Turn on your Harbor Breeze ceiling fan with a touch of a button from the comfort of the sofa by setting up remote control activation. The remote control will also allow you to adjust fan speed and dim fan lighting. Installing a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan remote control receiver into the fan canopy is doable on your own with a few tools. This receiver is wired inside the fan canopy. Other receivers are wired to the wall and involve additional steps.
Fan Motor
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The ceiling fan is operated with an electric motor that contains spinning motor coils. Energy runs through the fan motor capacitor and builds torque to spin the fan blades. When you open your ceiling fan canopy, you'll see three main wires that connect the motor to the lighting. The black ceiling fan wire powers the fan motor. The blue wire powers the light fixture. And the white wire is the neutral wire for both the motor and the light. These are the wires that will attach to your new remote control receiver.
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Safety First
When working with wiring, it's recommended to test the new wire with a non-contact voltage tester before handling. Non-contact voltage testers are available at home improvement and hardware stores, and can be found less than $20. Be sure to shut off the power to the fan before any electrical projects start. Power should be shut off at the breaker. Remove the remote receiver from all packaging and have all tools on hand before getting started.
Exposing the Wires
Using a stepladder, carefully remove the four screws that hold the fan canopy in place. Place the screws in a secure location. Drop open the canopy to the ceiling fan motor. Inside, you should be able to see the ceiling fan wiring and the hanging bracket attached to the ceiling fan electrical box.
Identifying the Wires
The wire connectors twist together. Locate the white wires that connect to the ceiling electrical box to the fan. These two white wires will need to be pulled apart. The black and blue wires are next. Disconnect both by untwisting the wires from the black electrical box wire. Do not disconnect the green wire.
Your new remote receiver will have the same black, blue and white wires as the ones inside the canopy. They will be on the ceiling fan side of the receiver, and have labels noting the motor wire, the light wire and the neutral wire. On the other side of the receiver, there will be a black and a white wire that will connect to the corresponding colors on the electrical box.
Matching the Wires
The receiver wires need to be connected to the electrical box wire. Match up all the wire colors and twist a wire connector onto each pair. The black electrical box wire with match marked AC/IN on the receiver. Connect the black and white wires on the receiver to the matching wires on the electrical box. With all wires connected, you can insert the receiver behind the hanging fan bracket.
Reattach Canopy and Test Fan
The canopy will now cover both the electrical box and receiver. Tightly screw in the canopy screws, and carefully step down the ladder. Turn on the power breaker and test the fan. If the fan runs normally, test the remote. Remember to insert batteries into the remote if needed.