Remote Control Troubleshooting

If your Hampton Bay Ceiling Fan Remote Control is not working, there are some standard troubleshooting steps you can go through in order to determine the problem. These troubleshooting steps will take you through the basic operation of the remote, like checking the batteries and determining whether the remote is sending a signal or not.

The first thing is – why is the remote not working? Let’s try to work it out in the following steps.

Is the remote sending a signal?

You can see if the remote is sending a signal by checking if the red light comes on the front of the remote, when you push in a button.

If you get no light coming on the remote to show that it’s in use, try changing the batteries. If you still get no light coming on the remote after that, maybe it’s time to replace the remote. Most remotes do have some kind of “trouble” light so that you are able to tell whether the remote is sending a signal or not.

If you dropped the remote recently, or it was under something heavy and now not showing a light, and you’ve tried replacing the batteries, you may need to replace the remote.

Assuming you can see the light is functioning now on the remote after changing the batteries:

Have you tried checking the dip switches? If the remote is sending a signal, but the fan is not responding to it, you may need to change the dipswitches. If the fan sometimes turns on by itself, off by itself, or the light kit does this on it’s own, then this is a good sign you do need to change the dipswitches.

Dipswitches are toggle switches on the back of the remote. You will also find a corresponding set of dipswitches on the fan. Generally, you’ll need to open the housing to find it. The dipswitches could be found on the base with some fans, without having to open anything. The dipswitches are used to set a frequency that the fan and the remote communicate on. In this way, the remote usually does not need to be programmed to the ceiling fan, as the dipswitches control the connectivity between the fan and the remote.

If your fan turns on and off by itself, or the light kit does, it could be being controlled by another person nearby (generally by accident). This happens often in apartment buildings, where the walls are thin and the signal in one room bounces into the next. The best way to remedy this is to change the position of the dipswitches. Always ensure that both dipswitches have the same pattern though. The remote needs to be able to talk to the ceiling fan, so both must have the dipswitches set the same way.

Now you have tried changing the batteries, and checked the dipswitches. Is the remote still not working?

Assuming the red light is turning on, and the dipswitches are set correctly – is there any other programming required?

Does the remote have any other buttons which could be relevant for this? Or is there instructions that came with the remote? If you are missing the instructions, you can also try searching for them online.

Try replacing the remote. If you are not able to find the exact remote that came with the fan, then try looking for a Hampton Bay Universal Remote.

Replace the receiver / purchase a receiver & remote kit

If you’ve replaced the remote, checked the dipswitches and still cannot get the fan to work with the remote, it may be time to purchase a new receiver unit. A receiver is the transmitter inside of the fan, that the remote interacts with. Once you purchase the receiver kit, you’ll need to follow the instructions that come with it in order to replace the receiver on your ceiling fan.

Is your Hampton Bay Ceiling Fan Remote Control still not working?

If after all of the above troubleshooting, your remote is still not functioning properly, we can help. Here are some additional resources to assist you with troubleshooting your ceiling fan remote control. The below resources can help with any brand of fan, it does not matter whether it is a Hampton Bay remote or not, as many of these troubleshooting steps are generic to remotes in general. The troubleshooting steps are usually the same: check batteries, check dip switches, try replacing the remote, and when all else fails, install a new remote with a new receiver.

Ceiling Fan Remote Control Troubleshooting – long step by step guide

You can also post a comment or question below and we’ll do our best to assist you with troubleshooting your remote.