Options for a Fan Switch without a Neutral?

Confession: I’m an electrical noob…
So, no neutral wire is present. Would it work if I wired in a Smartthings electrical plug? (I don’t need the switch but I would like the fan to come on for 3 hours each day.)
Thank you!

I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question. What do you mean by “it“ and “wired in“ and which model “smartthings plug“?

The more general answer is that well many smart home devices require a neutral wire in order to provide power to the radio even when the device is apparently “off,“ not all do and there are often solutions for homes which do not have a neutral wire at the switch box.

So can you be more specific about what you were trying to accomplish? Then we can suggest some specific options.

Also, very important: what country do you live in? (The device options do vary.)

And also very important: what type of fan is it? Is it just a simple on/off exhaust fan? Or is it a multi speed ceiling fan? These require different types of control devices.

Sorry about that!
First, I am in the US and Smart Plug (7A-PL-AA1) is a smart plug for say a lamp.
So, I was wondering if I soldered/connected the two black wires (now fused together behind a switch cover) and also connected the ground wire to the plug…could I work around the absence of a neutral wire? (Since the Smart Plugs work great.)

  • I am really thrown off by this idea of two black wires and no white …again, I’m a noob.
    Thanks for answering!

Ouch!

Um, no. Can we just leave it at that? :wink: :rotating_light: :fire_engine: :ambulance:

Let’s turn it around.

What exactly is it that you are trying to do in terms of functionality? Are you saying that you have a light switch that doesn’t have a neutral and you would like to make it work with SmartThings?

Do you have a smartthings hub or are you running a hub-optional setup?

So, the fan and the attached light do work but only with the included remote. I would like to use Smartthings to do various things. So, I’m trying to wire an ST switch in line with the existing setup. (As in, ST must be switched to on in order for the remote to work. However, if I left the Remote ‘on’, then ST would control the fan.)
The attached picture will clarify. Perhaps the electrician just fused the blacks and eliminated the switch that was there? Dunno.
Thanks again for your help.

Fan wiring is a whole separate issue, and can get very complicated. I’m not an electrician, and I leave discussions of specific wiring mappings to the experts. but if you already have a remote, you might be able to just use a bond remote with it and get smartthings integration that way.

See the community FAQ for various options. It says Alexa in the thread title, but it applies whether you use a voice assistant or not.

FAQ: 2020 Ceiling Fan and Dimmer light wall mount control compatible with SmartThings and Alexa?

(Also, by the way, you can’t use any kind of device intended just for lighting control for a fan motor. The physics are different and you will burn out either the switch or the fan. So you need to choose a device which is specifically spec’d for motor control. Or, like the bond does, use an alternative remote.)