# Can Any Ceiling Fan Work With A Dimmer Light Switch



## BlessedMomma (Jan 25, 2011)

I already have a dimmer light switch and wanting to put a ceiling fan/light in. Does it have to be a certain kind of fan or will anything work?


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## secutanudu (Mar 15, 2009)

A normal dimmer should only be used with the light portion, not the fan. Ie. it is not a fan speed control.

if you are intending to use this switch to control fan speed, get a switch marked as such.


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## BlessedMomma (Jan 25, 2011)

I am wanting to know if I buy a normal fan with a light, would the light still dim? Or do I have to buy a certain kind of fan?


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## secutanudu (Mar 15, 2009)

Yes, but you'd have to wire it so that the fan and light turn on with separate switches. Do you have a fan/light in that spot currently? Just a light?


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## BlessedMomma (Jan 25, 2011)

I just have a light. Not sure if there has been a fan there before. Not sure what wiring is up there either beings the light fixture is still hooked up.


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## secutanudu (Mar 15, 2009)

If you only had a light, you probably do not have the wiring in the walls to separate the light and fan with _standar_d switches.

They do make, however, a special switch (About $50 USD) that is intended for your situation. It is a combination dimmer/fan control and works with only one wire. There's a little "brain" you put in the fan housing called a "canopy module". 

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/electr...n-control-and-dimmer-package-white-70642.html

I believe they also make a version with a remote control for about $25 more. I installed this (non-remote version) for my brother a year ago, it works great.


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## hyunelan2 (Aug 14, 2007)

If you have only one switch providing power to your existing light, and it is a dimmer switch, you have 2 options:

Change the dimmer to a regular switch.
Run a second wire and install a second switch (or a constant hot for the fan).

99.9% of ceiling fans with lights can be wired so that separate switches control the fan and light portions of the switch. 


Alternatively, you could get a ceiling fan with a remote that has dimmer functions on it. I had that in my last house - a simple switch turned all the power on to the fan/light, but the remote control changed fan speed and light brightness. They are slightly more expensive than a regular fan.

The reason you don't want to use a regular dimmer switch with a ceiling fan, is that the dimmer reduces the power to the fan motor - making it hard for the motor to work. This will lead to shortened fan motor life, a humming noise, and at worse-case - possibility of fire.


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## secutanudu (Mar 15, 2009)

My living room fan operates with a remote control that came with the fan...it's finicky. I don't know if they are all like that or not...next time i'd opt for a hardwired switch.


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## mpoulton (Jul 23, 2009)

BlessedMomma said:


> I just have a light. Not sure if there has been a fan there before. Not sure what wiring is up there either beings the light fixture is still hooked up.


Well, the first thing to do is to pull the fixture down and see what wires you have. If you have only white, black, and bare then your options are somewhat limited. However, if you find an unused red wire up there, you're in luck! The red wire will be connected to incoming power at the switch, and is intended to provide power to a fan separately from the light so they can be controlled independently. You can replace the light switch with a combined fan and light control which will connect to both the red and black wires, dimming the light and adjusting the fan speed separately.

If you only have a black wire up there, then you will need to use a special type of fan and light control that has a dimmer module up in the fan box, controlled remotely by the switch on the wall.


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## BlessedMomma (Jan 25, 2011)

I will have to have my husband check. Thank you that helps a lot.


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

You will need a proper fan speed controler,
Normal light dimmers are not intended to control fan motors,
Electronic fan speed controlers are readily available.
I am not sure if lamps can be put on these,
electronic speed controlers.
So perhaps you might need a seperate line for the light.



BlessedMomma said:


> I already have a dimmer light switch and wanting to put a ceiling fan/light in. Does it have to be a certain kind of fan or will anything work?


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