Hi, I'm in Europe and just moving in to a new flat (I'm the owner). There are two fans - one in the bathroom, and one in the toilet (room next door) - and both fans have one normal dumb switch. So, that switch controls both fans on or off, always simultaneously.
I have Philips Hue and just got Hubitat, so still pretty new to this...
I'd love to put a motion sensor in both rooms (bathroom and toilet) to trigger the fans. Now, as I see it, the only way is to put some sort of zigbee module behind the switch (it looks like a standard European light switch). I know Philips Hue have just brought something like this out, which means one can use the existing light switch but when doing so it keeps the power on, so the bulbs are still powered.
Is there something along those lines I could use? Or maybe a specific switch that would work? (I have an electrician coming next week anyway to do some work there)
Making the switch smart would presumably enable me to set the on/off state from Hubitat and thus link it to motion sensors. But, it would still set both fans on, rather than just the one you need. But that's probably something I'll just have to live with!
Any ideas of how I could solve this in a simple way? Is making the switch smart the best way?
Without knowing exactly what devices are available or most suitable in Europe and for your situation, the only advice I can offer is, if being able to control the fans independently is a desirable outcome, I'd ask the electrician to at least split the fans onto separate "dumb" switches. If nothing else that part is done and if you need more time to decide on the right switch arrangement you have at least done that part of the job.
In terms of smart options, ignoring the specific products that may be available for you, a humidity sensor in the bathroom at least would be a worthwhile investment I would think. There is a community driver / app I am using to run a dehumidifier in my garage, but the driver / app is actually designed with a bathroom fan in mind. If this is of of interest let me know and I'll track down a link to the thread.
In my bathroom (one room, not two like you have) I use a combination of a Hue motion sensor sitting on the vanity / basin near the door and Samsung's now discontinued multipurpose sensor on the door. Perhaps you could make use of a contact sensor for the toilet and a motion sensor in the bathroom?
If getting the electrician back is a major pain / expense, and you are willing to entertain alternatives to HE for connecting Zigbee devices, perhaps just buy any Zigbee light switch you can find and deal with the connectivity later. If you need to buy a Raspberry Pi or something similar, so be it...
I use a Fibaro switch module (Z-wave) behind the wall switch, and a humidity sensor which controls the Fibaro switch (many types of humidity sensors are available though). I use a Xiaomi/Aqara humidity sensor because they cost very little ÂŁ10). If you go for the xiaomi/Aqara devices, be sure to do a search for these types of devices on this forum, because they are unreliable for some...but as I have a very strong zigbee mesh, I have no issue with them.
With regards to the Fibaro switch...check whether or not you have both Live and Neutral feeds to the back of the wall switch (although I believe some of these devices do not require a neutral feed)
Thanks for all the helpful advice! So if I put such a Fibaro switch module behind the wall switch, then I could control the fans through Hubitat as well as through the actual switch? Just to make sure I understand correctly...!
I'm less fussed at this point about the fact that it would control both fans - it's not the end of the world...... And I could trigger it with a humidity sensor in the bathroom and with a door open sensor or a motion sensor in the toilet......
I reckon putting the two on separate circuits etc would probably be too much work for what it's worth...
So that enables you to tell Hubitat “when humidity rises above x%...turn on the fan” and you still have manual control with the switch
And then....get a motion sensor to turn the fans and/or lights when motion is detected in the room (you’d need a second fibaro (or alternative) for the lights...
I'm not sure what is available in Europe but a multi-function motion sensor with humidity detection is probably the way to go.
I ended up setting up a rule that turns the fan on AFTER the lights turn off due to my daughter always turning the fan off when she goes into the bathroom - she doesn't like the noise or something (argh!!!). I have not yet added any sensors but am looking to do the same as you. I only have one fan in our bathroom.
But I’d suggest browsing these forums...there are soooo many options to choose from when it comes to devices. (Admittedly less so when it comes to in-wall switches).
But if price isn’t an issue, the Fibaro are a good bet.
The Fibaro ZW5 does motion, lux, temperature and humidity ...but, again, if price is an issue, cheap Chinese single function devices do the same job for a lot less money.
Just be careful - sometimes those cheap devices can have a negative impact on the mesh. I know some of the older xiaomi stuff (at least in the U.S.) can. I think this is better with the newer Zigbee 3.0 standard though so that's probably what you want to look for if possible.
For sure... But I'm not too worried in terms of the sensor - it's the module under the wall switch I want to get right, as I need the electrician to do that. In terms of sensors, finding the right ones shouldn't be too hard and I'll definitely look at the official list... Thanks so much everyone!
I do have another quick question before I ask the electrician: if he were able to split the two fans so that there'd be a dual instead of a single switch there, where one half controlled the bathroom fan and the other half then controlled the toilet fan.... Would I then be able to put the Fibaro Double Switch 2 under this switch in order to then control both fans separately through Hubitat? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/FIBARO-FIBEFGS-223-flush-mounted-insert-switches/dp/B01HM0MQAW/ref=sr_1_1
This might be specific to my situation but I have had problems with dual relays including the US version of the Fibaro relay and other dual switches (Aeotec Dual Nano). Maybe others can report back their experiences as well.
There’s also smart relays you can bury above your fan light/ceiling in case that’s inaccessible. Splice into the line sending power to your fan. I think Fibaro might make one shaped like a rectangle.
Shelly is your friend for things like embedded relays. I've also used Kasa wall switches with generic Zigbee contact sensors on doors. All well supported by HE.
