Hello,
I am looking to automate several ceiling fans in a newly constructed home. I know that fan motors that are DC are incompatible with the Z-Wave controls. One set of fans that we are looking at describe their motors as "AC Induction". The fans have the capability to reverse their direction from their remotes, which is a desired feature for these fans, since the fans will be installed in a 19' ceiling with a downrod of at least 6 ft.
If the fan has a remote my guess is it's not going to work directly with a fan switch. I just recently went through this. The Fan in our bedroom went out and I just told my wife to order what she wanted. The one she ordered came with a remote and as such the the module in the fan handles the fan speed and dimming in the light.
So you can't use a light dimmer or fan switch as it needs the full voltage at the fan. This is of coarse my experience so not knowing what you are actually buying this may not apply. There are some other threads about this. I believe some say you can replace the module in the fan.
In my case I went with a bond hub which has a HE integration so I can control the fan and light through it. I have the fan connected via Z-wave switches, but basically it just needs to be hardwired. IF I turn off the switch at the wall I have to have HE turn it back on and then issue the off command fan. One day I plan on hard wiring and putting Zen34 remotes in place of the switches.
What is the brand and model fan you are using?
Most ceiling fans use a low power, single phase AC induction motors. Sometimes these are called split-phase motors. However, some newer rans use DC motors. They tend to be more expensive.
If your fan already has a controller mounted in the canopy that is controlled by a remote, then it is unlikely to be compatible with a wall mounted Z-wave controller. Depending upon the brand, you might be able to replace the current controller in the canopy with another type of controller (many have used the Hampton Bay Zigbee controller). Or you might be able to integrate your current remote control into Hubitat. That is why I asked the make and model.
Thanks. We're in the process of shopping for 5 fans with light kits for a new construction house. The builder has wired each junction box with a separate switch for the fan and the motor. I may just save the $100 or more (dimmer + fan control) on the Z wave controls for each fan/light and put it into the remotes on the fans. Not really interested in having to setup a Zigbee mesh network at this time. Plus the wife really liked a fan with a DC motor so there's that. Hey, it's less electrical stuff I have to do. The Bond capability looks interesting.
Maintaining multiple networks is not that difficult. I have Zigbee HA devices, Hue Zigbee HL devices, Z-wave devices and Lutron Clear Connect devices. Of these, the Z-wave devices have been the most problematic.
If you can make it work in your budget I'd recommend Big A** Fans (Haiku). They're better built than just about anything out there and they're the most efficient. Of course there is a fair premium for them. But they do run sales from time to time. And, yes they're DC so require proprietary remote. But they can be controlled in Hubitat, no Bond required. I'd also check with a lighting designer. Skip the lights on the fan if you can get a good design without them.
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