Most bathroom fans and ceiling fans seem to be adopting DC motors. Is their a DC fan canopy in the works?
No present project in the works, but Inovelli would have to comment on future plans.
The canopy typically isn’t suitable or needed for exhaust fans. They are typically wired to a switch. If they are accompanied by a light or a heater, those are typically wired to a switch as well. The canopy is suited for situations where there is power to the fan only with no switch, or where there is a switch, but it doesn’t switch the fan and light separately. So the under-development relay-based switch should be suitable for DC exhaust fans.
A DC-rated canopy would definitely fill a void. One of the issues with DC ceiling fans is that while AC fans are typically 3-speed motors, DC fans vary, complicating things.
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DC fans have a 3-phase inverter controller in their module. These basically rectify the AC to a DC bus voltage and then use IGBT’s to convert it back to a 3-phase AC which runs the fan motor. It would be difficult to build a universal replacement module since each fan manufacturer does it differently.
I do question if the upcoming switch will work with a DC exhaust fan. The current issue for some of them seems to be that fan switch leakage current is charging the DC bus enough to cause the fan to momentarily cycle on which discharges the DC bus again. The Gen2 switches leaked more current than the Gen2 dimmer devices, due to a capacitor put across the relay contact. If the same is done again, the new switch could also leak enough to make it incompatible with some DC exhaust fans.
Define “control”. If you mean turn the fan on and off by making and breaking the 120VAC, probably. You’d still need the remote to control the speeds, reverse the direction, etc.
Control would be ON or OFF. I would wire the fan initially to create the desired settings. Then I would desire an ON/OFF that is it.
This is the wiring diagram for the DC ceiling fan. The fans power input is traditional Line/Neutral/Ground which the Inovelli FAN switch can provide (I do not expect speeds, directions, etc.). I desire the Inovelli FAN switch to just turn the DC fan ON/OFF. If I am incorrect, where am I going wrong? Thanks!
The current production fan switch is not designed nor rated for DC fans. The under-development relay-based On/Off switch should be suitable for DC fans.
Thanks Bry,
If a DC fan takes AC power, why would the switch upstream from it matter?
It’s not recommended, but I will say I’ve been running the fan switch (smart fan mode) and DC fan with no issues for over a year.
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Ya, that would work as a canopy module for the fan, assuming the fan remembers its settings when it loses power and then power is restored again.
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