I’ve recently invested in a SmartThings Hub to develop our home automation. High on the list is controlling the six ceiling fans in our house. Initial research has turned up only solutions that involve replacing the fan’s wall switch. That’s the catch - none of our fans have wall switches.
I currently have aftermarket remotes (receivers wired into the housing). The small remote controls are constantly misplaced and draining the small, expensive batteries they require.
Is there any way to connect a ceiling fan with no wall switch to a SmartThings hub?
Thanks in advance to this community for your help.
Looks like there’s been no update on this is a while, so just checking in… I really want something like the Insteon 2475F, but I refuse to add yet another hub to my already overloaded system… Anyone aware of a new z-wave device that has the same functionality?
I’d even settle for doubling up and having two controllers - one for the fan and one for the light - if someone made a standalone fan speed controller… It would show up as two different devices, but that might not be so bad. Does the FanLinc even show up as a single device?
Hmmmm… On that note, I wonder if it’s feasible to just get one of the z-wave fan controller switches and stuff it into the ceiling?? Seems like that could do the job. Just because it is a physical switch, it doesn’t mean you have to use it as one…
GE Smart Fan Control for the fan speed control - $44.99 Aeotec Z-Wave Micro Dimmer, 2nd edition for the lights - $34.95
For a total cost of $79.94
Stuff them both in the ceiling and BAM, you’ve got all the functionality of the FanLinc, plus the added bonus of a dimmer on the lights, for only $10 more. And it should all work natively in SmartThings.
I have done close to what your thinking. Put GE light switches in wall boxes in 3 way setup and the GE fan controller in the overhead.
See this thread post 3-way Control 3-speed Ceiling Fan and Light Kit?
I recommend using a custom DTH to control speeds. Like this one.
Just be aware your fan will have to be controlled with your phone, or some other type of smart switch. Be it a separate button controller or another type of wall switch. Currently in my house we just tell Alexa to control it.
@FAULKJ Did you ever try this out and get it working? I’m not sure there’s any room in my fan unit’s housing for both (or even one) of these. When you say “in the ceiling” do mean literally in the ceiling junction box for the fan?
The one fan / light combo I did this on. The electrical box under the fan shroud was VERY tight with a extra switch jammed in there. I removed a couple of the heat sync and such on the switch, bent the switch mounting metal a little, but it did fit, just VERY tight.
Of course the best way is to pull wires and change out your switch box on the wall for one with an additional room for a new switch.
I haven’t yet. You’d probably have to cut out part of your junction box to get enough room to stuff them up into the actual ceiling.
Luckily for me, my place is quit old, so there’s no junction box that I can see - just the mounting bracket and the wires. I rent, so I’m not going to go to the trouble of pulling wires! (And of course I’d take all the gear out and take it with me when I ever move out!)
I’ll post something when I get around to trying it!
I did not have to do this. I did have to bend the metal tabs some. Also had to put fan mount up after arranging switch and wires location. Not gonna lie, it was VERY tight, but not impossible or even overly hard. I put the fan switch in the ceiling light box. Others have went the other route.
I’ve had similar issues in a wall box just installing a switch normally.