Timer fan off a dimmer switch?

[GBDamo]

Has anyone done this successfully and if so how.

I've read that fans run off the perm and use the switches as a trigger so assuming the dimmer outputs sufficient voltage to trigger the fan it should work, but in reality will It?

 

[telectrix]

you might just have reinvented the fan speed controller.

 

[GBDamo]

you might just have reinvented the fan speed controller.

No, the fan runs off the perm live, not dimmed switch live, or so I've been lead to believe.... but then thats why I'm asking.

 

[pc1966]

Its a very odd thing to do. How many bathrooms have dimmable lights?

 

[telectrix]

Its a very odd thing to do. How many bathrooms have dimmable lights?

ours do.the cobwebs act as diffusers.

 

[GBDamo]

Its a very odd thing to do. How many bathrooms have dimmable lights?

None that I have seen, bosses wife want dimmable lights in the bathroom tough.

 

[pc1966]

Fair enough then!

 

[James]

Think it might be a case of try it and see.
Alternatively try manufacturers instructions

Finally if no joy, you could run the fan off an occupancy detector

 

[freddo]

The old MK rollover dimmers used to have a switched, non-dimmed terminal! Some remote dimmers such as Taptile also have both dimmed and non-dimmed outputs. As the input is just a trigger it will probably just work. Some electronic dimmers might hold the timer on all the time though if the timer input is sensitive. In normal electronics you'd use a pull down resistor to sort that problem!

 

[suffolkspark]

I've come across it in a house once, works fine but you have to turn the lights on with a bit of brightness for the fan to see the trigger, then can dim them, but if you dim too far the fan will time out

So it does work, but not very well

Zano dimmers have a switched undimmed output on their 1-10v grid dimmers, but that's only gonna help if youv e got 1-10v dimmable lights

 

[Pretty Mouth]

I did this a couple of times. First time was for a friends ensuite shower room - so he or his wife could go to the loo in the night without blinding themselves. I used a regular dimmer, leading edge IIRC, and it didn't work very well. When the lights were dimmed low, it took about a minute for the extractor to wake up and start running.

Second time, I modified the dimmer module to give an undimmmed switchlive in addition to dimmed. John Ward has a youtube vid for how to do it with the old leading edge dimmers, but I did it with a varilight V-Pro quite simply (much easier than in JW's vid), and it worked perfectly.

Obviously, if you modify the dimmer, it's on your head if something goes wrong with it. PM me if you want details of how

 

[3mixon]

I did this a couple of times. First time was for a friends ensuite shower room - so he or his wife could go to the loo in the night without blinding themselves. I used a regular dimmer, leading edge IIRC, and it didn't work very well. When the lights were dimmed low, it took about a minute for the extractor to wake up and start running.

Second time, I modified the dimmer module to give an undimmmed switchlive in addition to dimmed. John Ward has a youtube vid for how to do it with the old leading edge dimmers, but I did it with a varilight V-Pro quite simply (much easier than in JW's vid), and it worked perfectly.

Obviously, if you modify the dimmer, it's on your head if something goes wrong with it. PM me if you want details of how

Hi mate I really need your help I can’t PM you can’t find how it’s no option in your profile could you text my to have a talk about how to make work the fan timer with my dimmer if it possible because you mentioned you can modify the dimmer maybe it could work with my situation as well. Appreciate in advance if you can spend a minute your precious time.

Thank you!

 

[3mixon]

I did this a couple of times. First time was for a friends ensuite shower room - so he or his wife could go to the loo in the night without blinding themselves. I used a regular dimmer, leading edge IIRC, and it didn't work very well. When the lights were dimmed low, it took about a minute for the extractor to wake up and start running.

Second time, I modified the dimmer module to give an undimmmed switchlive in addition to dimmed. John Ward has a youtube vid for how to do it with the old leading edge dimmers, but I did it with a varilight V-Pro quite simply (much easier than in JW's vid), and it worked perfectly.

Obviously, if you modify the dimmer, it's on your head if something goes wrong with it. PM me if you want details of how

Hi mate I don’t know you can see my comments somehow could I have a minute to talk about dimmer modifications? My email is [email protected]

Thank you!

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Hi mate I don’t know you can see my comments somehow could I have a minute to talk about dimmer modifications? My email is [email protected]

Thank you!

Sorry bud, this isn't a job for a DIYer. It would be totally irresponsible of me to try to show you how. And besides, I wiped the photos long ago.
All the best.

 

[3mixon]

Sorry bud, this isn't a job for a DIYer. It would be totally irresponsible of me to try to show you how. And besides, I wiped the photos long ago.
All the best.

Hi, I never do it by me self because I don’t know nothing about electricity, I can buy one of them from you when you have time to modify one and install for me I living not to far from you I will pay all your bills and everything it’s takes if you let me to borrow your precious time because I can’t find anyone who even close can help me because everyone’s answer is it should work and no one’s know why doesn’t work only one you in whole internet I finde who have sensible answer and solution for this and it maybe can work with my particular situation.

Regards
Karolis

 

[Avo Mk8]

Karolis
As mentioned already - if you could find one of these MK switch/dimmers somewhere, complete with mounting and front plate, it will do the job for you:

MK old style Grid Dimmer Switch, new unused old stock in box with leaflet | eBay

As per leaflet will dim loads from 50watts to 360watts 240volts.

www.ebay.co.uk

alternatively you need to find an engineer to modify a traditional pushbutton dimmer for you, as John Ward explains below:
As always the caveat is that any such modifications should be done by a competent person.

NOTE: This is unlikely to work properly if the bulbs in the bathroom are LED !