Problem with Hampton Bay 99432 Ceiling fan remote control

Devices & Integrations
1

I have 5 of these KOF controllers that I have been using for almost 8 years. When they work, they are great. However, every once in a while I have one which will drop off of my hub. My device list doesn’t show that the device is offline, it just disappears. I have a chain of 2 Zigbee repeaters less than 10 feet away each other and from the fan, so I doubt if it is a signal issue. I have no other Zigbee devices which have this stability issue. All of my fans which have the KOF controllers are the same model, and they work great. They all work with the remote controls, using SmartThings, or Alexa (after being added to SmartThings). Two of the fans are on the far side of the fan controller which is not working.

Here are the methods I have tried to get the controller to reset with the power on/off function using the wall switch (the light kit does not blink after each attempt. The light just stays solid lit):

  • 5x on/off @ 3 second intervals
  • 5x on/off @ 5 seconds intervals
  • 5x rapid on/off intervals
  • Various other on/off intervals

Some people have said that the controller will add the device during the scan for device process after trying the on/off procedure even though the light does not flash performing a reset.

  • I have tried adding the controller this way after each of the failed reset timing intervals I described above. No matter what I try, I cannot get the controller to reset so I can readd it.
  • I tried leaving the power turned off using the the wall light switch for a week thinking it might be a residual power issue.
  • I also tried with the wall light switch turned off and holding various buttons down on the remote control to see if “maybe” it could drain any residual power as well.

Since I can’t get the controller to reset, I can’t re-add the controller to my SmartThings. The fans are all connected to power using “stupid” light switches, not smart light switches, and there are no smart bulbs in the light kits. So the power path is breaker > stupid switch > single load wire > KOF controller inside the fan canopy. From there the controller connects to both the light and the fan using the appropriate wires.

I’m just about ready to replace the KOF with a smart wall controller since I have a wire available for both the light and the fan in the wall (one is not currently connected). I installed a Meross MFC100 for my back patio and it works great. I am just trying to avoid removing the fan so I can remove the controller and then change the switch.

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. I have searched for this issue, but the only threads I could find about resetting were several years old.

2

I still use the KOF driver for my ceiling fan. I have had the issues mostly like you describe. The difference from what I can tell with your experience is that mine just goes offline but stays as a device connected to the hub through the ST app.

Question - have you looked on the advanced webpage? ( SmartThings. Add a little smartness to your things. ) I have always been able to remove the device from ST and then do the 5 up/down for the switch and it finds it fine.

I think my issues mostly in the past have. been when I have unplugged one of the devices that is part of the path back to the hub.

Sorry I can’t be more help, just giving you my current experience.

3

The device does not show up in the Advanced website either.

4

No solutions for you but wanted to note in commiseration that my Hampton Bay controller has dropped offline this week after being stable for a year or two. I don’t have a switch connected to mine to reset; I tried flipping the breaker in some version of the 5x sequence last night but without success. I have a scene controller connected in place of a switch, so maybe when I have some free time I’ll rewire it to power the device then set it to smart bulb mode, so I can take control to reset it in the future…

5

I already had a separate “hot” wire for the fan and the light connected to two in-wall toggle “stupid” light switches. Since nobody at the time offered a combo switch for the fan and light, I bought the Hampton Bay 99432’s, and they worked great for many years.

I am going to replace them with these Meross MFC100 switches. I connected one to my back patio fan and it works great, plus they are reasonably priced.

There is no module in the fan canopy. Keep in mind that you do have to have 2 separate wires for powering the fan and light, plus the white neutral wire to use this switch. As far as I know there is no Edge driver for this. You just add it to the Meross app and connect the Meross app to SmartThings.