Need help with Ceiling fan light purchase that can be made smart?

Hi I am going to replace my bedroom ceiling fan/light combo. I want to get something nice so it probably wont be smart enabled out of the box but we shall see but wanted to see if there was something specific i should be looking for when making the purchase so that the fan and light can be controlled separately? I already have a GE 12730 Smart Fan Control and a ZWN-RSM2 Dual Relay so should be able to make anything work with those i would think just looking for recommendations.

TIA
Brandon

Are you just asking what kind of wiring you should look for in a dumb fan model so that it will be easiest to control with a two devices set up, one being the GE fan control, and the other being a relay for the light kit?

@dalec has done a lot with fans and might have some suggestions. :sunglasses:

If you have access to the space above your bedroom (attic or crawl space) any fan is going to be just as easy because you can do all the “special” wiring in the open space and then just wire the fan the way you normally would. If you don’t have access to the space, then it becomes a little trickier to install a fan even on a good day, let alone with something smart. Are you going to have to pull new wiring or wiring from an existing socket or wall switch? For the devices you mentioned, any of your Home Depot or Lowes typical home-use ceiling fans is going to work (most likely). Just remember that if you use a relay for the lighting control, you won’t be able to dim. So, you might want to look at a GE Zwave+ dimmer instead of the relay. Also, if you’re going to be wiring it without a wall switch, you might want to look at the Hampton Bay Wink fan controller. Comes with an RF remote as backup and can sit in the cowl of your fan like any other RF controller would. I have two and they work great (one in a 1st floor no crawl space and one on the 2nd).
I raw wiring down to an existing wall switch and extended the box for my GE fan controller so I could still use the manual part of the switch as backup (full non-internet based backup is a 100% requirement for me). If you don’t run the switch down, you lose the functionality of the switch as backup.

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I am using the Bond. With that, it basically controls the fan with RF commands on your remote. So you just need to install an RF remote control module on your fan. The only problem is there is no status feedback information that you can get from a smart switch. The good thing is you just need one Bond for multiple fans.

ok so i got a new fan cause i wanted to replace mine anyway. I have it wired up to a GE smart switch to control at the wall which at the moment just turns the fan and light off or on thats it. at the switch its 3 wire aka Black,Red and white up to the fan which has typical Black,Blue,White. I want to be able to use the wall switch to turn on the light and then have the ability to control via ST the light and fan independently. i believe i want to use the GE Smart Fan Control i already have and just place it somewhere in the canopy or maybe in the attic since i dont have a lot of space to work with that way i can control the fan speeds etc. What is the best way to wire that? i am assuming i set this up like a 3 way switch so that there is a constant hot in the canopy and its not reliant on the switch state? Seems like @dalec has a lot of good info on this stuff so appreciate any feedback on getting me on the right track… :slight_smile:
Thanks,
Brandon