ZigBee Fan Switch | Project Zephyr (Blue Series)

I’m going to have fun explaining to my wife why I’m replacing the switch for the fan in October.

Any suggestions on what to say? (Wrong answers only)

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Here’s a couple ideas:

  1. I figured I would get something we both can use rather than putting it towards your Starbucks.
  2. I had to put it there because I wanted you to see (via notifications) when I get home so you can start dinner (lol it actually pained me to write this one, I’m going to get in so much trouble if my SO reads this)

Just make sure you invest in a good couch too :rofl:

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@Courtney_Inovelli :innocent::rofl:

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Well I pre ordered 5. And I currently only have 3 exhaust fans. But we want two more fans for our tall ceilings!

Until I buy those fans, nothing is stopping me from using these as virtual 3 way right?

Our fans would mostly be decorative. (if anyone has suggestions) we have the wiring in ceiling for them.

Plus I still have 5 mmwave pre ordered. Not holding out for mg24 on purpose, just happen to have 10 more switches coming my way this year. Not sure anything will be left!

That was cold . . . . :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Oh man, I was hoping she was too busy with orders to notice, now you’ve done it!

Yeah you can totally use them as remote type switches :slight_smile:

We appreciate your support!

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In @Mop_Zero ’s defense, they did say wrong answers only. So you are in the clear. At least you know they are kinda wrong :slight_smile:

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@Eric_Inovelli Don’t worry I’ll have your tacos with 6 sides of mustard, ranch, buffalo sauce, ketchup/mayo, taco sauce and siracha ready.

I do have a weird obsession with sauces and tacos. Guilty. So, what color do you want me to set the notification to?

When you say “exhaust fans” do you mean bathroom exhaust fans? Make sure you have ones installed that are able to do variable speed, most are not designed for anything other than on/off power.

Sorry, I should be more clear my marketing – the good news is the switch can do either or (On/Off for standard Exhaust Fans, or Speed Control for Ceiling Fans). I haven’t tried the switch on variable speed exhaust fans – definitely something we should look into.

I see pre-orders are sold out on the main website. Is there any way to order these now, or do I have to wait for the production to ramp up and pre-orders to be cleared out?

Yeah i just wanted to make sure @caduck didn’t try to wire them into an exhaust fan in his bathroom without realizing that probably won’t work.

I am betting your switch won’t work with most bathroom exhaust fans due to them needing a different style of speed control compared to the 3 speed control that ceiling fans use (I 100% didn’t understand it at the time, nor researched it today). I know that when I was wanting to speed control a duct fan similiar to https://www.amazon.com/Diversitech-625-AF10-Duct-10In-650Cfm/dp/B001O6ECQC I was explicitly told by the HVAC person I know not to use the GE fan controler I was considering using and to instead buy Amazon.com . I believe the same would be the case for exhaust fans because braun sells a very similiar appearing switch for bathroom exhaust fans that also has a fully variable dial vs the 3 speed controllers ceiling fans all use.

But, i’m speaking from a position of a 100% hobbiest, fully aware you know your industry better than me :smiley:

Also, the bathroom exhaust fans are probably what my Black on/off’s will eventually move to one day :smiley:

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This looks like a duct fan, isn’t this different than a bathroom exhaust fan?

I honestly don’t know.

Most bathroom fans that I’ve seen are basic on/off, but admittedly, I don’t really buy the high end ones - maybe they’re more than just on/off now.

This was the last one I bought for example:

KAZE APPLIANCE SNP100 | 100 CFM | 0.8 Sone | No Attic Access Required Bathroom Ventilation Exhaust Extractor Fan Amazon.com

Some (maybe a lot) of bathrooms have duct fans instead of the traditional exhaust fans. It let’s you put the motor farther from the bathroom, making it much quieter if you have attic space above it.

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The only reason I was thinking they are similiar is that broan’s SC100W | Broan-NuTone® Exhaust Vent Fan Adjustable Speed Control Dial, White fan speed control is a dial control. Which it is my understanding that, that 3 speed controllers utilize a completely different way of regularing the power delivery vs a variable speed controller. You can probably speak to how yours works, but I assume it uses different capacitors that results in the power only being delivered in 33/66/100% amounts but the voltage is 115-120 volts. A variable speed controller lowers the voltage.

My quick google searching is saying Triac vs Variac is the terminology I think that is the difference. Am I correct that yours is considered a triac speed controller? While variable speed controllers for duct fans and exhaust fans would utilize variac? (I hope I’ve been clear I am 100% out of my depth and could be 99% wrong on some of this stuff)

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From what I’ve read in this thread, my ceiling fans should work with this switch: there are two switches, one for the lights (which is now a Blue 2-in-1), and one for fan on/off (currently a dumb switch). The fan speed is controlled by a pull chain (off, low, med, high). But how do I actually wire up this new switch? Will I need to run new wires from the switch to the fan motor, or is it all done through the wires supplying power? I guess I need to remove the fan speed controller that has the pull chain?

It’s pretty straightforward. In the switch box, you will take the hot attached to the dumb
switch and move it to the line terminal of the new switch. You will use a pigtail to the neutral bundle in the box and connect that to the neutral terminal of the new switch. The other probably black wire that was a one the dumb switch will be the load and that will be connected to the load terminal of the new switch.

No, that is actually just a switch. Before you swap the switch out, you will set the fan to its highest speed and then you won’t touch it again.

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