Identifying ceiling fan as AC or DC

Switches General Discussion
1

I’m thinking of getting a Blue series Fan switch for a ceiling fan. The problem is that I just moved in to this house and the PO did not leave the manual for the fan, so I don’t know if it has an AC or DC motor. It’s on a vaulted ceiling so accessing the fan would be very challenging, so all I know is that it’s an Airflow brand, which apparently was once a division of Casablanca fans. It has a light set and two pull chains, and the current wall switch is a rotary switch with Low, Medium and High settings (with a separate switch for the lights).

I’m assuming it’s an AC motor based on:

  • age; the house was built in 2000 and I imagine the ceiling fan was either installed by the builder or added not long after
  • the pull chains, and lack of remote
  • the rotary switch currently being used

Do my assumptions make sense? And what would happen if I was wrong and it turned out to be a DC motor? Would the switch simply not work, or would I risk damaging either the fan or the switch?

TIA

2

I’ve never seen a DC fan that had pull chains. I would suggest pulling the current wall switch and taking pictures of it and it’s model information and that can tell whether it’s designed for use with AC fans or DC Fans.

I’m pretty sure you have an AC fan, but we should double check.

what would happen if I was wrong and it turned out to be a DC motor? Would the switch simply not work, or would I risk damaging either the fan or the switch?

Generally speaking I would expect it to the damage the fan before it damaged the switch, but there could be damage to both.

3

Thanks, I will do that!