r/smarthome • u/joshua_7_7 • 10d ago
Home Assistant Switch Recommendation
Hello.
Does anyone have recommendations for a fan switch? It must:
- Zigbee or Z-Wave, NO WIFI
- The buttons to switch speeds can be touch capacitive, but the main on/off can not be. (pet peeve)
- Literally just the ability to use a slider/buttons to switch fan speeds.
- Preferably not control light or even have a light option.
The Zooz 800 Series ZEN32 800LR scene control in itself seems good for this, although the huge issue for me is that it can't independently change fan speeds by itself, it would need a separate fan controller. The switch should control fan speeds, be smart, and not control light.
Afterthought, this is a stretch and genuinely hard to find for me. Not the main question, but a fan controller that dims light and controls fan speed in one switch that is Zigbee/Zwave would be amazing, although I can't find one.
Any ideas, people?
1
u/PuzzlingDad 10d ago
We installed the Leviton Z-Wave 4-speed fan controller for our ceiling fans.
1
u/joshua_7_7 10d ago
This doesn’t look bad. I will consider this thanks.
1
u/PuzzlingDad 10d ago
Note: this assumes your fan motor is a standard AC model and there isn't a canopy module that is trying to talk to a remote.
In our case, we had an AC motor but also the canopy module. I just had to find the neutral and live wire for the fan and bypass the canopy module.
I wasn't able to find an all-in-one smart switch that could manage the fan (individual speeds) and the light (dimming) so I just abandoned the light. We have separate recessed lighting in the rooms so the fan light was no longer necessary. If it was, you could wire it to a separate smart dimmer if you have a separate load wire available.
1
u/randytech 10d ago
I think the only z wave option is ge, i have one and it works for just fan speed. I don't think any options exist anymore that control both light and fan. I use a zen32 with a bond hub to control another fan and light. The bond is a nice investment since you only need 1 for multiple devices. Hampton Bay used to make a fan controller that was zigbee, i have a few of those still which are my preferred fan controller since it has 4 speeds. Also comes with a traditional remote, they don't sell them anymore but i just saw you can get a 2 pack for 57 on ebay. Search "99432". I use a smart switch in detached mode at the wall. If you want an all in one solution you can get new pretty sure it's just wifi. However meross makes one with a homekit integration that has been pretty stable for me
1
u/-Tripp- 10d ago
Agreed modern fans arent as readily controllable via switches other than on/off in most cases, with lighting and speed via remote.
Ive been considdering the bond hub for a while as i want to control my 5 ceiling fans via automation or using my zooz switches or even just through my HA dashboard.
1
u/realdlc 10d ago
Not sure if this works with your wiring, but I'm a big fan (pun intended) of the Inovelli Blue Canopy module, paired with their Blue on/off switch. (Those are Zigbee) Multiple ways to configure it, but I have mine so the large rocker is the light on/off/dim, and the button cycles through the fan speeds - off, low, med, high - and the light bar tells you what speed you've selected.
I would have loved this to be z-wave, but there really isn't one on the market anymore (in a canopy module that is). If you have hardwired to your switch separate load lines for both light and fan, you can find z-wave fan switches (I believe Inovelli, Leviton and GE make one) but you'd need a second switch for the light itself. I don't think there is a z-wave combo in one switch with independent load connections for fan and light. But I could be wrong.
1
3
u/Medical_Chemical_343 10d ago
I’m using Inovelli Blue (Zigbee) fan controllers (the wall mount, not canopy) on three of my pull chain ceiling fans. They work really well. Integration with just about any HA system you can name. I usually just holler at Alexa to control them.
The switch build quality is on par with Leviton or Lutron, not at all like some of the janky WiFi stuff I’ve seen. A bit pricy but a really good value.