If you say to turn on the light(s), all three turn on. If you want a specific one, you have to declare it by name. How much you can abbreviate the name I don’t know.
It is based on the device type, not name. If the lights are classified as lights in Alexa app, then it know they are lights. Same is true for fans. Before the HE update to support fans, Alexa thought that fans were switches, but you could set them to lights, and then turn on/off lights would trigger the fan. Now that HE supports Fan as a type, I can refer to as simply "fan". I was involved in the failed SmartMote fiasco.. I bought two, and now they are both paper weights. Anyways, I showed the developer how to make the TV work the same way, by reporting the device type to Alexa as a TV. This was a couple years back, so it's been like this for at least that long. 
That's the issue, no way to refer to different light sources without using their full name. For instance, I'm in the Family Room and want to turn off the Desk Light, you have to say "turn of the family room desk light".
It would be so easy for Amazon to allow us to add an alias or short name to device once they're added to a room.
Agreed. That would be a very nice feature.
Yes. That is true. I only have one desk, it is just desk light. No only have one floor lamp, and I have two end table lights, but I control them in a group, and if I don’t put location and in any of my devices names in alexa. I rename them to be natural names. I understand others have different setups. But as long as you don’t have two desk lamps, just rename it to simply desk light in alexa app. Another option is to create a group for the All lights, and then another group that the echo is in for the one you normally want.. so turn on lights turns on the ones you normally want but turn on living room lights turn all the lights in that group on, which can include the main living room light from the other group. Not ideal but a bit easier.
FWIW, I have the GE Z-Wave plus smart fan control on all my fans. I added the fan to the room as suggested above. I have found that "Alexa fan speed on" and "Alexa fan speed off" work for me. I don't usually change the speed so I don't remember the actual command for faster and slower.
I will say that I have other devices added to the rooms, TV, lights etc. She seems pretty good with lights. The TV mostly works, "Alexa TV off" usually works. But sometimes she tells me there are multiple TVs. I usually respond with "Alexa, are you stupid" It at least make me feel better.
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Since Alexa sees it as a fan, just say "Alexa, set the fan to high/medium/low/off". That returns "expected" operation. Kinda stupid it doesn't support "turn the fan on" and just use the previous speed, but you get used to the former way of asking.
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Chiming in that this is an issue for me as well. Running all GE/Jasco zwave devices on the latest firmware.
We are anxiously awaiting mythical release 2.2.4. With any luck the fix for this will be there. Along with the answers to life the universe and everything!!
42?
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Adding to the ‘me too’ list.
Hub firmware: 2.2.3.148
Hub type: C-5
The following devices have the ‘I’m not sure what went wrong’ response, but the device operates properly based on the voice command given.
-
Hampton Bay Zigbee Fan Controller (any command to turn on or off ‘Alexa, set fan to medium. Alexa, turn off fan’)
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GE Z-Wave Plus dimmer (Alexa, turn on light. Alexa, turn off light)
This started happening at some point in the last 3 months. I can’t pinpoint the exact firmware. All hardware and C-5 had been working without this issue since at least last December.
Don't wanna be "THAT GUY" but any updates on this? The wife is finally getting fed up asking if there's a fix yet. We have 2 GE Zwave Controllers (Not Plus) and we use the fans in both rooms daily so it definitely wears on you.
Is the only fix to replace the controller if cant take it anymore? (obv id wait for a fix as it has to be something software, as with others mine was working perfect for over a year before 3 I guess closer to 4 months now.
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@bcopeland is aware of the Alexa Fan control issue and definitely has it on his to-fix list. I’ll leave it up to him to comment further.
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The only workaround I know of is to create an Alexa routine triggered by something similar but not quite the same phrase that you normally use to control it, such as "Alexa, make the bedroom fan spin fast!", with the action being the desired fan control. She'll turn it on high without all the back talk.
In lieu of a fix.. any recommendations on another device that is working which can replace the light and fan controller?
None of the Fan Controller devices in Hubitat are currently working correctly with Alexa. Alexa does properly perform the requested action, however it reports back “that something went wrong”.
I too was under the assumption that this was a device specific issue. If the issue is across all fan devices why hasn't the code been reverted to before the problem was introduced?
Looks like our long, terrible national nightmare is over.
Once I installed 2.2.4.x and changed the preference in the Alexa skill (on Hubitat) to use level control, I no longer get the "I don't know what went wrong."
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@bcopeland Just updated to 2.2.4. The Alexa/fan issue is almost fixed, but I'm still seeing one issue.
- I have the "Use level control capability" switched off.
Phrases that work perfectly:
"Alexa, set family room fan to medium"
"Alexa, set family room fan to low"
"Alexa, set family room fan to off"
Phrases that correctly alter the behavior of the fan, but Alexa says she's not quite sure what went wrong:
"Alexa, turn on the family room fan"
"Alexa, turn off the family room fan"
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Thanks @jwetzel1492 that is a detailed report.. That helps
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