GE 14287 fan controller

Hello, I have a 400 CFM centrifugal blower I’m trying to use with the GE 14287 3 speed fan controller. My old setup was to use this speed control dial on a Zwave outlet. It was a messy setup but it worked but did not allow zwave control of the blower speed.

I installed the 14287 and it works, but the lower speeds are just unusable because they are too low, you can’t even hear the motor running but the blower does spin very slowly. The highest speed is the full blown 400 CFM which sounds like a jet and is a speed I rarely use.

Did I buy the right type of switch? Or is there any way to set the lower speeds to something higher? The device handlers show the speeds as 33, 66, and 100.

Thanks

I found the Zwave Smart Fan Controller DTH which allows adjustment from 1-99. Now the issue is that at anything 66 or below it’s very low speed. 67 or higher turns it on full blast and there is nothing in between.

Brand and model of the blower?

Fantech FG10XL

http://www.fantech.net/products/fans--accessories/circular-duct-fans/fans-for-circular-ducts-with-ac-motors/fg/fg-10xl-centrifugal-inline-fan/

I don’t think the GE fan controller is going to be the right match to the blower. It’s only intended for three speed ceiling fans, and not variable speed motors in general.

Tagging @Navat604

4 Likes

Very likely it’s not a good match. The reason you see max speed when 100% and no speed below certain % is because the GE fan controller is using capacitance to vary the output voltage. Max speed = no capacitance, mid and low = something your fan doesn’t like or not enough.
What you can do is ask GE or find out if you could change the setting. Not sure changing the DTH of the device is a good idea since I don’t really know it will also change the parameter to a dimmer. Dimmer changes frequency of the output to dim light which is not good for motor.
I believe there is a Z-Wave paremeter DTH for Z-Wave device you can try and find out but it’s probably easier to ask GE. Possible you even have a bad switch. You didn’t remove the startup capacitor of the fan I hope.

2 Likes

I gotta say that I have a similar thing, with one slight difference.
My fan used to have a medium setting, that is it used to run at a medium speed. Then a circut braker popped (unrelated) and I lost power. Now The fan runs as “low” with the “medium” setting.
Here’s the kicker - I’ve got three fans, and two of them started being this way when the braker popped.
Can two fans have the exact same malfunction at the same time?
Nah… must be something else.