im just replacing two light fixtures in my dining room with ceiling fan/light combos. The problem is arising with the switch on the wall which is the original from the 70's and is a combo on/off and dimmer. The first ceiling fan is somehow connected to the dimmer switch so the light is "sharing" power with the plain light at the other end of the ceiling. Will it all work itself out once I replace the ceiling light with the next ceiling fan?
2007-05-03 13:16:48 · 10 answers · asked by amy mo 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
No it won't work itself out. Your only option at this point without rewiring the room is to replace the switch with a new "switch" only no dimmer. This will turn on both units together and you will need to make your adjustments with their individual pull chains. For optimum performance (needs rewire) you would need a switch bank of 4 switches. That is one for eack light fixture and one for each fan motor. These will need rheir own switch legs (wire between unit and switch) thus the rewire, at present you have one and need 3 more. Fancier design could include a variable speed motor control switch for each fan and dimmers for each of the lights. Dimmers for lights are affordable but a VS motor control (dimmer for motor) switch can run near $100 each. For the fancier version you are looking at $800 total to have it done, or $350 in materials to DIY.
2007-05-03 13:45:16 · answer #1 · answered by NubbY 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This should not present a problem. Your dimmer switch is simply supplying power to both receptacles. You will in fact need to replace the dimmer with a simple on/off switch though, and you will need to have the switch turned on in order to operate either both or one of the fans.
If you purchase pull chain operated ceiling fans, then you can use the pull chains to operate the light and fans independent of each other. In this case, you will have no way to dim the lights, but you can operate the fan(s) with the lights on or off, or just pull the chain for whichever light(s) you want on if you want light(s) on with no fan.
You can also purchase fans with remote controls as well. This will give you the ability to have a light dimmer on the fans. If you purchase 2 fans that are alike with a remote and you don’t want one remote control to operate both fans, then you simply can change the frequencies of the controls and receivers so they do not match. There are little dipswitches inside the remote transmitters and the receivers that allow you to do this. In any case, you will always need the switch on the wall to be in the on position in order to operate either pull chain or remote controlled fans.
I would recommend talking to a specialty fan dealer when you purchase your next fan to make sure you get the controls that you need. There may be a way to convert the one fan that you already own to remote control if you so desire. You can have one fan that is remote controlled and one fan that operates with a pull chain too. Most of the remote control fans from the better brands also come with a bracket (cradle) that attaches to the wall so you can leave the remote control in the cradle and use it like a wall control, or remove it from the cradle and use it as a hand held remote.
2007-05-05 10:09:24 · answer #2 · answered by Ceiling Fan expert 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need the fan/light switches you can get at home inprovement stores. You will be running two circuits instead of just one. You need a circuit for the lights, with a dimmer. And another one for the fans. That may require you to run another hot wire to the fans, either that or use the pull cords on the fans and the switch for the lights on a dimmer. good luck
2007-05-03 13:50:56 · answer #3 · answered by Fordman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it wont work itself out. If both light were controlled by one switch then both fans will be controlled by that switch. If only one was being controlled then you have a short in the lines. Either way you need to replace the switch. There are also special switches so that the fan and the light can be controlled seperately on the same switch.
2007-05-03 13:24:35 · answer #4 · answered by Bitcasso 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will find a 3 wire in each ceiling light box usually black does the lights and red does the fan and the white is the neutral , open the switch and see if that is how it was done black for lights and red for fan and aslong as you wire the fan the same way you will be fine, both lights will come on togther and the fans wil to . If you want to control them sep. you can but it will turn on each fan and light togther. Just use the red wire for one fan and the black wire for the other fan
2007-05-05 17:29:50 · answer #5 · answered by brndnh721 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not enough info to tell.... but DO NOT use a dimmer switch for the fan.... and be sure the electrical box is strong enough to hold up the fan..... it sounds like it was not prewired for a fan/light combo.... you may have to use the light switch to turn on the power and use the pull cords to turn the fan or light on and off
2007-05-03 13:23:26 · answer #6 · answered by Mr. Ree 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can use the existing wiring. You just wire the fan and the light to the hot wire in the ceiling box. The light switch will turn the power on to the fan and light. You will also be able to turn these on and off with the pull chains that come With the fan.
2016-04-01 07:31:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
remove the dimmer. the you have a choice of a pull chain or two to control the light and fan seperate.
2007-05-03 17:12:58 · answer #8 · answered by zocko 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you may need to remove the dimmer out of the circuit as it may burn out the fan motor.
2007-05-03 13:24:17 · answer #9 · answered by ButwhatdoIno? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Spend some money and get an electrician to complete the installation. It will save you money as it will not burn your house down.
2007-05-05 00:01:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋