How much heat is generated by a ceiling fan’s remote control receiver? My last receiver was damaged by water exposure from the floor above (problem addressed). Still, I felt it a good idea to protect the next one from such damage. I’ve almost totally enclosed the receiver and it’s connected wires in the bubble wrap bag it came in. I didn’t seal it rightly (leaving a couple of small gaps at the bottom, but protecting the unit from water falling into it from above). The bag is very loose fitting around the unit.
I’m worried that I may be causing heat retention because of limited ventilation. I don’t want to shorten the life of the receiver or possibly cause a fire risk. I notice vents in the unit and what may be a heat sync metal plate inside. This is basically a remote switch and electrical passthrough. Switches shouldn’t get hot in most cases I’m aware of. I’m just looking for confirmation of this being okay, or notice that I need to remove my water barrier.
A:
It depends on what your remote does. Some remotes have a very low power dissipation but others with both speed and light dimming can get quite hot.
I would never use bubble wrap on an electronic circuit.
I might make a plastic umbrella above it. If water gets in the fan or lighting circuits this can be what caused the damage not only to the module itself.
I would remove the bubble wrap.