That’s very helpful, thank you for taking the time to dig into it! Excited to get these switches.
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Project Update: Production has finished and the manufacturer will be releasing these early next week. From there it’s about a 3 week process to get to our Headquarters, but a lot relies heavily on Customs and what happens at the port. I will update if there are any issues. Right now, we’re targeting a mid-October pre-order fulfillment.
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Thanks for all of your help. I did some research on the fan before preordering Project Zephyr and everything I found said it was AC too, which is why I figured the switch was compatible. But I didn’t realize I might need a canopy module as well.
Taking a step back though, I want to make sure I understand the use case for the Zephyr. When I preordered the switch I thought it would be enough on its own, but from what I understand (re-reading this thread multiple times) that’s only true if:
- It’s an AC fan
- There is no remote module installed in the canopy
- Power originates at the switch box
- If the fan has a light, the switch must have a 3-wire connection between the fan and switch box
- If the fan doesn’t have a light, a 2-wire connection is fine
- Theoretically the Zephyr will also work with a 2-wire with a light, as long as the light is permanently left off and power originates at the switch
If the setup doesn’t meet this specific scenario, the alternative is to use a remote module like Project Cheryl in combination with either Project Zephyr or a Blue 2-in-1. Is my (likely oversimplified) understanding correct?
If I’m using Project Cheryl, does Project Zephyr offer any advantages over a Blue 2-in-1? It seems like the Blue 2-in-1 might be more versatile.
FWIW, it looks like my Windward IV (which includes a light) uses a 2-wire connection. There’s two wires plus a ground in the picture below, and only the bottom one is hot when the switch is off so I’m guessing power originates at the switch. Based on this the Zephyr might work as long as there isn’t a remote module in the canopy? But I’ll need Project Cheryl if I want control over the light. Is that correct?
I tried checking the canopy for a remote module, but the fan is flush mounted so I’ll need to find time to remove the entire fan so I can look inside. There may not be a remote module present though, since I tried a universal remote kit that’s supposedly compatible and it didn’t work.
AC fan - Yes
Remote module installed - If the AC fan has a remote module installed and you can remove the module or wire around it, then this switch will be compatible for speed control.
Power originates at the box - For full functionality yes. This switch will work with a non-neutral but with limitations, per my post above. (I see two blacks on the switch in your picture, so it looks like you have power in the switch box.)
Light Kit/3-wire - Yes so you can control the light with a separate switch
2-wire/Fan only - Yes
The Blue 2-1 is a LIGHT switch and is not designed or rated to be used with fans.
If it is, it has a canopy module. The documentation states that it will work with a universal remote, so you might try that again. If you can get a univeral remote paired, your best bet might be to use the Blue fan switch in the on/off mode and then use the remote for speed and light control.
I took a quick look at the documentation but didn’t find the motor type specified.
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Thank for confirming! That was my assumption as well, but I’m not an expert.
Yes, that’s the one. I’m pretty sure it supports a remote as well unless mine is an older model that didn’t come with a remote module. I just need to take it down and see if there’s already a remote module in the canopy. If it does, I’ll see if I can find a way to pair a universal remote. If not, I’ll buy Project Cheryl. Either way, thanks for confirming that I still need the Zephyr!
So, just to confirm, I need this switch (can’t use a 2-in-1 Blue) to power my ceiling fan?
My current dumb switch doesn’t control speed, just delivers power on/off to the fan-light combo (controlling the light and fan speed requires the associated RF remote).
A Blue 2-in-1 is not rated for the amount of power that a ceiling fan draws, that’s the limitation? When I look in the junction box, the current dumb switch doesn’t seem to be anything special.
Yes
The 2-in-1 is not rated for a motor load.
That’s true, but there is much more going on within the guts of a smart switch.
First of all, make sure that your fan has an AC motor. If it does, you can look at removing the remote module from the fan, which should then allow you to control the fan speed via the fan switch. If you cannot, or choose to not, remove the module, you can use the fan switch in the on/off mode.
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Thanks for the confirmation. I’ll continue to use the switch as simply on/off most likely. Monitoring the ZigBee canopy controller as a future upgrade; using Home Assistant and a Bond Bridge RF blaster for “controlling my fan via an Inovelli switch” right now.
How many speed settings will this switch have? With my fan, even the slowest speed, pushes too much air. I would like to be able to set it even slower.
3 speeds. High, medium, and low.
If you set the pull string on your fan to medium speed., then “low” on the wall switch will be slower
My fan does not have a pull string. It’s controlled completely by the wall switch.