Windward IV Ceiling Fan Hack

   Thanks to our parents, the federal government, we are no longer able to overlamp our ceiling fixtures. This safety regulation is accomplished by introducing various circuit restrictions into all new light fixtures including consumer ceiling fans. Do not get me wrong, I agree that it is important not to burn your house down from installing the wrong light bulb. However, it seems ridiculous that a homeowner needs anything more than a warning sticker saying "60W MAX."

Home Depot Windward IV    The new law requires a physical device in the circuit to prevent the wrong bulb from being used. Once again no big deal, unless these devices themselves prove to be faulty, causing simple fixtures to fail. You could blame the company that chose to poorly retrofit a design to obey the law, or you could just say the law is unnecessary, and one step too far.
   So, what does this have to do with Home Decorators Collection Windward IV? Well they took a great fan and introduced a fuse to prevent overlamping. This works fine on some units, but I personally have had half of my six fans blow the factory fuse while the OEM CFL bulbs were installed. I consulted the customer service line and was instructed to cut out the fuse holder and bypass the circuit limiter altogether.
   This post is purposely short and sweet, much faster than the time it took me to find this information on my own. This is not a review of the product or Home Depot's manufacturing standards. You can probably tell how I feel by my choice of words. Hopefully you found this while searching for answers and it gives you insight as to why your newly installed, moderately expensive fan just stopped working. Electricity is the same as it has always been, dangerous when used without caution.

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