Hello all,
I have a few ceiling fans that never had remotes or remote kits, just basic dumb fan/light combo. I currently have 14/2 wiring and dont really want to run another line to get the light and fan to work separately.
I really wanted the Inovelli Fan/Light switch but that is pretty much vaporware now, same goes with the HD zigbee one.
I know bond is an option if I have the correct remote kits but I can really find anything on their site on what remote kits (with light dimming) that work.
I was thinking about just getting a wifi remote kit and running it through an alexa routine but just wondering what others are doing (that aren't discontinued options)?
The standard setup in my house:
Smart-by-Bond fan. I chose Minka Aire, but the Bond website links a handful of manufacturers. I prefer this over pairing an RF remote.
Zooz Zen71 switch with scene control + smart bulb mode set. That way, power stays on, but you can still use the wall switch (and define what a press, hold, or double tap does).
My (14-2) setup is similar to @Hatallica's, except my Minka is older so I have it tied to a Bond bridge instead... I hard-wired line/load hot in the box and use a Zen32 scene controller -- main button is set up as a toggle for the light (white led), and the 4 other buttons are speeds 1-3 (blue led, active speed green led) & fan off (red led).
I won't say it's completely instantaneous in terms response, but certainly more than good enough for our needs (we don't often mess with the light or fan speeds).
I picked up a Bong Bridge on eBay for $65, if you want one I suggest doing a saved search and watch it for a few days. The day after I bought one another popped up for even less . This does require an RF module for the fan though.
I just ordered a RF fan module with remote from AliExpress for around $10 as well, for the fan in the house that did not already have an RF module, I will know in about a month how it works. I plan to only use it for the fan and not the lights.
I also ordered a Wifi fan only module to test, it is Tuya so I am going to see how it works with various Tuya integrations.
For the lights, since the RF modules typically have a press and hold to dim (which is very annoying), I am going to put smart bulbs in the fans without dedicated light wiring and the power will be hard wired to keep the fan module and bulbs always powered. For the wall switch I will use a ZEN71 as a scene controller so I can make it do the lights and fan however I want with the buttons. I suppose a ZEN32 might give you even more options as someone else suggested.
Not sure to hijack the thread but does anybody know of any IR fan controllers. I went heavy into switchbot curtain sales and end up with extra IR hubs and wouldn't mind putting them to use. I guess I would be interested in being talked out of this option if it's stupid.
The Bond site does have some info that you may be able to verfy by contacting the manufacturer of the add-on RF unit:
The Bond Bridge supports devices that are controlled by RF remotes within the radio frequency range of 300-450mhz and IR devices that uses 38kHz OOK modulation. You may locate the FCC ID at the back of your remote.
They do provide an option to enter your remote FCC ID, but unfortunately this assumes you actually have the remote in hand, or can get the FCC code from the manufacturer:
My experience and the results from two friends who had fans was that the Bond supported all of our fans. One friend had one fan that would not connect and Bond support helped him to get it connected via some tweaking they did on their end.
You could post a question in their user forum about add-on RF units available in your area:
I have had good results w/their customer support as well, link to support is on the forum page in the link above:
I have the same issue here with 14/2. Unfortunately, the light is integrated LED and both are operated by pull chains. My thoughts are two use Zen52 double relay at the fan/light controlled by zen32/34 in non-local mode. I think it will work. I really want to option to control fan speed though and wondering if I may have overlooked a product.
. This does require an RF module for the fan though.
