I have 2 GE Fan controls switches (z-wave plus model). One switch controls my fan in my master bedroom. The other switch controls 2 fans in my living room. I am using the custom device handler i found browsing on here and not the default generic one.
My master bedroom fan, i have no issues turning the fan on/off, adjusting the speed, etc. The issue i have is the switch thats connected to both of the fans in my living room. Using the same device handler that i used in my master bedroom, the setting for high speed (70) works fine in my living room. The setting for low and medium doesnât seem to work.
When selecting medium, the blue LED flashes to indicate medium speed (50). When selecting low speed (25), it doesnât flash at all. If i did the opposite (low then high), the same thing happens. Selecting ethier low or medium, the fan stays the same speed and doesnt really âmove airâ. The speed setting for the master bedroom fan is the same and you can tell its moving slower. Ive check the wiring, doubled check the setting for the speed (both in the app and online), made sure the âpull stringâ has been set to high on both, excluded and re-added, etc. Also, no lights are connected to any of the fans and all the fans are the same model (AMPS .69/.44/.23), thus not exceeding the 1.5A max rating for the 2 that are connected to the same switch.
Im completely lost to why this is happening. Any ideaâs?
Did you pop any of the metal tabs off the sides of the switch? Technically that alters its load rating but I think itâs really technically only a heat dissipation thing.
How are the fan wired to the switch? Do you have them in series or in parallel? Because if they are in series, they wonât work. I found this drawing online. It includes lights but you can just ignore that part. Basically, if you are going from switch to fan 1 and then on to fan 2, you have to make sure you branch off the load line and go to fan 2, not take the neutral from fan 1 on to fan 2.
@Benji yes, i popped off the metal tabs per the instructions so it would fit.
@Ryan780 i honestly am not sure how they are wired. i just converted the dumb switch to a smart switch. there are a total of 3 switches: 1 for the can lights, 1 for both of the fans, and the other 1 is prewired to the fan location should i ever decide to add lights to the fan and/or buy new fans that has lights on them. Is there an easy way to tell how they are wired? Unfortunately, i have a 2nd floor so i cant simply just got into the attic. Im guessing the only other way is to take the fans downs or give my builders electrician a call and see by chance if he remembers but its been about 1.5yrs so thats a far stretch.
If they were working off your old switch, then they should be working fine off the new switch. Also, the tabs donât affect the rating for this switch, thatâs only for lighting GE switches. (I checked the specs)
When you say you are âselecting medium speedâ are you doing so on the switch or in ST? Is there different behavior when selecting a speed from the switch VS in ST?
What DTH are you using?
Youâre getting close to the amp rating if they are both on highâŚ1.4, and the way the controller works is that whenever you turn on the fan, it first spins at high speed for a few seconds, to get the fan going, then slows down to the selected speed.
I am selecting both from the switch and ST. When selecting high from ethier one, you can tell by the fan speed, the led indicator, and ST shows correct. When selecting medium or low from ethier oneâŚthe fan speed is the same no matter which speed you select, but in ST it does show you medium or low. I will mostly use low and medium. The reasoning behind the smart switch is really for adjusting the fan speed since I have 12ft ceilings. If I were to use high, I could see being on the borderline of the max amp rating.
The bedroom switch works fine though I only have one fan on that switch. Im using johnconstanteloâs DTH and the settings for both switches (speed) are exactly the same.
Sorry, Iâm sort new to ST with a handful of smart switches, mainly for lights. I just recently bought the switches for the fan.
Iâm sorry, Iâm still not clear on what is happening. So, you turn the switch on to the highest setting then turn the switch to off. When you turn it on again, it is flashing fast (indicating high speed) but the fan is spinning very slowly? If you then lower it to medium, does the switch and ST both change to medium but there is no change in the speed of the fan? Basically, is the problem isolated to the fans or is the switch/ST not behaving correctly?
If the problem is the speed of the fan but everything else is working correctlyâŚthen I would be willing to bet your fans are drawing more than .75a each at Startup. And that is what is causing them to spin slowly. Like i said, when you turn on the controller, it will spin at high speed to ramp-up the fan, then slow down to whatever setting you have selected. So, it doesnât matter what speed you select, you are always going to spin at high first.
You say that the reason for the smart switch is to adjust the fanâs speed. What was in place before? Just a simple single pole on-off switch and then you had to adjust the speed by a pull-chain? What type of ceiling fans are these? Are you sure they can be adjusted with variable voltage controllers (thatâs what the GE switch is doing).
When i turn in via switch it goes to high and led indicator indicates that. When I adjust the speed from high to medium, led will indicate. When I adjust the fan speed medium to low, the led wont indicate a speed change and the fan speed doesnât change. Now when I use ST to turn on the fans on, they come on fine. Like you mention it ramps up, then adjust to the speed setting I select w/ the led indicating. If I select high, it will flash fast. Medium it will flash slow speed. Low it wonât flash at all. If I select low then go to medium, the led still wonât flash to indicate a change in speed. In ST it shows the setting the fan is currently on, but for medium or low, the fan speed will remain the same. I know itâs confusing, but I hope itâs a little more clearer and makes more since.
ST setting: low = 25, medium = 50, high = 70.
Before installing the smart switch I was using single pole on/off and the string to adjust the speed.
Try 32, 66, and 99. Thatâs what I had to have mine set to. I think youâre actuallu going right from low to high, missing medium.
And again, what DTH are you using?
I adjusted the setting as you mentioned. Something must of happen as the fans now show high, medium, and low for speed on the led indicator. The medium speed is still slower than the medium speed i have set in my master bedroom and the low speed, it barely moves which is also different than the low speed in the master bedroom.
I donât know. Youâll have to call GE to find out if thatâs the way itâs supposed to work Remember, youâre dividing the load between two fans.
Did you figure out what is causing the issue?
I am facing the same issue in one of the bedrooms. High is ok. Low or Medium is very low, no differentiation. I have 2 more Fan switches in other rooms, that are working perfectly fine. I think it is a faulty switch.
Having a similar issue that the fan only works when set above 70%.
I have two fan control switches in two separate rooms connected to two identical fans. One works perfectly. The other only works if the switch is set above 70% and then runs the fan at whatever speed the pull chain is set. Tried it at all three pull chain speeds. Any ideas?
