Shower room extractor fan - used to turn on and off via the light switch, but now ........

[Rollerball]

The light switch outside the small shower room also turns on the extractor fan on the shower room ceiling. Or rather it used to, now when I turn on the light switch the light comes on but not the fan, to then turn on the fan I need to stand on a stepladder and pull the pull cord attachment on the side of the fan.

This side mounted pull cord attachment is strange in itself, I suspect that this fan is usually mounted on a wall but the previous owner placed it on the ceiling instead? As the pull cord attachment is on the side it needs to be pulled sideways so I can't simply attach a long pull cord (which would be annoying anyway as it would dangle in the centre of the room).

Switching off at the light switch does at least turn off the fan.

Any thoughts please on why switching on the light switch no longer switches on the fan?

 

[foxhole]

Loose wire or faulty fan, check and maybe replace .

 

[EFLImpudence]

Did the fan used to run on for a while after turning of the light?

 

[Rollerball]

Did the fan used to run on for a while after turning of the light?

Good point - yes, I think it did (I should have added that it's been a few years since this issue first developed but the room isn't used much so I've not really looked into it).

 

[EFLImpudence]

If it did used to run on then I would say the timer has broken or, as above, a loose wire.

If it did not used to run on then perhaps there is nothing wrong and you have to have the cord switch on, because -

as you say -

Switching off at the light switch does at least turn off the fan.

so surely with the cord switch on, the fan does come on and go off with the light.

 

[foxhole]

If it did used to run on then I would say the timer has broken or, as above, a loose wire.

If it did not used to run on then perhaps there is nothing wrong and you have to have the cord switch on, because -

as you say -

so surely with the cord switch on, the fan does come on and go off with the light.

I was thinking the wire to switched live is loose and permanent live is good allowing pull switch to work.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I was thinking the wire to switched live is loose and permanent live is good allowing pull switch to work.

Yes, could be.

I did refer to your "as above loose wire" but it is not clear whether it has a timer or not.

 

[JohnW2]

The light switch outside the small shower room also turns on the extractor fan on the shower room ceiling. Or rather it used to, now when I turn on the light switch the light comes on but not the fan, to then turn on the fan I need to stand on a stepladder and pull the pull cord attachment on the side of the fan.

Timer fans do not usually have a pull-cord (it's usually "either/or") - so that suggests it's not a timer fan (i.e.one which continues for a while when the light is switched off)

This side mounted pull cord attachment is strange in itself, I suspect that this fan is usually mounted on a wall but the previous owner placed it on the ceiling instead? As the pull cord attachment is on the side it needs to be pulled sideways so I can't simply attach a long pull cord (which would be annoying anyway as it would dangle in the centre of the room).

You could attache a long pull cord of you ran it through an eyelet. I've doner thst with pull vords before now.

Switching off at the light switch does at least turn off the fan.

Are you saying that the fan does not come on when the light is switched on, but can then be switched on (whilst the light is on) by pulling ghe fan's cord but that the fan then goes off (with the pull switch remaining 'on') when you switch off the light -and thst the fan does not come back on (with fan cord switch still 'on') when you turn the light back on? If so, thhat seems rathr odd!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Rollerball]

"Are you saying that the fan does not come on when the light is switched on, but can then be switched on (whilst the light is on) by pulling ghe fan's cord but that the fan then goes off (with the pull switch remaining 'on') when you switch off the light -and thst the fan does not come back on (with fan cord switch still 'on') when you turn the light back on? If so, thhat seems rathr odd!"

Yup, exactly that. Weird isn't it?

Thanks for all of the great suggestions and help from everyone so far.

Incidentally, the fan is a Greenwood Airvac (no model number that I can see) and it's about 23 years old. Here's a photo that I found online:

https://thumbsnap.com/sc/B6oZ8YuY.jpg

 

[JohnW2]

Yup, exactly that. Weird isn't it?

If, with the light on, you turn the fan only with its pull cord, does the fan go off immediately or only after a period of time?

If, as you seemed to imply, the fan then goes off immediately then I presume that it is the usual tpe of pull switch - i.e. "first pull switches on and next pull switches off".

If that is the case, then what you describe makes very little sense, since it seems to mean that if you switch the fan on with the pull switch (with light on) and then switch it off by turning off the light, then the next time the light is on and you pull the fan's cord (moving it's switch to the 'off position', the fan then comes on.

Is that correct? If so, the only possible explanation I can think of is that the pull-cord switch is malfunctioning, and not delivering the on-off-on.... sequence it should. Otherwise, I can't see how turning the pull-cord switch 'off' coulld possibly make the fan come on.

[ It might be different if the fan is a timer fan which continues for a while after you've 'turned it off' by turning the light off. In that case, it's possible that the pull-cord switch is not "on-off-on" etc. but, rather just momentarily triggers the timer when it is pulled (i.e. always 'off' except when you are actually pulling it) ]

 

[Tigercubrider]

Did you change the bulb?

 

[Rollerball]

Did you change the bulb?

Nope. Also, the shower room is illuminated with three 12v spotlights (as is my kitchen).

 

[Rollerball]

If, with the light on, you turn the fan only with its pull cord, does the fan go off immediately or only after a period of time?

If, as you seemed to imply, the fan then goes off immediately then I presume that it is the usual tpe of pull switch - i.e. "first pull switches on and next pull switches off".

If that is the case, then what you describe makes very little sense, since it seems to mean that if you switch the fan on with the pull switch (with light on) and then switch it off by turning off the light, then the next time the light is on and you pull the fan's cord (moving it's switch to the 'off position', the fan then comes on.

Is that correct? If so, the only possible explanation I can think of is that the pull-cord switch is malfunctioning, and not delivering the on-off-on.... sequence it should. Otherwise, I can't see how turning the pull-cord switch 'off' coulld possibly make the fan come on.

[ It might be different if the fan is a timer fan which continues for a while after you've 'turned it off' by turning the light off. In that case, it's possible that the pull-cord switch is not "on-off-on" etc. but, rather just momentarily triggers the timer when it is pulled (i.e. always 'off' except when you are actually pulling it) ]

The order of events is as follows:

1. Turn on light switch (lights come on, but not the fan)

2. Pull the cord stump on the fan - the fan comes on

3. Turn off lights - they go out, as does the fan (it immediately starts to spin down)

4. Immediately after turning off the light switch, (or a few seconds later) immediately turn on light switch again - lights come on AND the fan - in fact if the fan is still doing its wind down intertia spinning it will come back on. Of course it'll stop its wind down spinning a few seconds after being switched off and then won't come back on again using the light switch.

Two additional points to note:

a) The pull cord only turns the fan on, pulling it again will not turn it off.

b) With the light switch on and the fan off I tried to spin the blades manually, but nothing happened (was curious if that would kick it into life).

As also noted further up, these are 12v spotlights (three of them), I have the same in the kitchen.

 

[JohnW2]

1. Turn on light switch (lights come on, but not the fan)
2. Pull the cord stump on the fan - the fan comes on
3. Turn off lights - they go out, as does the fan (it immediately starts to spin down)

Thanks. That was my understanding from what you had previously told us.

4. Immediately after turning off the light switch, (or a few seconds later) immediately turn on light switch again - lights come on AND the fan ..... Of course it'll stop its wind down spinning a few seconds after being switched off and then won't come back on again using the light switch.

That's new and interesting information. From what you'd said before, it sounded as if the fan would never come back on when the light was switched back on.

- in fact if the fan is still doing its wind down intertia spinning it will come back on.

Do you mean 'spinning it' manually? If so then, in conjunctivitis with the previous point (fan coming back on if light is switched on whilst fan is running down) suggests that you have a misbehaving fan - perhaps clogged with muck or with a worn-out bearing. It is very common for fans which are starting to 'fail' for such reasons to 'start up' if one spins them manually (obviously whilst they are electrically 'on')

a) The pull cord only turns the fan on, pulling it again will not turn it off.

That strongly suggests that the pull switch is 'switching on'only momentarily and triggering a timer module. However, were that the case, the fan would not stop immediately if you then switched off the light - so I'm rather 'lost'. When the fn was behaving 'normally' (coming on with light) did it stop as soon as the light was switched off, or did it run for a period thereafter?

 

[Rollerball]

Thanks. That was my understanding from what you had previously told us.

That's new and interesting information. From what you'd said before, it sounded as if the fan would never come back on when the light was switched back on.

Before I'd not tried quickly switching it back on after turning it off.

Do you mean 'spinning it' manually? If so then, in conjunctivitis with the previous point (fan coming back on if light is switched on whilst fan is running down) suggests that you have a misbehaving fan - perhaps clogged with muck or with a worn-out bearing. It is very common for fans which are starting to 'fail' for such reasons to 'start up' if one spins them manually (obviously whilst they are electrically 'on')

Yes, spinning it manually.

That strongly suggests that the pull switch is 'switching on'only momentarily and triggering a timer module. However, were that the case, the fan would not stop immediately if you then switched off the light - so I'm rather 'lost'. When the fn was behaving 'normally' (coming on with light) did it stop as soon as the light was switched off, or did it run for a period thereafter?

I can't remember what it was like before this issue developed (it's been like this for a few years and as the room isn't used often because of a faulty shower (I'm awaiting a part for that) I've not bothered to look into it in the intervening years).