Had a homeowner in Mesa ask me to install a 'light dimmer' for their ceiling fan speed

I was doing a kitchen remodel for a couple last month and the wife, Linda, pointed at the fan and said 'We want one of those slider things so we can make it go slow like the lights.' I had to explain the whole separate switch thing for about ten minutes before she got it, lol. She kept saying 'But the knob on the fan itself is so ugly!' Has anyone else had to talk someone out of wiring a fan speed control to a standard dimmer?

3 comments

3 Comments

white.sandra8d ago

Oh man, the fire hazard angle is real. I had a client who tried it themselves before calling me, used a basic dimmer on their fan motor. That thing hummed so loud it sounded angry, and the motor got crazy hot to the touch. You're not just risking the fan burning out, you're literally creating a point in the wall that could overheat and start a fire. It's wild how people see a slider and think it's all the same.

shane_wilson8d ago

Yeah, I've been that guy trying to explain it while nodding like an idiot. Sandra's right about the angry humming.

jesse_craig261d ago

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt that probably smells like burnt wiring. My own attempt at being handy ended with a fan that sounded like a swarm of angry bees trapped in the ceiling. The scary part is you don't even realize how hot it's getting inside the wall until you smell it. It's a perfect example of a small mistake with a really big, smoky consequence.