Can I Put A Dimmer On A Ceiling Fan

Hi todd sorry to hear about your ceiling fan and yes wiring a ceiling fan to a dimmer switch most likely burnt up your ceiling fan and here s why.

Can i put a dimmer on a ceiling fan.

Wiring ceiling fan switches. There are a few better options available to you. Or something similar you should not use this dimmer with a motor load. You can t put the motor on the dimmer.

If there is only one switched wire going to the fan light combo then no. A typical ceiling fan motor is an ac induction motor. How to wire wall switches for a ceiling fan. You cannot use a light dimmer to control a fan.

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. There is a growing misconception that this is safe to do but the logic behind it is flawed. I know intuitively it seems like it would work but its not a good idea. A broken ceiling fan motor and a house fire are obviously not ideal outcomes however there is some good news.

An example of this is that the motor in your fan could be damaged and rendered useless. 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. Don t try to use a dimmer switch as a fan speed control. The new switch does require an additional electrical wire.

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. 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. You cannot use a dimmer switch on a fan motor but you can find fan speed controllers. By all means you can connect a ceiling fan directly to a dimmer switch but you may run into problems along the way.

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. A dimmer switch should never be wired as the main controlling switch for a ceiling fan or ceiling fan remote control. If you see the text for incandescent only. A regular dimmer switch simply reduces the voltage.

You can install a ceiling fan light dual dimmer switch to operate the fan speed and light intensity from the original wall switch location. Install a fan control switch. You need to open up the switch box and or the fan connections to see. That works with lights but will burn out a motor and maybe burn down the house.