# Ceiling Fan Control

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-control/1005787>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Tags:** tools-electric-diy\
**Created:** [August 16, 2024, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-control/1005787 "2024-08-16T10:10:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-control/1005787/21 "2024-08-17T20:17:43Z")

</div>

> [@bob\_2](#):
>
> > [@Snipe70e](#):
> >
> > To me it is an electric black box so I am taking an educated guess.
> 
> I thought this was FQs?

IMHO the biggest problem with “factual questions” is the answers tend to be a matter of opinion. 😬

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-control/1005787/22 "2024-08-17T20:58:28Z")

</div>

Fair enough, but that wasn’t even a decent guess.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-control/1005787/23 "2024-08-19T16:26:41Z")

</div>

> [@xtenkfarpl](#):
>
> There may be different approaches… in the past a mechanical switch might have been used to turn separate windings on or off selectively?

I saw something on TikTok where someone had a ceiling fan controlled by a switch mounted on the ceiling right next to the motor. He was turning it on using a broomstick.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-control/1005787/24 "2024-08-19T17:29:32Z")

</div>

> [@md-2000](#):
>
> He was turning it on using a broomstick.

Turning it off is the tricky part.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-control/1005787.md?page=1)