Can I Put A Dimmer On A Ceiling Fan

You need to open up the switch box and or the fan connections to see.

Can i put a dimmer on a ceiling fan. I know intuitively it seems like it would work but its not a good idea. Using a standard dimmer with a ceiling fan can damage the motor and or cause the dimmer and or motor to overheat and cause a fire. You cannot use a dimmer switch on a fan motor but you can find fan speed controllers. The new switch does require an additional electrical wire.

If they ran two wires even if they connected them both to the switch you should be able to split off the light for a dimmer. Or something similar you should not use this dimmer with a motor load. A typical ceiling fan motor is an ac induction motor. Although this will eliminate your ability to dim the light on the ceiling fan it will also reduce the risks of damage to the fan or your home.

For a switch to effectively slow down that type of motor it requires a variable frequency drive vfd or a triac with some extra circuitry. How to wire wall switches for a ceiling fan. A broken ceiling fan motor and a house fire are obviously not ideal outcomes however there is some good news. There are a few better options available to you.

A dimmer switch should never be wired as the main controlling switch for a ceiling fan or ceiling fan remote control. You cannot use a light dimmer to control a fan. A regular dimmer switch simply reduces the voltage. The best option you have for a ceiling fan that is wired to a standard dimmer switch is to change it out for a simple toggle switch.

There is a growing misconception that this is safe to do but the logic behind it is flawed. Don t try to use a dimmer switch as a fan speed control. An example of this is that the motor in your fan could be damaged and rendered useless. That works with lights but will burn out a motor and maybe burn down the house.

If there is only one switched wire going to the fan light combo then no. If you see the text for incandescent only. Install a fan control switch. You can t put the motor on the dimmer.

Wiring ceiling fan switches. Using a dimmer switch is not recommended for use with a ceiling fan. By all means you can connect a ceiling fan directly to a dimmer switch but you may run into problems along the way. Converting a three speed ceiling fan to variable speed is even easier if the original fan was wired to a light switch to turn.