Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - I'm gonna pop my son - simple pull chain replacement is killing me!!

My son yanked the pull chain too hard on the ceiling fan light above his bed, and of course the darn thing broke off. So, I'm reading up on how easy it is to replace this, and I grab my screwdriver, unscrew the light kit, and POW a zillion wires pop out...and there is the little switch. I get a good look at it, knowing it's a separate on/off for the light, go off to HD and buy a new switch. I unhook the old one, only two wires, so pretty easy, and hook up the new one, and then try and stuff all the wires back in the little brass box. HA! :wall: I'm standing on the bed doing this...pretty good balance, but no way in heck are the thing going back on. I'm a pretty strong gal, but after 20 minutes of struggling, I let the thing hang, cursed, and fixed a drink. Okay I'm kidding about the drink, but not the other.

I try again, no worky. So, I figure I have to take the fan down...and that was more work than it should have been as one of the little brass safety screws was stripped...but I got past that. So I have it down, and I have the thing on the floor ready to try and stuff, and I notice there is a wire that looks like it has come unwired...but I'm really not sure where it belongs. I have a picture, and I will try and post it here. I think it goes with the other white wires, but I want to be sure - it's a huge job taking this thing down and I really don't want to do it again! Thanks for any help you can offer!!

Wow. That's quite a tale of woe.

I think you made a mistake taking the fan down. There should have been no reason to do that.

I'm not sure we can help you with your confusing question. Since you already have the fan down, and apparently you haven't yet solved the problem of getting the pull-chain switch back in, you might just consider buying a new fan. They aren't very expensive, and you can get a remote control so that your son won't get a chance to break the pull-chain switch again. If used regularly, those switches always break anyway, so it's best not to plan to use them on a daily basis.

Getting the pull chain switch in was a piece of cake. That was easy. But there was NO way to get all those wires back in the junction box...believe me. This fan is not one that had a nice little connector in it so I could not smooch all the wires in and then just hook the connector...I had to HOLD it up with one hand, while trying to push the wires in. Not to be done. They really had much too long wires for that tiny box. That said, I have the fan down, and I went ahead and made a connection on that white wire...but I still would like to post a picture to ensure I connected it right. This wire was a white one, that came from the little black box inside the fan junction box. I went ahead and connected it along with the other 2 wires. If you could have seen what I had to go through, to get the wires BACK into the box, and get the light kit screwed back on...you would understand why taking the fan down was my only option. I don't see where my question is that confusing really - just want to know about that wire?? So...how do I get a pic posted?

I went ahead and put it back up...didn't think I'd be able to manage it. I fashioned a hook out of some heavy guage wire that I keep for just such things:rolleyes: and hung the fan while I reattached the wiring into the ceiling box...and then while delicately balanced ;), I held the fan up with my left hand and unhooked the hook with my right. Then pushed the wires up (plenty of room in THIS box!!) and onto the slide screws to hold it. Tightened everything up, and turned the breaker back on and voila!! :thumbup: Okay 0 ar first the lights didn't come on, but the bulbs were loose, and as soon as I tightened them, all was well! Man, what a job!! One good thing...before I got the fan back up I noticed the junction box was wiggly, even sliding a bit, so I tightened up the screws which I guess had either loosened over time, or never were properly tightened. Always noticed that fan was a bit wobbly in my son's room - now I know why. Not anymore...she's steady now.

My son is gonna get a lecture and a half when he gets back tomorrow! :cool:

By the way, I have six of these fans in my house - all identical, all the same light kit. At least now I know what is involved if I have to ever work on another one!!

I'd still like to know about posting a pic...?? How do you go about it??

If used regularly, those switches always break anyway, so it's best not to plan to use them on a daily basis.

FWIW, I've been in this house for 10 years, the fans were here before me. We always use the pull chains...daily. Never had any of'em break before. If they weren't mean to be used, why would they be installed in the fans??

To post a picture, you must first upload it to one of the many free photo hosting sites (such as photo bucket). Then you can post a link to it here.

Okay....I'll give this a shot....here is one pic...all those wires are from that small round junction box on the right....and there is very VERY little room. Also, after I had it down and started working on getting the wires back in, I saw that there was a specific position that the light base had to go back on...and you couldn't see that at all without having it down to look inside. Whoever made these fans should be shot. And then hung. The next time, I may just buy a new one - surely the new ones are easier to maintain?? Yeesh.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/CindyWB/ceilingfan002.jpg (http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/CindyWB/?action=view&current=ceilingfan002.jpg)

Connect that loose white wire in with the other white wires.

Yep, that is what I did, last night. And it obviously worked since it came on when I turned it on. ;)

Okay this realy is not a reply to your thread it is a question. How do I post a question on this thing? However my problem is the same, but reading this post still did not give this lame brain the answer so here is my problem can you HELP? I went to turn off my fan last night and it did not turn off, I then pulled one more time thinking that would work and the chain came off. This morning I tried to take the thing apart only to have a few (okay more than a few) things come out. Two wires came apart, a white one and a black one. I understand that the black one conects to the other black one, but the white one does not conect like the black one, oh these two that came apart are attached to the lighting part and the other black one is conected to the fan part. So where does the white one on the lighting part go. There are several white ones but they all have caps on with more than one wire attached to the same cap. So can anyone help me out here. The booklet sure does not tell me what I need to know:coffee: