Troubleshooting a 12 Volt Fan Switch That Overheats And Shuts Off

Updated 07/31/2021 | Published 07/30/2021

Products Featured in This Question

Replacement Wall Switch for LaSalle Bristol Reversible 12V RV Ceiling Fans - White

(97)

$55.33

12V RV Ceiling Fan w/ Wall Switch - 4 Speed - 34-1/2" Diameter - Brushed Nickel - Cherry/Oak

(73)

$166.83

Digital Multimeter with 42" Long Test Leads - LED Display

(3)

$22.17

Question:

Fan switch gets VERY hot and fan shuts off till cools down. This is the exact replacement part. Will the new switch fix that problem?

asked by: Dale T

Expert Reply:

A Replacement Wall Switch # 344410TSSW12V may or may not fix your problem. It will come down to what exactly is causing the switch to overheat.

If the 12V RV Ceiling Fan like # 344410TSDC36BNOKCY is pulling more power than it should do to a damaged fan it will cause the new switch to overheat as well. You will need a Multimeter # PT89ZR to test the power going to the fan motor. This fan is rated at 20 watts of 12 volt power which will be 1.67 amps of power(be sure to check your fan for its exact rating and don't assume they are all the same). If the multimeter indicates anything higher than what your fan should have there is something wrong with the fan and it needs replaced.

If the power is where it should be then likely the fan switch has a bad connection inside the switch and it should be replaced before it fails and causes serious damage. As it has already heated up to the point that the fan quit working I would go ahead and replace it anyways as you don't know if it may have caused some internal damage that will cause it to fail later.

expert reply by: Bud M