6 ceiling fans on 1 switch

[toohott7718]

Hello it's been a while since I've been on here but I had a question about installing 6 ceiling fans on (1) 15 amp switch, I will have a separate 15 amp switch for the lights. This will be on their own 15 amp circuit. Is this doable? Thank you for your help

 

[pancho400cid]

Do you want them all to run the same speed? If so you need a multi-fan controller. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-22394-Multiple-Fan-Control/dp/B001YHWBFA

 

[Robbie B]

If it’s wired in parallel each fan will operate independently of the others. My questions would be more around the amp draw. My 4 ceiling fans run off 1 circuit using 2 switches one at either end of the room.

 

[toohott7718]

Do you want them all to run the same speed? If so you need a multi-fan controller. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-22394-Multiple-Fan-Control/dp/B001YHWBFA

I don't have a problem with just pulling the chain on each fan if I want to change the speed, ideally I'll probably just keep it on low or medium speed.

 

[toohott7718]

If it’s wired in parallel each fan will operate independently of the others. My questions would be more around the amp draw. My 4 ceiling fans run off 1 circuit using 2 switches one at either end of the room.

I know I'll be under the amp rating for the 15 amp circuit but I read something somewhere about fans on a switch is different but I can't for the life of me remember where I read it..

 

[Terry D]

There is nothing wrong with using a toggle switch for a ceiling fan. You can even use a dimmer to control just the lights as long as the wattage of the lamps do not exceed the rating of the dimmer. The problem is when someone uses a dimmer to control the fan speed. They make fan speed controllers for this. On ceiling fans, you can switch the lights and fan separately with 2 wall switches. If this is something that you are wiring new, I would put the fans and lights on separate switches. And when I say that, I mean 1 switch for (6) lights and 1 switch for (6) fans

 

[Robbie B]

I know I'll be under the amp rating for the 15 amp circuit but I read something somewhere about fans on a switch is different but I can't for the life of me remember where I read it..

It all depends on how the circuit is wired, I’d bet it’s probably parallel or series/parallel in which case as long as your amp draw is good it’ll be fine. If they’re series wired it won’t act right.

 

[Terry D]

All the branch circuits in a house are parallel. That is why it is the same voltage at each load. In a series circuit, the resistance of each load determines the voltage at each load. Plus if you would if you would turn one fan off, the whole circuit would go dead

Sent from my SM-G960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[toohott7718]

There is nothing wrong with using a toggle switch for a ceiling fan. You can even use a dimmer to control just the lights as long as the wattage of the lamps do not exceed the rating of the dimmer. The problem is when someone uses a dimmer to control the fan speed. They make fan speed controllers for this. On ceiling fans, you can switch the lights and fan separately with 2 wall switches. If this is something that you are wiring new, I would put the fans and lights on separate switches. And when I say that, I mean 1 switch for (6) lights and 1 switch for (6) fans

Yes it's new construction, I have 1 switch for the lights and 1 switch for the fans

 

[ambenz]

Ya need to know the max amp rating of each fan with lights then double it so if each fan used 3 amps 6 Fans X 3 amps = 18 amps then double 36 amps...I would use a 30 amp relay with overload protect to allow safe switching.
Initial amp draw could be an issue with all those amps running thru a residential light switch.

 

[Terry D]

Ya need to know the max amp rating of each fan with lights then double it so if each fan used 3 amps 6 Fans X 3 amps = 18 amps then double 36 amps...I would use a 30 amp relay with overload protect to allow safe switching.
Initial amp draw could be an issue with all those amps running thru a residential light switch.

Why would you double the amps

 

[Terry D]

Yes it's new construction, I have 1 switch for the lights and 1 switch for the fans

What you need to be concerned about putting these all on (1) 15 amp circuit is the amp draw of each fan with fans on high speed and lights on. I would consider these fans a continuous load. The circuit has to be derated by 80%. So 80% of a 15 amp circuit is 12 amps. Each fan has to be 2 amps or less, or 240 watts or less. A 20 amp circuit could be loaded up to 16 amps, so 2.6 amps or 320 watts per fan. Anything more and you will need separate circuits for both.