Ceiling fan controller?

If they’d ever release the Android app, I’d be able to start work on the gateways I opened projects for on http://build.smartthings.com/projects/gw2legacy/

It sucks signing up for the developer version of ST and getting it AFTER everyone else.

I know this is bumping an old topic, but I would love a product for this so bad now that I have fans installed.

I may try to bridge a custom build using a spare fan remote with the Smart Things developer board since both fans can pair to the same remote. But a Z-Wave fan remote control module like that Insteon device linked above would be most ideal.

I too am looking for a ST integration to this:

Just did some more searching, but still can’t find a z-wave or zigbee controller. There is a levitron item that costs like $120+ that can supposedly control the fan, but the problem here is that it’s a switch that would need to be wired into the wall. For me use that wouldn’t be ideal.

For my situation: I have ceiling fans in three bedrooms. Each one has a wall switch that control the light only. The fan is on a completely independent, always on power supply. What I’ve considered doing was going into the attic and riggings these up to a relay or even just a cheap z-wave outlet. This would allow for turning on/off the fan portion. No speed control of course. That would still need to be set via the pull chain. I never considered this for too long because of the WAF (Wife Approval Factor). Specifically I needed a way to turn this on or off without having to pull out a tablet or phone.

Now that the AEON panic buttons are working, that gives an option. Put one of these buttons by the bed and easily click on or off using an app that ties the two together.

@Beckwith that would be cool…but ST would have to have an Insteon radio for that to work…

would be cool of ST somehow added an Insteon radio or addon…just sayin :wink:

Check this video out:

It’s for the lowes iris system, but it appears to have a GE instruction sheet featured the the video. The GE/Iris z-wave switches work great with SmartThings. I’m wondering if GE is working on a z-wave fan controller?

Okay… I’m drooling!!

@urman, has anyone from ST had a chance to look at this yet?

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I watched the video and paused on a few screens… the “instructions” shown in the video are for a GE dimmer switch, not for the fan controller, which is slightly disappointing. I was hoping to be able to glean some details from the instructions (like, definitely manufactured by GE/Jasco, or definitely uses z-wave radio), but no luck there.

Also of note: The video is not listed. That means it’s only available by direct link… you can’t search for it. Perhaps this means the product isn’t available yet and will be released later?

I have utilized the Vizia fan controller linked by @eschuld above. While I agree that it is extremely expensive, I can vouch that setup was easy. Smart things sees it as a dimmer switch, so the slider bar controls the speed. The slider bar is not perfect (basically 1-33% equals the low setting; 34%-66% the medium setting, and 67%-100% the high setting) but works very well.

Also before I bought the Vizia fan controller I had installed a regular GE Jasco dimmer switch. It worked, but I would highly advise against that, as the fan made a horrible noise and I’m pretty sure the motor would have blown had I continued down that route.

All in all I’m happy with the Vizia and would purchase again.

Just so I understand the Vizia fan controller works for controlling the fan on/off/speed with smartthing? Does it need a natural? And I assume I would need to wire a separate switch to control the light?
Thanks for your input

Yes, it requires 2 separate switches, 1 for the light and 1 for the fan. Its been a few months since I wired it up, but I have a regular GE Jasco dimmer switch controlling the light, with the Vizia controlling the fan. I can pull the switch out of the wall and take a look if you need more info on the wiring.

So you need to have two switched powers running to the wall switch??

Not running to the wall switch… but running from the wall switch to the light/fan: Yes.

You can use the same hot line coming from the panel for both switches. But you need separate load lines from each switch to the light/fan. (Plus of course the neutral line coming back from the light/fan).

While I’m not 100% sure the switch needs neutral, I’m about 99.9% sure. The dimmers that don’t use neutral “leak” a little power through the circuit in order to keep the radio alive. With Incandescent bulbs or larger wattage LEDs this isn’t usually an issue. But I don’t think you’d want to “leak” a small trickle of power through a fan circuit. I can’t imagine that that would be good for the motor.

Yeah I miss spoke there, I meant going to the fan/light combo. too bad cant rewire mine… it would be a huge project.

I’m fortunate that my house was wired this way in all our bedrooms. My den, unfortunately, is not wired properly.

Control4 makes a zigbee one https://dealer.control4.com/Images/Downloads/C4-4SF120/101513_RevA_FanSpeedController_DS.pdf

I don’t have one but I do have a control4 system. Wonder if there is interest in seeing if I can debug the zigbee codes to make this work with ST?

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I’m interested…let me know if you decide to do it…,thanks

I’ve been through this exact journey recently. With Vera you can use the Insteon Fanlinc, but there are some reliability issues in the reviews. But with ST, I’ve heard there are no plans for Insteon support. INSTEON support - trying to start a central thread for request.

I thought $130 was pretty steep for the Leviton, but it’s the only game in town. I’d be surprised if the Zigbee/Control4 is less expensive. And you can only get Control4 through dealers, correct?

As far as I can tell, assuming you only have a single set of wires to your fan, your ST options in descending order of cost are:

  1. Run new wire for light control, use Leviton VRF01-1LZ fan control + Z-wave dimmer switch for light
  2. Wire only fan control to Leviton VRF01-1LZ, use Aeon Labs DSC27103-ZWUS in canopy for light dimming via remote; theoretical, not certain it will work, need local hot wire
  3. Wire only fan control to Leviton VRF01-1LZ, ignore light (my fans have aluminum caps to cap off the light)

I was going to go with #3 and cap off my lights, but a few of my bedrooms are pretty dark with just four 3" can lights each. I did get a couple of the Aeon Labs dimmers to play with; I may have my electrician try wiring it into the canopy and use the Aeon Labs mini motes to control the fan and light.

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I didn’t get through the entire thread, but couldn’t you simply switch the fan via a dimmable switch? Sure it’s not a light as is intended, but it would allow for increasing and decreasing power flow. Would that not appropriately (and effectively) manage fan speed?

From there you simply set up an IFTTT to trigger with temp? Maybe I’m speaking out of turn since I am no expert, but the premise seems logical here.

You could even tap an outlet with a dimmable switch – and make that outlet a ST compatible device too.