Anyone have an old '80s Casablanca ceiling fan?

Zeke · 03-25-2007, 03:11 PM

I think these are the best ever. But the older ones used a potentiometer, circuit board and heat sink for a infinitely variable speed control. They have a life of a bout 10 years. Now, the parts are NLA and Casablanca doesn't make this type of fan anymore; they haven't for many years. I bet this is off-the-shelf stuff, but no one wants to make up a kit anymore because there can't be that many Casablancas left from that vintage.

Anyone know about these? I could tear into it and try to get numbers off the components. Casablanca said in the past the all 3 items had to be replaced as a unit. Why would that be? I think the potentiometer burns out because of the low speed usage they allow. Comments?

david914 · 03-25-2007, 03:22 PM

Most likely it's the triac (the component mounted to the heat sink) that's gone bad. Shouldn't be a problem to locate a replacement. The potentiometer shouldn't be carrying any load to speak of and will be fine unless another component has failed and taken it out in the process. Can you post some pics of the circuit board? Also, see if you can read the number on the triac.

john70t · 03-25-2007, 03:25 PM

I suppose they could be rigged, just like dash switches, so the potentiometer is the lower-amp control circuit.
Probably take a modern UL-rated transformer(?) and someone with the knowhow.

Zeke · 03-25-2007, 03:35 PM

I didn't expect this quick of an answer! I knew I could beat this deal with the PPOT bbs help.

Help me out a bit to get started. What's a triac? A Google associates them with microwave ovens.

rick-l · 03-25-2007, 04:26 PM

Something doesn't sound right here. The Casablanca fans I have use a four position switch to place two different size capacitors in series with a standard (capacitor run) induction motor. Do your fans have a universal motor (brushes?).

Mine burned up when the grease on the 6011 (?) ball bearings dried up causing the start torque to be exceeded and fried the circuit board.

david914 · 03-25-2007, 04:26 PM

OK, if you're familiar with transistors, a triac is similar. It allows a small amount voltage (controlled by the potentiometer) to control a larger voltage (your fan). Like transistors, there are different kinds with different ratings, so we'll need to know exactly what you've got and go from there.

Does your fan operate at all? If so, is it stuck at full speed?

Joeaksa · 03-25-2007, 04:27 PM

Most all of the parts should be off of the shelf. Replaced ones in my fan with parts from McMaster Carr.

Zeke · 03-25-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by david914
OK, if you're familiar with transistors, a triac is similar. It allows a small amount voltage (controlled by the potentiometer) to control a larger voltage (your fan). Like transistors, there are different kinds with different ratings, so we'll need to know exactly what you've got and go from there.

Does your fan operate at all? If so, is it stuck at full speed?

It turns on only with the potentiometer, as it was designed. No pull chain switch on these old timers. At this point, it will run at full speed and just off full speed. At about 1/5th of the full rotation of the knob, it cuts out. Put it back into the 1/5th range and it goes again. So, we can't use any of the lower speeds.

Rick, yours is a later model or, at least not a "Victorian" (series I). As I said, this is an 80's model. IIRC, I go it in 1980. No fan company makes an infinitely variable fan these days. to get the fan to turn real slow, like below 20 RPM, I think you need one of these.

Someone told me that I could get a 3-speed fan and a separate 3-speed controller. Instead of setting the fan speed on high and controlling it with the remote, he said set it on the lowest speed and then control it with the remote. I just thought this was a recipe for disaster, so I never bought either device.

We like to run the fan 24/7 on a real low speed. Low enough that you can't feel a breeze, but the air is being moved about. I haven't seen a fan yet that will run at, say, 10 RPM, except mine. Again, it's good for 10 years. Even the service techs that fixed it last time said, "10 years." I should have bought a 2nd circuit at the time.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Link to casablanca speed control diagram

david914 · 03-25-2007, 05:36 PM

From your description, it sounds like your triac is OK, but the circuit that provides the pulses to the triac is faulty. There should be a capacitor on the circuit board that is the part of this circuit that provides the pulse. This cap is likely your problem.

david914 · 03-25-2007, 05:45 PM

Had a look at the link that fintstone provided (thanks fintstone!). If your fan is configured like the one in the link, you've got a DC motor! Very different setup from most ceiling fans. You need to pull the fan so we can check some components before we can determine what's wrong.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Yes. A pretty cool way to do it...but not terribly energy efficient. It should be reasonably easy to troubleshoot....or build a new one.

Zeke · 03-25-2007, 06:19 PM

OK! I will have to take some time and get into the fan motor to see what info I can provide you fellas. Thanks so much so far for your time. I want to tell you that I've been out shopping for new fans on numerous occasions and never found a better fan as a replacement. Old Casablancas are built solid and are very heavy. I think they are something like an old butcher shop Hunter that really is an antique these days. The new stuff sold in the home stores is junky looking. I mean I have real wood blades! To buy a fan of this caliber today would cost a 1000 bucks. I've seen them for more than that, but I don't trust the quality; it's just some designer's wet dream. I paid $350 for this 27 years ago and it was a good deal at the time. Retail was well over 400.

So, it's worth it to fix this one. Again, thanks. I'll get into it and let you know what the components are, or at least what they look like.

daepp · 03-25-2007, 06:56 PM

Milt - just set it to run on full speed and purchase a remote control ($30.00 @ Lowes) to control it. You will only have 3 speeds, but that has always worked for us.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

I suspect the remote would not work properly with a DC fan motor.

Zeke · 03-26-2007, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by daepp
Milt - just set it to run on full speed and purchase a remote control ($30.00 @ Lowes) to control it. You will only have 3 speeds, but that has always worked for us.

I guess I'll have to find out for sure about the DC motor aspect. Meanwhile, the 3-speed controller doesn't go slow enough, as I mentioned above. I think I can fix this thing with the help I'm getting here. After work today, I'll take the cover off the motor and see what I can see.

rick-l · 03-26-2007, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fintstone
Link to casablanca speed control diagram

The circuit shown is basically a Vbe multiplier. Vce = Vbe (1 + R1/R2)

If R2 is 40 ohms the pot must be about 5k (? 0-70 volts? guess) What is burned up, is it the pot?

You can control the torque and slip to a limited degree on an induction motor by changing the voltage.

Type911 · 03:14 PM

A little sidelight to the Casablanca Fan Company.
Burton Burton the founder of the company was/is (not sure if he is still living) quite the vintage car collector.
In 1987 Hot-VW's magazine featured Burton Burton in their
"vintage issue" The article was titled "The ultimate VW collector-a profile of Burton Burton"

20 years ago I was a crazed vintage VW fan living as a ski bum
in Lake Tahoe. I actually called Burton Burton & we talked at length about his VW collection, at the time over 40 cars. He actually invited me down to So-Cal to meet him & check out his collection. Unfortunately I never followed thru on that.
I wonder if he owned any Porsche's?

Cool guy & yes Milt the old style Casablanca fans are great !

juanbenae · juanbenae's Garage

i power mine with a gerbil. works for peanuts, you know?