12/27/2023 0 Comments Dimmer switch for fanThat is why it is vital to change the rotor’s amperage instead of adjusting the voltage. Using the same example of starting the fan on low using a dimmer, an additional problem is that the associated low current will not be enough to trigger the fan to start on low. This high voltage melts contacts in the fan. The voltage will be high as the rotor tries to start itself and allow high current to pass. The fan motor will burn out as it cannot take the excessive voltage that flows through the dimmer if you set the dimmer to a high setting. However, a filled-diaper hits the fan when you connect a dimmer to the fan motor! And since it is meant to control the brightness of a light, it works as it should with a light. On the other hand, a dimmer switch is designed to control voltage. So fans will start at high speed, and then quickly decrease to the required low speed. Then it quickly falls to low amperage as the fan picks up speed. Using a fan speed controller when you first turn on a fan on ‘LOW,’ there is a high current provided to start the fan’s rotor. Let’s look at a scenario in which the fan speed controller usually works. The key point lies in the difference in the working of a dimmer switch and an actual purpose-built fan speed controller.Īs explained, a fan speed controller controls the amount of current, or amperage is provided to the fan’s motor to increase or decrease the speed. So what is causing the trouble in using dimmers to control fan speed? And those mistakes have been costly and dangerous. The warning would say ‘for incandescent lights only’ on dimmer switches.Ĭlearly, there were mistakes made by DIY home enthusiasts taking electrical work into their hands. One wonders what made such a distinction necessary to be put on the switch package and the spec sheet and printed onto the dimmer switch right under the cover. What Happens When You Use a Dimmer Switch With a Ceiling Fan?ĭimmer switches in the stores are nowadays marked clearly where they can be used and compatible with. The larger the difference in electrical charge between these two, the higher the voltage will be. Here, voltage is simply the difference in the electrical potential between the wire and the light. As the voltage increases by raising the dimmer, the light becomes brighter. As the voltage reduces, the light produces less power. On the flip side lies the dimmer switch, which controls voltage in a circuit. Then it can regulate the speed depending on whether you turned it to high, medium, or low. The current reduces as the voltage difference reduces.Īdditionally, a fan’s rotor requires a high influx of current to start it when you turn on a fan. The current flow is high when the voltage difference (potential) is high. The fan speed controller regulates the rotor’s speed by increasing or decreasing the current, or amperage, available to the rotor.Ī component called the regulator first regulates the voltage, which in turn adjusts the current.Ĭurrent is the volume of electrons passing through the conductor to overcome a voltage difference. In contrast, the fan control reduces the amperage. Talking about the differences between a dimmer switch and a fan speed regulator, the basic one is that the dimmer reduces the voltage. Because of this, dimmer switches cannot be used on the ceiling fan without running into a host of problems. The dimmer switch regulates the voltage in the circuit while a purpose-built fan controller regulates the amperage in the circuit. Something as little as a buzzing or a slowing speed can bother your otherwise peaceful moment. But it doesn’t take much to take away the calm. There’s nothing more relaxing than a breezy fan cooling you off on a hot summer afternoon.
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