Ceiling fan faulty, what should I do.

Frequently Asked Questions:  Faulty ceiling fan

My ceiling fan appears to be faulty, what should I do?

All the ceiling fans we sell here at Tilly's come with a manufacturers warranty, each warranty differs so it is worth checking what you have purchased, however they are similar enough for us to give you a guide.  The fans will be covered by an in-home warranty period (usually 2 years). During this time if the fan is faulty, you contact the warranty line of the Company that imported the fan and they will diagnose the problem over the phone and more than likely direct you to fill out the warranty claim form.  Their service agent located int he stae where you live will then come and look at the fan.

If the fan is older than 2 years the motor will be covered by a further 3 year warranty (This can vary from each manufacturer), you need to still call the warranty line and try and diagnose the problem and once again fill out a warranty form.  The fan then may be replaced but this is up to the manufacturer.  If the fan is replaced (or just the motor) the cost of installing the motor will need to be paid by the customer as it is outside the 2 year in-home warranty. 

A fault with the fan may lie in the remote control, or receiver, this is usually subject to a different warranty length of time to the fan motor, so it is best to call the warranty line and again see if you can diagnose the fault prior to involving the electrician. 

Should I take the fan down off the ceiling?

Don't take the ceiling fan off the ceiling or get your electrician to come back and remove the fan without speaking to the Fan supplier that provided the fan...  An electrician returning to the job will more than likely charge you a second call out fee which will not be covered by Tilly's or the fan supplier if you decide to take this step yourself.  It is always best to call the warranty line and explain the issue and let them decide the next course of action.

Unfortunately most of the fan suppliers are east-coast based and during summer we need to factor in the 3 hour daylight saving time difference. (they may not answer the phone as they may have closed for the day).  Feel free to call Tilly's lights and we will see if we can help, however the warranty line does deal with issues more than us at Tilly's so our help may be limited.

If the warranty line determines that the fan is faulty and needs to be changed, you will be directed to fill out a warranty form and submit it.  The Fan supplier will then get their service agent out to fix the fan at their cost, this is why it is important to let the fan supplier know of the faulty fan and not get your electrician to remove it.

How do I know which fan company to call?

It is important to keep your receipt for warranty purposes, this will list the model of the fan you bought which will help identify who you should call.  It is also important to keep the documentation that came with the fan as this lists the warranty line and the company in charge of this.

If you don't have any of these details (let's face it, these things disappear, are thrown out by the electrican or are in that safe place you can't remember right now) then there are a couple of things you can do.  Call Tilly's lights and see if we took your name at the time of sale so we can track your information or you will usually find a sticker of the model number and or the name of the fan importer on the top side of the fan motor housing (facing the ceiling).

I don't have all the details for the warranty form...

The fan warranty departments tell us that a high number of warranty claims are installation errors this is why they request certain details on their claim form to be submitted to stop unnecessary claims.  You will be asked for a copy of the receipt of purchase (important that you keep this on record). You will also be asked for the detail of the electrician that installed the fan (cash deals with electricians won't get you a receipt and may leave you in a stuck situation). You will also need to agree to a charge if the service agent is sent out and an installation fault is determined and can be easily corrected.

Unfortunately all the fan suppliers are the same and request the same information, so it is important you can provide this information to proceed with the warranty claim.  Tilly's lights also require the fan to have been installed by a licensed electrician to be able to help.