Hello! I have some VZM31-SN that I’d like to install.
Most of the lights in my apartment are attached to regular old 3-speed AC fans. Last night I tried to replace two of my Lutron Auroras that had been slapped over old switches.
The wiring situation is as follows: none of my switch boxes have neutrals. Save the one in my bedroom, the fan and lights are controlled by the same switch (i.e. turning the switch off kills the bulbs and the fan). The switch in the bedroom only controls the lights.
When I installed the Blue 2-1s, I threw them into smart bulb mode without any issues. However, once I turned the fan on, the fan motor made a horrific grinding noise that remained no matter what speed I had it in. Similarly, when I turned the lights back on (Hue bulbs), they made a very annoying buzzing noise.
This happened with both of the fans in my kitchen. I uninstalled the switches to be safe and replaced the Auroras.
I tried messing with a bunch of settings to no avail. I’m really not sure what the issue could be. The problem remains if I put it back into dimmer mode and pull it up to 100% – same thing.
I understand the Blue 2-1s are not rated for fans, but I was under the impression that putting them into smart bulb mode would avoid this problem as it is not actually dimming the fan circuit, just stealing some electricity to act as a remote.
I did not install a bypass, which I do not imagine is the problem, but if it is the problem it’s a relatively easy fix.
The 2-1 switch is not rated for fans or any inductive load. You want the fan switch. Even in smart bulb mode the power runs through the dimming circuit. It does not use a relay.
Been told wrong. 2-1 is not rated to provide power to your fan. If your bulbs were on a different wire, you could use smart bulb mode to feed the bulbs, but not the wire providing power to the fan motor.
In SBM you’re just powering the loads constantly, so instead of that you can hook the line and load together at the switch. You’d just lose the ability to cut power to the load via the air gap.
For the fan/light combo with a non-neutral at the switch, your best bet is to rewire at the fan box so that you send a constant hot and neutral to the switch box. That will power the switch as a scene controller.
Then at the fan, add a smart relay (smart dual relay for fan and light). Then control that from the switch via paddle presses and scenes.
Sure but then I lose the air gap, right? I’d rather not need to take the fans out and add smart relays and whatnot. Maybe when the Inovelli ones come out but not before then.
Yes, you’d lose the air gap. But the same thing as the air gap can be accomplished at the breaker. What you gain is the peace of mind that if you ever have to put through an insurance claim for something like a fire, you won’t have the insurance adjuster claiming you’ve used a device not rated for a fan and denying your claim. They’ll often use any little thing they can to get out of paying.
Oh I’m 100% on board with replacing the switches. If I need fan switches for this, so be it.
What I want to know is if I can accomplish the same thing with the fan switches, which is control my smart bulbs (that happen to be in the fan) without actually dimming the fan circuit.
I know the fan switches say “not for use with bulbs” and the bulb switches say “not for use with fans”. Can the fan switch be used on a smart bulb circuit without any electrical dimming?
What type of fans? I hate to keep redesigning the system.
Do you only have single gang boxes in these locations? Is the fan an AC or DC fan?
For example I have a fan switch that powers my outdoor fan (with lights), but it’s not smart bulbs. No issues. I have a living room fan (DC motor) with lights (non smart bulbs) connected to a fan switch set in smart fan mode. No issues.
The canopy module would solve a lot of your issues (light and AC fan support) and you could use either fan or 2-1 switch (requiring would need to be done).
For the fixtures with just bulbs then the 2-1 switches will work. You may need a bypass if non neutral to prevent switches from rebooting each time the load is decreased.
Your problem as you explained above is that except for the bedroom, you have non-neutrals. That means the switch leg controls both the fan AND the light at the same time. So you don’t have a smart bulb circuit, as you put it, for those. At best, you can describe it as a “blended” switch leg.
Some people with these “blended” switch legs have encountered problems, so you’re not going to get a straight answer from Inovelli regarding these. That is why I suggested the relay solution above.
The fans are AC fans with light fixtures built-in. The lights are Hue bulbs. The lights and the fan motor are wired together, and the switch controls both at the same time.
All of the boxes are single gang with no neutral, only line and load.
I have no desire whatsoever to control the fans from the switch. I live in an apartment so I want to mess with the wiring as little as possible. The only purpose of the switch is a remote for Home Assistant. It should not interfere with the electrical characteristics of the circuit in any way except for stealing some current to keep itself alive.
Okay for the fixtures sans-fan I will use regular 2-1 with a bypass. Easy.
Now, here’s the meat of the question, put as specifically as I can manage:
I have a fan with light fixtures built-in. They are controlled by the same single-pole, non-neutral switch. If I do not want to use the dimmer to control the fan, and only pass-through power so I can use the switch as a HA remote, will the fan switch work for this purpose if I put it in smart bulb mode?
There’s lots of options you CAN do. But using devices for things they are not rated for can really bite you in the ass if anything ever goes wrong. That doesn’t mean it won’t work, that doesn’t mean it will ever cause an issue, but are you willing to gamble the replacement value of your home to avoid a $20 relay like @Bry is suggesting?
When it comes to electrical, safety, and potential issues with insurance, I’m always one to advocate doing it properly not just “will it work”.
