control has turned it off (you have to turn the switch off and back on again). Then you could remove the pull chain (or make it too short to reach), and use the remote control when you would otherwise use the pull chain.