Hi Folks, I bought an Inovelli Blue 2-1 Switch + Fan/Light Canopy Module thinking I would need both of them to control my ceiling fan/light separately with just one Blue switch. I wired everything up, but when setting up the Zigbee bindings through Home Assistant suggested here, I realized the binding would configure the Blue switch to control the canopy module. The problem is that I have smart bulbs installed, so dimming the lights physically through the canopy module, rather than through software, is undesirable.
Instead, I want to have the Blue’s switch paddles be bound directly to the smart bulbs, and the config button bound to the fan. This suggests to me that instead of a Blue 2-1 switch and canopy module, a Blue Series Fan Switch might be the simpler option.
When I was installing the Canopy Module, I noticed there was was an unused traveler wire (red) with a wire nut at both ends: one in the ceiling, one at the switch. I imagine I can use that traveler wire as a load wire that controls the fan speed from the Blue Series Fan Switch. The black Romex wire on the other hand would be connected to the line wire to provide constant power to the smart bulbs.
Here’s a diagram of how I imagine this wiring would work. This is modified from the Inovelli Single-Pole w/ Neutral Fan Switch wiring diagram found here
I would appreciate if someone from Inovelli could comment on whether this is viable. I don’t imagine there would be any problem with repurposing the (unused) traveler wire to act as the load wire to the fan. But would the Blue Series Fan Switch allow me to control the smart bulbs through zigbee bindings for the paddle, and the fan through the config button?
I should mention - right now I have the Blue 2-1 switch setup with Zigbee bindings where:
The paddle is bound to the smart bulbs (On/Off + Level)
The Config is bound to the Canopy Module, but only for Fan control (1x, 2x, 3x tap for speed, hold for off)
The Canopy Module ‘Light’ switch remains permanently on. This works, but feels extraneous.
Also for anyone wondering, in the ‘before’ wiring, the dumb switch would physically kill power to both the fan and the light, which was annoying, since the chain pull switches on the ceiling fan were just out of reach.
I’m not sure if an Inovelli employee will respond, as they are not allowed to comment on electrical wiring beyond providing drawings due to their insurance regulations.
While your wiring topology looks ok at first blush to me, you would need to use a fan switch, not a 2-1, as you have it drawn. In your configuration, the switch is directly controlling the motor load, so the fan switch is appropriate, not the 2-1, which isn’t rated for motor loads.
Also, remember that you’ll need to throw the breaker to cut power to the lights. The air gap won’t.
The other thing that @rohan and I were discussing is that even if you put the switch in the smart fan mode and then bind both, we’re not sure if the paddle will provide smooth dimming or if you’ll get the stepping because that’s what the fan switch does when physically controlling a load.
Fair enough, if it would be a liability issue for Inovelli employees to comment on the wiring, then I imagine they wont.
Hopefully they can still comment on whether the firmware of the Blue Series Fan Switch supports the configuration I have in mind.
And you’re right, I would plan on using a Blue Series Fan Switch in place of a 2-1, and removing the Fan/Light Canopy module altogether. The intention is for the Fan Switch to control power to the fan via it’s onboard circuitry, but to also use Zigbee bindings for the smart bulbs. What I’m hoping is that I will be able to setup the switch such that:
The Config button controls the fan with 1x, 2x, 3x tap for speed, hold for off
A Zigbee binding is used to control the smart bulbs with paddle tap/hold
I can’t think of a reason why this wouldn’t work, but I’m hoping to get some confirmation just to be sure.
From what I can tell by reading Blue Series Fan Switch • Setup Instructions • Home Assistant - ZHA | Inovelli Help Center, I just need to setup the switch for Ceiling Fan (3-speed) mode, and Single Pole mode. Since the switch requires constant power anyway, additional Zigbee bindings should work without a problem.
What I have in mind is connecting the fan wire to the load terminal of the Blue Series Fan Switch. Then I would configure the switch to operate in non-smart mode (i.e. Smart Fan Mode = False). In this way, the switch will act in ‘non-smart mode’ when controlling the fan, i.e. the circuitry in the Blue Series Fan Switch will directly control power to the fan. But from my understanding, in non-smart mode, the Blue Series Fan Switch defaults to controlling fan speed via paddle presses. So I’m wondering if the following is supported:
Blue Series Fan Switch in non-smart mode to directly control fan speed
In non-smart mode, can the fan speed control be re-mapped to use the Config button instead of the paddle buttons?
In non-smart mode, do Zigbee bindings still work, so that I can bind the paddle to my smart lights?
Yes, but it would still control the fan at the same time. I don’t know if there’s support for smooth dimming or if it’s stepped (like the fan speed from 0/33/66/100).
Ah bummer. Given that the paddle can be configured for On/Off or Ceiling Fan mode, I imagine button presses are configurable with firmware. Is the firmware for the Fan Switch open source?
I do not believe that the firmware is open source.
Is there some reason that you just don’t put the canopy module in the smart bulb mode and then bind with the bulbs? I realize the article you referenced doesn’t recommend that approach, but it’s not specifically tailored for smart bulbs.
The problem you are going to have is that dimmers are not able to handle a fan but switches might. I run my system in the opposite. I run the red to my light and the black to my fan. I control my fan with a Bond Hub, and I control my smart light with the switch. In this way, the air gap switch still kills power to the light for changing bulbs, and on/off control still works. I use software to control dimming of the light, and see dimmer to always output 100% power or off.
I am not familiar with if blue switches can control a fan, but I know at one point anyways that the blue dimmers could not control fans because the load is too high.
