As the subject says, I bought 7 new SBB Minka-Aire 6-speed fans when I built my house. All are the same model with 6 installed and another that was waiting for install. After 4 years, two of the controller/receivers have failed. I swapped one with the now “spare” fan that was still in its box.
Today, a second receiver seems to have failed. I can get it to respond with the remote to reset itself and perform a factory reset, but the Bond Wifi AP never shows up. This is the same issue I had with the first one last summer.
Everywhere I look for the part number, LW0010464000, is out of stock and backordered until September. Plus the vendors want half-as-much or more than if I just bought a new fan.
These are all DC fans so I suspect I cannot just replace it with a non-DC fan controller, or am I mistaken? Are there other options like a universal controller/receiver, SBB or otherwise? I spent $400 per fan 5 years ago and am starting to feel like I should have just bought the cheapo HD/Lowes specials instead.
I’ve had this same issue with three fans. I can’t remember when the first one failed but I think it was some time over this past summer as well. The second one failed maybe a month or two after that, then the third just this past month. I’ve worked through all the troubleshooting steps with factory reset, “nuclear” reset, etc. but to no avail. I’ve even checked all the wiring both at the switch and in the fan and all connections are fine.
I have the same symptoms as you: the fans will respond to reset commands, but the Wifi AP never shows up and they won’t pair with any remotes. I’d love to hear from a Bond rep about why this may have happened and how to resolve it. I’ve got three fans right now that are completely dead and I’m worried that my two others will die soon as well.
@merck I see you responding elsewhere on the forum. Got any suggestions or input on this issue?
Your findings indicate a serious manufacturing defect no longer covered by the “limited” Lifetime Warranty I found on the instructional manual of my minkaAire fan model Wing. However, mine was purchased 14 years ago and runs flawlessly. Another ceiling fan with the same motor design and remote control from Emerson, same age, still also functions flawlessly. So I can only conclude that the changes to the receiver side of the fan caused lifetime issues in the newer products.
Sorry, I got my ownership time wrong by ~10 years but I still do believe that technical changes to the subsequent products are the key reason why the newer generations show dramatically shorter life spans. Without too much guessing, the tendency of cost reduction over time of a otherwise successful product is a common trend in almost all industries. My products at the time were high end with $800 and $500 purchase price. I do believe that the decision for me has paid off well for both very energy efficient and run so quiet. In our Austin TX home the master bedroom fan was needed most nights.