Originally Posted by PharmaCan
Light dimmers aren't designed for much of a load and most of them start (turn on) on the low side and progress to high. A fan dimmer, on the other hand, is designed for a heavier load and it starts on the high side, which is better for the motor. Taking these factors into consideration, you DON'T want to use a light dimmer on a fan.
However, since you will most likely just set the rheostat (dimmer) and turn the fan on and off with your timer, where/how the dimmer turns on is not a consideration and your concern should be to get a dimmer that is designed to handle the load from your fan. If going to Lowe's or Home dePot, unless you have a really big fan, just get the mid-priced dimmer with the slide bar not the knob; around $10 if I recall. Using a rheostat on your fan won't hurt the motor. It could theoretically shorten the useful life of the motor by a small percentage, but so what? The bearings in your fan will wear out long before the motor ever does.
PC :smokin: