ENERLITES 3 Speed Ceiling Fan Control and Dimmer Light Switch, 2.5A Single Pole Light Fan Switch, 300W Incandescent Load, No Neutral Wire Required, 17001-F3-W, 120 Volts (AC), White, 2 Pack

Why I reached for a combo fan/light control

In a single‑gang box, you usually have to choose: a fan control or a light dimmer. My office and a guest room needed both, and I didn’t have the wall space for a second gang. The Enerlites 3‑speed fan and dimmer combo solves that constraint neatly. It puts a three‑speed fan controller and a full‑range light dimmer behind one faceplate, doesn’t require a neutral, and it ships pre‑wired with pigtails. On paper, it’s exactly what an older home with limited wiring and modern LED lamps needs. After installing and living with two units, here’s how it actually stacks up.

Installation and setup

This is a single‑pole control designed for fans with separate fan and light leads from the ceiling (typically found on fans with two switches or a dual‑function switch). It doesn’t support 3‑way control. The device is pre‑wired, so you’re tying wire nuts rather than landing wires under screws:

• Line/hot in to the switch’s line lead
• Light load to the switch’s light lead (labeled LIGHT on the insulation)
• Fan load to the switch’s fan lead (labeled FAN)
• Ground to ground

Because it doesn’t need a neutral, it’s particularly friendly in older boxes that only bring hot and switched legs to the wall. The trade‑off is physical bulk: the body is deeper than a standard toggle, and with existing wire splices already in the box, space gets tight. On one install, I had to re‑dress conductors carefully and use compact Wago‑style connectors to get a clean fit. If your box is shallow or overcrowded, plan on spending a few extra minutes here.

A couple of practical setup notes:

• Set the fan’s pull chain to high and leave it there. The wall control expects the fan to be on its highest internal setting.
• Verify your bulbs are marked “dimmable.” Non‑dimmable LEDs can flicker or misbehave on any triac dimmer.
• Observe the device ratings: 2.5A max for the fan (3‑speed AC fans only) and 300W incandescent max on the light circuit. With LED loads you’ll be nowhere near 300W, but it’s still good practice to stay well within spec.

Once the wiring was sorted, both units powered up without drama.

Controls and ergonomics

Two vertical sliders divide the face: fan on one side with four detented positions (off, low, medium, high), and light on the other with smooth, continuous dimming. The detents for fan speeds are positive enough to hit by feel; the light slider has enough resistance to make fine adjustments without jumpiness.

One quirk worth noting: the fan’s order of speeds on the slider isn’t configurable. On my units, “high” ended up at the bottom and “low” closer to the top. It’s not a functional problem, but it did make me retrain muscle memory the first day. Otherwise, the tactile layout is easy to use in the dark—there’s no tiny rocker to hunt for, just two ridged sliders you can nudge as you walk by.

Aesthetically, the white finish blends into standard residential plates. The face is clean and utilitarian; it looks like what it is: a compact way to do two jobs.

Performance with fans

With the pull chain locked to high, the wall control gave me three distinct speeds on two different 52‑inch, three‑speed AC fans. High was full output, medium was the comfortable daily driver, and low was a gentle stir setting. As is typical with capacitive fan controls, the exact speed you get on “low” and “medium” depends on the fan’s motor. On one fan, low was very gentle—borderline too slow for a large space—while on another, low was perfect for nighttime. Neither fan exhibited extra hum beyond their normal motor noise. If your fan already hums on low with a factory control, expect similar behavior here.

Just to reiterate: this unit is not for DC “smart” fans or variable‑speed motors. It’s for conventional three‑speed AC fans with separate light and fan conductors.

Dimming behavior with LEDs and incandescents

With quality dimmable LED lamps, the light side behaved as expected for a forward‑phase (triac) dimmer:

• Smooth dimming through most of the range
• A practical bottom end around 10–20% brightness, depending on the bulb driver
• No audible buzz from the dimmer itself in my installs

As with any triac device, performance is highly bulb‑dependent. One set of budget LEDs introduced a slight shimmer if I tried to run them near their minimum; swapping to a better‑matched dimmable LED eliminated it. There’s no trim adjustment on the device, so if a specific lamp flickers at the low end, the fix is to change bulbs or run them a notch higher. With an incandescent test load, the dimming curve was butter‑smooth and silent, as you’d expect.

If you notice unrelated lights on the same circuit momentarily brightening when you change fan speeds, that’s often a wiring or circuit loading quirk (shared neutrals, long runs, or loose connections) revealing itself when a fan motor changes load. Tighten splices, verify neutrals, and consider moving sensitive loads if it persists.

Build, heat, and safety

Under sustained use, the faceplate stayed cool with LED loads. With a large incandescent test load near the rating, the dimmer section got warm to the touch—normal for this class of control but a reminder to respect the 300W incandescent limit. The sliders themselves have a plastic lever feel; they’re serviceable, not luxurious. I wouldn’t subject them to rough handling. ETL listing and a one‑year warranty provide baseline assurance. For typical residential duty, the build feels adequate, though I’d like a slightly beefier slider mechanism for long‑term durability.

What I’d improve

• Speed order: The inability to flip the fan speed orientation (so low is “up” and high is “down”) is mildly annoying. A reversible face or internal jumper would fix this.
• Box depth: The body is on the bulky side. A shallower design would make retrofit work easier in older metal boxes.
• LED fine‑tuning: A low‑end trim would help tame fussy LED drivers without changing lamps.

Who it’s great for

• Older homes without a neutral at the switch location
• Rooms with a fan/light combo and only one gang available
• Users running dimmable LEDs or halogens who want simple, tactile controls
• Conventional three‑speed AC fans with separate fan and light leads

Who should look elsewhere

• DC or “smart” fans, or fans without separate light/fan wiring
• Multi‑location control (this is single‑pole only)
• Installations with extremely shallow or overcrowded boxes
• Users who need granular LED calibration or a fully silent, reverse‑phase dimmer

Practical tips for a clean install

• Confirm your ceiling fan has separate fan and light conductors down to the switch box.
• Label the existing fan and light switched legs before you disconnect the old control.
• Use compact splicing connectors to save space in tight boxes.
• Pair the dimmer with high‑quality dimmable LED lamps; avoid bargain LEDs with inconsistent drivers.
• Leave the fan’s pull chain on high; use the wall control for speed changes only.

The bottom line

The Enerlites 3‑speed fan and dimmer combo does exactly what it claims: it packs dependable fan speed control and useful, LED‑friendly dimming into a single‑gang device, no neutral required. The ergonomics are straightforward, the electrical behavior is predictable for a triac‑based control, and installation is approachable for anyone comfortable working in a switch box. You’ll want to mind box space, use good dimmable bulbs, and accept that the fan speed order isn’t customizable. Within those boundaries, it’s a tidy, space‑saving upgrade.

Recommendation: I recommend this switch for standard three‑speed ceiling fans with separate light leads, especially in older homes where there’s no neutral and wall space is at a premium. It’s an easy win for consolidating controls into one box and getting modern LED dimming without overcomplicating your setup. If you need 3‑way control, have a DC fan, or demand ultra‑fine LED trimming, consider a different solution; otherwise, this is a practical, cost‑effective choice.