Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Faulty Ceiling fan switch

The ceiling fan light switch in my living room has gone nutty. It is the Hunter 27186 model. The general on/off switch at the very bottom is functional. Once that is on, the fan is adjustible. The problem is, it suddenly won't let me run the fan with the light off. Anyone else have this problem? I have the same fan and control in my bedroom, and it works just fine.

I have read a review or two that this model has trouble with RF interference, but this problem is constant. Also, as I didn't install the fan and have little electrical experience, I wonder if it could have something to do with the 9-volt battery it says it needs (I'm not even sure where this battery is). Do I need to replace the wall-mount control? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!
Shannon

Shannon: welcome to the forums! Yes, you have to change the battery at least once a century. Look on the back of the remote control. There either should be a slide door or a small phillips screw. Remove it and the 9 volt battery will be inside. Replace it and the cover. You should be ready to go again. What is happening is the battery can't supply enough current to tell the control what to do, so it is guessing. Let us know how it goes with the battery change.

Thanks, Larry. I appreciate your quick response. I replaced the battery last night, but no dice. The fan will still not operate when the light is off. My next idea is to swap the remotes in the living room and bedroom to see if that does the trick. If so, I would guess that means something is wrong in the remote itself. Is that a safe assumption?

Also, I thought I should mention that while sites advertising this Hunter remote say the the light can be dimmed, my lights don't. Think they were installed incorrectly causing this problem?

Thanks again,
Shannon

Shannon, the remote control and the fan have to be coded to each other. There are dip switches in each and the code must match in order for the remote to properly control the unit.
So bringing out the other remote won't work, unless you change the dip switch settings. Open up the battery lid and note the positions of the switch. There will be 4 or more little slides, either up or down. Bring in the other remote and change the dip switch to match the offending one, and try it. Let us know.

Sorry for the lag time. I just tried the bedroom remote in the living room, careful to switch the code of the dip switches, but I get the same result. This seems like bad news. Is the problem in the fan itself?

Very good diagnosis! Really, with the test of the other remote, you have ruled out the remote, and have pinpointed it to the fan itself. How old is the fan? Is it still under warranty? If it has any age on it, well, it's SHOPPING TIME!! Good luck with the replacement. Let us know if we can help further.

I was afraid you were going to say that. Thanks for your help. I have no real way of knowing how old the fan is, but it seems newish and is pretty attractive as fans go. It's too bad. I'll let you know what happens.