Wondering if anyone knows of a good standing fan to be used with a Lutron Pico remote. I currently have an old Vornado floor model hooked up to a zigbee outlet which I then turn on and off with my Pico using RM. I can’t control fan speed because the speed is mechanically controlled with a dial on the device, so it’s fixed unless I go and physically change it.
I’m wondering if anyone knows of a quality standing fan which is remotely controllable through HE (natively or via integration) or Lutron (since I use Pico remotes). I do not intend for these fans to be connected to any other form of event-based automation.
An electric fan/motor spin as fast as the power/current/volts supplied (I am not an electrician so these are relative terms).
Example - Lutron fan control allows one to control the ceiling fan speed by setting the motor on high (via the pull string) and the the switch/dimmer supplies the correct voltage/current to spin the fan at low/medium/high.
The same theory would apply to any fan. However I don't think a standard zigbee/zwave outlet is capable of controling the voltage/amperage in this way so it would not work. It could only control on or off.
With that being said I do use standing fans on/off automation with HE temps to control winter heat flow from the wood stove.
For sure. My current setup is just a limited workaround since I don’t need to change fan speed too often. What I’m really looking for is a new fan that would allow this type of functionality (on/off and higher/lower speed) with HE or Lutron natively.
I find tons of options with their own remotes, usually IR, or mechanical dials (like my current fan), but I haven’t found anything that allows the kind of smart control I’m looking for from a Pico or any other button/remote that I can connect to Hubitat.
Yah, I guess that’s an option (cus I do have a few of those fans with their own dedicated remotes). Just wish someone made a zigbee or z-wave native one.
I have not heard of a floorstanding or desk fan that natively supports zigbee or z-wave. And I don’t think Lutron makes fans (smart or dumb)?
I think a fan with an IR remote is probably the simplest way to get some level of integration with hubitat. The biggest downside to integrating an IR device is that you don’t get info on whether the device received the command, it’s current state, etc.
Getting hackier with an arduino or similar board could probably open up other possibilities, but that’s more complicated to setup.
Another hack would be to create a smart extension cord, with a Lutron Caseta Fan Controller device built into it (instead of in a wall box, put it in a proper box attached safely in the middle of the cord... think of what a Sonoff Relay looks like for visualization purposes.)
My understanding is that floor fans like the Vornado use different windings for each speed. Not sure how that would work with an external controller ....
Good point! I have no clue how each model fan is wired, and I am sure there are many designs. One should always be careful to fully understand whether or not smart home devices are compatible with the physical devices they control.
How about a fan like the following (just found by searching...I have ZERO experience with it...)
Since it can be controlled via Alexa, you could create an integration between Hubitat and Alexa to allow you to control the fan if voice control is not enough. This would involve using Hubitat virtual contact sensors to represent each fan speed, and then using Alexa Routines to issue the actual fan commands.
Note: This assumes that the Alexa Skill for this fan shows up in Alexa as a smart home device. Some older skills rely on you having to say something like "Alexa, ask Fan Skill Company to set fan to low." Skills that use the proper smart home device integration would simply allow you to say "Alexa, set the fan to medium." Hope this is clear...
So, I'm trying to get a solution that does not rely on Alexa or another similar assistant (for many reasons). But that is certainly an option at some point if it becomes a big enough inconvenience.
It's possible that what I'm looking for just doesn't exist. This isn't enough of an issue for me to spend the time actually developing my own drivers for a custom arduino-style setup.
Did you ever try this? I just ordered a used Lutron Caseta fan control from eBay to give it a try with a Lasko three speed high velocity fan that I use with my bike trainer. I'm going to set it up as an inline extension cord. I've got a spare pico so it would be a winner if it does. Off to Home Depot to get a box and short cord to cannibalize.
My guess is that it will not work with the Lasko 3 speed. Lutron requires a brushless split capacitor motor which seems to only be available in large commercial floor fans. I have another ceiling fan that could use a speed controller so the control won't go to waste. The used one was at considerable savings. I have a Kill-A-Watt so I'm curious to see if I can use the fan on medium speed and slow it somewhat without drawing too much additional current; low voltage being the death of motors and a fire hazard.
