Can You Use A Dimmer Switch On A Ceiling Fan

There is a growing misconception that this is safe to do but the logic behind it is flawed.

Can you use a dimmer switch on a ceiling fan.

A regular dimmer switch simply reduces the voltage. A fan that has no speed control when manufactured has copper windings inside that determine speed and horsepower. A safe repair can be as simple as replacing the dimmer switch with a standard toggle switch but you also lose the ability to dim the light. You cannot use a dimmer switch on a fan motor but you can find fan speed controllers why.

Electrical fires are more common than you think with 50 000 homes having one every year. 1 400 people are injured and 500 die from electrical fires each year so make. If the wiring for a ceiling fan is already in place in your home ie you have separate wires for the fan control and the light control it should be fairly easy for a qualified person to wire up separate controls for the fan and the light which will. 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.

If your ceiling fan has wiring already in place where you have a separate switch for fan control then you can have the separate controls wired to independent switches. The ceiling fan lights will be off and the fan blades will stop turning when you turn off the correct breaker. Never use a standard dimmer switch or unchecked wires to hook your ceiling fan up to a dimmer. You cannot use a light dimmer to control a fan.