Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Dimmer Switches and Fanlinc

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Dimmer Switches and Fanlinc

    I have a 2-gang box on my wall that controls a ceiling fan; one switch for fan motor, the other switch for the light kit. I have replaced both switches with 2477D dimmer switches and installed a 2475F Fanlinc controller in the fan canopy. Neither switch is connected to their respective load wires but have been "paired" to the Fanlinc. I also have a Hub Pro.

    The desired behavior is each switch controls the fan/light. Also, I would expect the status LED on the switch and the device status in HomeKit to be matching.

    In homekit the Fanlinc is shown as two accessories (one for light, one for fan), also each dimmer switch is an accessory.

    I have had success with the lights by grouping in HomeKit the Fanlinc (light) with the dimmer switch (light) which controls the lights. This behaves as expected. Either the switch, or HomeKit can control the light brightness and the status is consistent across the LEDs on the switch as well as HomeKit.

    I am not having such luck with the fan motor controls. The switch can turn the fan on (full speed) or off, but I am unable to control speed through the switch. Controlling the switch (not the Fanlinc) in HomeKit will make the LED indicators on the switch change, but has not affect on fan speed. There is no option in HomeKit to group the dimmer switch (fan) with the Fanlinc (fan) like with the lights. Is there any way to pair the dimmer switch (fan) to the Fanlinc (fan) and allow the switch and HomeKit to control fan speed?

    Note: I continually use the term HomeKit. To clarify, I mean home.app in iOS.
    Last edited by Jonwills; 03-18-2017, 03:30 PM.

    #2
    The FanLinc requires a separate controller for each speed. The usual procedure is to use a 6-button (5-device) Keypad for the FanLinc. The main on and off buttons are linked to the light part of the FanLinc and the reaming buttons are linked to one each of the three speeds plus one button for off.
    Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
    Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

    Comment


      #3
      Thank you, Stu. I tried to clarify this with Insteon before purchasing but perhaps I wasn't being clear in my intended set-up. Regardless, the keypad is a do-able solution for me.

      Thanks, again and appreciate the quick response.

      Comment


        #4
        They definitely have some communication issues/understanding issues in their support department. I was trying to tell them that the light on my fan would flicker when accessing the insteon app. They though I was talking about the LED on the Fanlinc module.

        Like Stu said. You would need a 6-Keypad. You simply create a scene for each button. On/off would control the light. Buttons A, B, C are configured for each fan speed low, med, & high. The D button could be used to control another device. You can use it to turn off the fan. For example, if you button B to turn the fan on. The button will brighten or illuminate, telling you it is active. To turn off the fan, just push the B button again. If you have D configured to turn the fan off. When you press D to turn the fan off it will brighten or illuminate telling you it is active. You would have to push it again turn off or dim its LED.

        Comment


          #5
          Although a bit complex, you can create scenes where only the chosen speed button A, B, or C is lit. Pushing a speed button a second time does nothing, the button remains lit. When the off button (D) s pressed any speed button LED turns off and the off button is lit. With a more sophisticated controlled such as an ISY, the off button can be and remain unlit when off is selected.
          Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
          Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

          Comment


            #6
            I appreciate your responses. Part of my desired behavior is if I change the fan speed in home.app, I would expect the fan speed to change (which it does) as well as the status on the dimmer (or keypad) to adjust accordingly. After talking to Insteon Tech Support, the updated status on the switch cannot be done currently. Unfortunately I'll be returning this and staying away from HomeKit until the ideal solution is available for ceiling fan control.
            Last edited by Jonwills; 03-24-2017, 01:36 PM.

            Comment


              #7
              An ISY has an ideal solution for the FanLinc, everything stays coordinated. You'll need to add MobiLinc for excellent iOS control.
              Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
              Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

              Comment

              Working...
              X