Do you need special light bulbs for dimmer switches?

If you are using what most of us think of as a normal light bulb, what is called an incandescent bulb, you do not need special bulbs.

Any fluorescent light bulb, including the new curly bulbs called CFLs, requires a special ballast. The ballasts are built into the CFLs so you would need to buy bulbs specially labeled for dimmers.

Never place a dimmer on a fan, or any motor, unless it is specifically labeled for use with a dimmer.