# A little ceiling fan help please. Capacitor issues, I think **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164 "2021-07-10T15:54:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/1 "2021-07-10T15:54:03Z")
My ceiling fan turns very slowly. Googling tells me to replace the capacitor. So I’ve taken down the electrical guts of the fan. The capacitor is 4 wire and says C61 E185116. Gray —6uF +/-5% — Green Gray —6uF +/-5% — Brown You can see a picture of it [here.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xQOrKwHly1GA7ao9raJ8LpS3sJ8VqMQ3/view?usp=drivesdk) It seems that this capacitor doesn’t exist anywhere but my kitchen counter. What replacement could I use? And why do the outputs seem to be the same for the brown and green wires? Shouldn’t one of them have a different farad value? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/2 "2021-07-10T15:57:33Z")
This one should be a usable match: > **[Amazon.com: New Motor Ceiling Fan Capacitor CBB61 4.5uf + 6uf + 5uf 5-Wire 250V...](https://www.amazon.com/Motor-Ceiling-Capacitor-CBB61-5-Wire/dp/B09Z2GXKQG)** > > Buy New Motor Ceiling Fan Capacitor CBB61 4.5uf + 6uf + 5uf 5-Wire 250V: Capacitors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases Actually you said it was 4 wire? so maybe this one instead. > **[Amazon.com: HQRP Capacitor Compatible with Hampton Bay Ceiling Fan 4.5uf+5uf+6uf...](https://www.amazon.com/HQRP-Capacitor-Hampton-Ceiling-Coaster/dp/B01B4UW2BE)** > > Buy HQRP Capacitor Compatible with Hampton Bay Ceiling Fan 4.5uf+5uf+6uf 4-Wire CBB61: Capacitors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases What Brand of Fan? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/3 "2021-07-10T16:05:41Z")
It’s a Harbor Breeze. I think it’s Lowe’s brand. It came with the house. Is it not important for the uF values to match? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/4 "2021-07-10T16:12:56Z")
It is not optimal but those markings make no sense to me anyway in this case. Typically a fan should have 3 different microfarad ratings. As I’ve only replaced a ceiling fan capacitor once (it worked fine for years) I can’t claim any expertise. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/5 "2021-07-10T16:35:38Z")
Here’s one that matches your needs 🙂 > **[CEILING FAN CAPACITOR CBB61 6uf+6uf 4 WIRE | eBay](https://www.ebay.com/itm/CEILING-FAN-CAPACITOR-CBB61-6uf-6uf-4-WIRE/161033904731)** > > We have 5000+ceiling fan capacitors available. 3 wire (when both grey wires are combined togeather). Cheap capacitors have no Certification or LOGO (paper covering the front etc.). Our capacitors are UL listed. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/6 "2021-07-10T16:39:14Z")
THANK YOU! I don’t know why I didn’t think of eBay. I also don’t know why Amazon doesn’t carry them. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/7 "2021-07-10T17:03:24Z")
You are welcome. If you want to have it fast, then there is this one on Amazon prime : HQRP Capacitor compatible with Harbor Breeze Ceiling Fan CBB61 4.5uf+6uf+6uf 5-Wire UL Listed [Amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J5RNCBW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_VVNQ0P455A0EG34SM8CT?psc=1) Don’t use and insulate the red wire, and it will work just as well. Good luck. Please note that I am not an electrician. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/8 "2021-07-10T17:12:37Z")
That’s OK. I already ordered the one from eBay. I don’t need the light in the room and the fan was so slow to be practically worthless so I’m not really in a hurry. I’m not an electrician either (obviously) but can someone explain to me how a capacitor with 2 of the same outputs works? I’m guessing that the fan switch does something but I really don’t understand it. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-ceiling-fan-help-please-capacitor-issues-i-think/946164/9 "2021-07-10T17:53:19Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I’m guessing that the fan switch does something Your guess is correct. Fan capacitors vary a bit in how they are connected, but in your case since the values are identical, I am going to assume that it gets its three fan speeds from these connections: 1 Both capacitors bypassed 2 One capacitor connected 3 Both capacitors in parallel (the capacitors then add together to effectively make one 12uF capacitor) You can do it with a simpler 3 position switch, but then you need your second capacitor to be larger (12 uF instead of 6) which costs more and is physically larger. It costs about the same to make an individual 3 position switch (1, 2, or 3) as it does to make a 3 position switch that connects 2 and 3 together (i.e. 1, 2, or 2-3 together). So overall it’s cheaper to do it the way that yours is connected, and it’s slightly easier to package since the capacitors are smaller.