Replacement Remotes, Universal Remotes
So, what do you do when that age old thing happens – and the remote gets lost? What remote are we talking about? ANY remote! That’s right. It does not matter whether your remote is a universal TV remote, ceiling fan remote, air conditioner remote, heater remote, stereo remote, DVD player remote, Blu-ray should we go on? With today’s modern electronics, losing the remote means it can be near impossible to utilize the appliance or electronic that you’re used to using everyday.
With that being said, the other variable is those of us who have a remote – but the remote isn’t working. So how do you re-program that universal TV remote? How do you re-program a ceiling fan remote, a stereo remote…again, we could go on. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here we not only help you to troubleshoot your existing remote (if you can find it), but we can also help you to locate a new remote that’s compatible with your devices when you need one. We endeavor to have remote programming codes for every remote out there. While that’s a bold statement, it’s something we’re constantly working towards. We also love to hear from our site visitors, so if a programming code didn’t work for you, or you can’t find the code – or remote – that you need, please do let us know by leaving a comment. We will add your comment to the website, as well as review it and respond with where you can find the remote you need.
Troubleshoot Ceiling Fan Remote not Working
Before you go and replace your ceiling fan remote, let us help you. We have troubleshooting guides to assist site visitors with diagnosing the problem with the remote, before replacing it. There are some general troubleshooting steps, like checking the batteries, checking the dip switches and determining what is the problem before going the route of replacement. If you do choose to replace the ceiling fan remote, replacing the receiver and the remote at the same time is often a good idea. Many universal ceiling fan kits come with a replacement receiver. Replacing the receiver is easy, and you don’t need to remove the ceiling fan from the ceiling in order to install the replacement. Just read our guides and watch a few videos, and before you know it you’ll be switching our your receiver too for a more modern one!
How to program your ceiling fan remote – setting the dip switches on your remote
To program your remote to talk to your ceiling fan, the dip switches need to be set to the same setting. By default, they are the same. However, what could happen is say your kids get a hold of the remote. Next thing you know, the remote is no longer talking to the fan. You’ve replaced the batteries and that does not work. So, you’ll have to access the receiver in your ceiling fan in order to check the dip switches are the same and are lining up to the dip switches in your remote. They need to be set the same, in order to communicate to each other on the same frequency.
First, remove the battery cover on the remote
Under the battery cover, you will see dip switches or code switches (both of these mean the same thing).
Use a ballpoint pen, tweezers or other to slide the dip switches up or down.
You need to set the dip switches the same on your receiver. If you need help accessing the receiver on your ceiling fan, check out our article on how to access the ceiling fan receiver.
This video below will get into dip switches and programming a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan. It is helpful to assist you in this regard, take a look if you need help with ceiling fan dip switches or programming.
Find Replacement Ceiling Fan Controls & Remotes
If you’re looking for a replacement remote for a ceiling fan, we can help with this also. We have replacement remotes for most major manufacturers like Hunter, Hampton Bay, Harbor Breeze and others. You are welcome to leave a comment on the website if there is a particular remote that you simply cannot find, and need help to find that remote. There are also some remotes that we list on this website, that can be used for multiple ceiling fans. For example, the Hampton Bay UC7083T remote will work with more then one style of Hampton Bay ceiling fan. This can be useful if you have trouble finding the exact model of remote to replace your existing remote. This is a common problem that many people spend more time on then it’s relatively worth!
Replace multiple remotes with a universal remote
Replacing multiple remotes with one universal remote is always a good idea. Let’s say you have a coffee table with about 6 remotes on it. One gets lost, and then you can’t control an electronic. Or you have little toddlers or kids running around that constantly want to grab at those remotes. We get it – honestly! Wouldn’t it be so much easier to replace those 6 remotes with just one remote. Right?
Having all of the remotes fill up a whole coffee table is kind of frustrating, when you know you could be using that coffee table for other things. Such as, potentially being a place for you to set your coffee cup down, right? Not to mention, all of the batteries you constantly have to buy to replace in those remotes all the time! Yuck, that’s a heck of an expense, too! With just the amount of money you sink into batteries each month, you could purchase a universal remote and voila. Now you have one remote to control everything.
Even better, should you buy a new appliance, just program your universal remote with the new device as well. Done! Wasn’t that easy?
Smart WiFi Remote Controls
One of the cool things you can now do with newer technology is to convert appliances in your home to be controllable over Wi-Fi. This means that you can start to push your home to adopting an “Internet of Things” approach. So in the past, as an example, you had to have a specific ceiling fan remote control to control your ceiling fan. This is no longer the case. Universal remotes are even now having to contend with the new approach, that everything is controllable over your home network. Cool idea, right? For the most part, all you need to make it work is Wi-Fi in your home (most people have this now) as well as a medium. So, if you have Wi-Fi in your home and a smart phone connected to WiFi, you’re all set.
Which apps are accessible will of course depend on whether you have Android or iPhone, however for the most part there are a million remote control apps out there you can experiment with. To convert standard household appliances like ceiling fans, you need to purchase a “smart kit” that will do most of the work for you. For the most part you’re installing a new antenna into the appliance, so it can then communicate on your home network. Some manufacturers will also provide apps themselves, that allow you to control home appliances without even necessarily being in the home!
Do universal remotes work on all ceiling fans?
This is a great question, and one that we get asked often. The simple answer is: no. The easiest way to ensure compatibility, is to purchase a ceiling fan remote that matches the manufacturer of your fan. Therefore, if you have a Hunter ceiling fan, best to buy a Hunter universal ceiling fan remote. If you buy a remote from another manufacturer, there is less chances of it working with your ceiling fan. Before you purchase a universal remote, read more information about the remote in the product details. Sometimes, you’ll be able to find information related to what ceiling fan models are compatible with the remote that you’re purchasing. If you can’t find any details like this, you can also try checking the manual that came with your ceiling fan. If that does not work, you can try reaching out to the manufacturer to ask them what remote will work with your fan.
If all of that fails, you can try posting a question to our support forums. We’ll do our best to find the answer for you.