Some manufacturers claim their ceiling fan remote controls work up to 100 feet, but if you read the manual closely, you’ll discover that’s in the open air.
It also requires additional wiring inside the fan housing to connect the receiver to the selector. It’s a nice touch, but it’s not essential. ReversibleĪ small percentage of ceiling fan remote controls allow you to reverse the direction of the blades without having to reach up and use the selector switch on the fan. Your remote control should reflect that with three different buttons, one for each speed. Ceiling fans always have three different speeds. On a ceiling fan remote control, the controls for the fan speed should be separate from the controls for the lights to prevent confusion. If you have LED bulbs in your fan, the dimmer won’t work. These remote controls only work with incandescent bulbs. Some ceiling fan remote controls include a dimmer switch. If the buttons are too close together, you’re more likely to mix them up, which can be frustrating. The best remote controls are those that separate the light controls from the fan controls. If they’re too confusing to use, you’re better off sticking with pull chains. Some of the remotes are overly complicated. Not only should ceiling fan remote controls include certain minimum functions, but they should also be laid out in a convenient fashion that is easy to use. Most ceiling fan remote controls use AA or AAA batteries. However, the remote control requires batteries like your other remotes. The receiver is connected to the fan, so it runs off the electricity in the house. Universal kits are usually cheaper, but they don’t always fit. Your best bet is a kit that is specific to the brand of your ceiling fan. This makes it easier to determine if the receiver will fit inside the fan housing, but it isn’t a guarantee. Most ceiling fan remote controls will list the compatible brands in their description. brand-specificĬeiling fan remote control kits can be universal or specific to a particular brand of ceiling fan. Ceiling fan remote controls are growing in popularity, so customer support should be familiar with answering this question. If the manual doesn’t have that information, call the manufacturer’s customer support line. This creates an extra step during installation.īefore you buy a remote control kit, check the manual on your ceiling fan to find out if there is room inside the housing for the receiver. If the receiver is too big to fit inside the fan, you’ll have to remove the electric box, push the receiver through, then reattach the electric box. It has to fit inside the ceiling mount housing of your ceiling fan or in the ceiling itself. The size of the receiver is more crucial. This is a helpful feature when it’s dark.
Unlike the small buttons on a TV remote, the buttons on a ceiling fan remote control are generally larger. The remote control pad should fit in your hand. Key considerations SizeĬeiling fan remote control kits consist of a remote control pad and a receiver. This will limit the range of the ceiling fan remote control. If that’s the case, you may have to push the receiver up into the ceiling. Ceiling fans that are “down-rod” styles may not have room for the receiver unit.