Ask Jon Eakes

Last Updated: Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, Created: Saturday, January 12th, 2002

Can I put a dimmer switch on a ceiling fan?

You cannot use a dimmer switch on a fan motor, but you can find fan speed controllers. Why? A regular dimmer switch simply reduces the voltage. That works with lights, but will burn out a motor (and maybe burn down the house). A fan speed controller is a much more complex electronic device that reduces the amperage to the motor without reducing the voltage. Avoiding this kind of innocent mistake is one of the reasons many electricians feel that DIY electrical work should be banned. Look carefully at the packaging of the switches at the store. These days you will find an indication as to whether this switch is for a light, for a halogen light, or for a ceiling fan, or in a dual unit, for both with two different sliders in one unit. One caution. All of these light and fan controls require that there be more than two wires coming down from the fan to the wall switch location. Check that out before you put the money out for a switch that you may not be able to install, unless you are ready to run a new wire through the walls and ceiling. There is another great controller called Fan-E-Zee that does not vary the speed of the fan, but will choose between fan only, light only, or fan and light together -- all with just the two wires at the switch. In fact you don't even change the wall switch. This little black box goes into the ceiling electrical box. It then reads Morse code from the switch. Working like a double or triple mouse click, turn it on and you get the lights alone. On-off-on and you get both the fan and the light. On-off-on-off-on and you get the fan alone. All with just two wires at the switch box. I am told it is difficult to find the Fan-E-Zee any more. Too bad. Good products often disappear for lack of sales volume. Click here for information on the LEGALITY OF DIY ELECTRICAL WORK.

Keywords: Air Flow, Ceiling, Controls, Electrical, Fans, Switches, Wire

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