Can You Use A Light Dimmer 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 light dimmer on a ceiling fan. A dimmer switch as the name suggests lets you control the intensity of the light produced from the light to which it is connected such as a ceiling fan with a built in lighting fixture. There was a burning smell in the air. You should not use an led bulb if the lighting kit is directly wired to a dimmer switch. The fan is new i installed it 3 months ago.

When you can can t use smart light bulbs in ceiling fans firstly check the bulb size. I turned my ceiling fan on it was fine for a few minutes then the lights made loud popping noises and shut off. The ceiling fan lights will be off and the fan blades will stop turning when you turn off the correct breaker. Now the fan and lights don t work at all.

In this circumstance the light kit could be connected to a dimmer switch and the fan motor connected to a toggle switch. If you don t enjoy using your ceiling fan s pull levers to control the light and speed of the fan you can always install a dual dimmer switch instead to give you more customization of your ceiling fan. This will allow you to control the light intensity and the fan speed which can not be achieved if you re only using the fan s chains. Dimmer switches and ceiling fans electrical question.

In the image below the topportion represents a typical 120v sine wave while the bottom two portions are modified waves produced by a dimmer. A fan that has no speed control when manufactured has copper windings inside that determine speed and horsepower. 3 hold a noncontact voltage tester against the ceiling fan wall switch cover plate. You cannot use a light dimmer to control a fan.

Because of this you ll need to replace your wall dimmer switch with an on off switch. 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. A dimmer switch should never be connected to a ceiling fan motor. You may need an electrician for this.

The answer depends on how the ceiling fan is installed and what type of ceiling fan you own.