MACL-LFQ Faint Glow when Lights off but Fan On

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02-03-2020, 05:33 PM
brahbrahh

MACL-LFQ Faint Glow when Lights off but Fan On

I have 4 fans controlled in my house with the MACL-LFQ, unfortunately they are all the same make and model (Minka Aire Rudolph, 16W light kit LED), so I can't test specifically for fan compatibility. Spec sheets for fan and light kit:https://www.minkagroup.net/images/pr...F727-BN_MM.pdf https://www.minkagroup.net/images/pr...K9727L-ORB.pdfAll 4 fans function properly with other LED fan/light dimmers.With the MACL-LFQ, the lights and fans operate fine with their respective controls and everything is wired properly. However, when the fan is on the light comes on very faintly where it is essentially unnoticeable in a moderately lit room, but very noticeable in sleeping conditions at night. Speed of the fan does not affect the brightness of the glow.I found this thread but his issue if when the controls are off, which isn't my issue: https://forums.lutron.com/showthread...bulbs-when-off Anyone encounter this or have any solutions? All other models on the market are quite ugly with the sliders and the whole house has lutron controls which is nice and I'd like to keep it like that if possible. Appreciate the help!
02-04-2020, 09:25 AM
randyc

Quote:

Originally Posted by brahbrahh

I have 4 fans controlled in my house with the MACL-LFQ, unfortunately they are all the same make and model (Minka Aire Rudolph, 16W light kit LED), so I can't test specifically for fan compatibility. Spec sheets for fan and light kit:https://www.minkagroup.net/images/pr...F727-BN_MM.pdf https://www.minkagroup.net/images/pr...K9727L-ORB.pdfAll 4 fans function properly with other LED fan/light dimmers.With the MACL-LFQ, the lights and fans operate fine with their respective controls and everything is wired properly. However, when the fan is on the light comes on very faintly where it is essentially unnoticeable in a moderately lit room, but very noticeable in sleeping conditions at night. Speed of the fan does not affect the brightness of the glow.I found this thread but his issue if when the controls are off, which isn't my issue: https://forums.lutron.com/showthread...bulbs-when-off Anyone encounter this or have any solutions? All other models on the market are quite ugly with the sliders and the whole house has lutron controls which is nice and I'd like to keep it like that if possible. Appreciate the help!

The LFQ is designed for use with a specific type of fan motor, usually identified by having a pull-chain. The fan you listed has a receiver in it for use with a Minka remote control. Receivers don't like reduced input which is what the LFQ is doing. You may be able to remove the receiver and connect directly to the fan motor/light. You should contact Minka about that.

Dimmers and fan controls use different methods of controlling the load and are not interchangeable.
02-04-2020, 06:00 PM
brahbrahh

Quote:

Originally Posted by randyc

The LFQ is designed for use with a specific type of fan motor, usually identified by having a pull-chain. The fan you listed has a receiver in it for use with a Minka remote control. Receivers don't like reduced input which is what the LFQ is doing. You may be able to remove the receiver and connect directly to the fan motor/light. You should contact Minka about that. Dimmers and fan controls use different methods of controlling the load and are not interchangeable.

Thank you for the reply. These fans are designed for wall controls and are AC motors, not DC/Remote operation. It is true though they do not have pull chains however there is no receiver in the fan housing. It seems that the lack of a neutral leads the some "line bleed" in the switch itself and the light is receiving just enough voltage to illuminate dimly when the fan is turned on. I just don't know if there's a fix short of placing some resistor in line with the light kit to stop the line bleed.
02-05-2020, 11:28 AM
randyc

Quote:

Originally Posted by brahbrahh

Thank you for the reply. These fans are designed for wall controls and are AC motors, not DC/Remote operation. It is true though they do not have pull chains however there is no receiver in the fan housing. It seems that the lack of a neutral leads the some "line bleed" in the switch itself and the light is receiving just enough voltage to illuminate dimly when the fan is turned on. I just don't know if there's a fix short of placing some resistor in line with the light kit to stop the line bleed.

Most electricians will run a 3-conductor (black, red, white) for ceiling fans. The shared neutral may be the issue. There may be a compatibility issue with the dimmer and LED. Since the light only glows when the fan is on, the neutral seems more likely. Lutron has a minimum load capacitor but it is only designed to work with switches (capacitors don't like to be dimmed).
02-06-2020, 12:55 PM
brahbrahh

Quote:

Originally Posted by randyc

Most electricians will run a 3-conductor (black, red, white) for ceiling fans. The shared neutral may be the issue. There may be a compatibility issue with the dimmer and LED. Since the light only glows when the fan is on, the neutral seems more likely. Lutron has a minimum load capacitor but it is only designed to work with switches (capacitors don't like to be dimmed).

Thanks Randy, I suspect the shared neutral as well however other fan control/dimmers work. Perhaps they are better suited to deal with this than the Lutron product line which is unfortunate. Guess I will have to deal with a couple mismatched switches in the house