Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

FanLinc - Motor activates when light dimmed?

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
    #1

    FanLinc - Motor activates when light dimmed?

    Hello all. I think I have a weird one for ya.

    I purchased several FanLincs. I hooked one up, and it did something pretty odd. The fan seems to function correctly. However, when you fade the light (which itself, does fade properly), the fan motor apparently becomes energized as well, and appears to fade up and back down around the 50% mark (slightly rotating, and making some noise). No matter what I tried, I could not get the light to dim without also causing that fan motor to engage. At the 0% and 100% mark, the motor doesn't move. Only in the middle of the fade (I would estimate in the 20%-80% range), it seems to ramp up and down.

    Here are some videos of the behavior...

    Fading up/down down with everything connected...
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/sk7aG9PpkLj9JMus5

    Fading up/down with fan motor disconnected...
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/ew3LGqn9p7XtPo396

    Fading up/down with light disconnected...
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/7ctoYu2vTFXv8h6bA

    Thinking I had a bad FanLinc, I swapped it with another one I had bought. Fresh out of the box, and freshly linked with the ISY (no scenes, no programs, etc), it did the exact same thing. Confused, I reached out to Insteon support, who promptly RMA'd the units and sent me new ones. However, with the brand new fresh units, they are doing the exact same thing! ??

    I then took the FanLincs to another fan in the house, and they do seem to work properly over there, controlling the fan motor/lights independently as expected. So why on earth would it be behaving like this on this fan (the "Minka Aire Concept I")?

    While I understand blaming the fan would be the easy answer, there's something that doesn't add up to me with that conclusion (admittedly, from someone who doesn't claim to be a fan expert). I don't know exactly how the FanLinc works, but it seems like it shouldn't be sending any juice down the motor wires when you're only manipulating the light, right? With the fan motor output on the FanLinc unplugged (see the video above), it doesn't exhibit this behavior. So, if the fan were somehow doing this internally (seemingly routing the lighting voltage over to the motor), wouldn't it continue to do this with the FanLinc's motor control unplugged? Why would it only occur when the FanLinc's motor wire is plugged in? Doesn't that suggest it's coming from the FanLinc?

    Obviously, I'm concerned with using the fan in this configuration. I suspect the fan does not want to be fading up and down like this. I suspect it will cause damage over time. Does anyone have any insight into what might be happening here?

    Thanks,
    -= Brandon.
    Tags: fanlinc
    #2
    The best way to prove this out would be to hook up a volt meter to the motor wire on the fanlinc, disconnected, while you are dimming the lights. It might also be a circuit that is not completely isolated on the fan. Minka lists their own apps so I doubt they were thinking it would be integrated in this way.

    Most smart dimmer devices have anywhere from a .45-1.5 watt bleed when energized, sometimes more. The 52' Minka only uses 13w of power, at low, so I suspect that the blead is just enough to cause the blades to spin a bit, when dimming the lights. Not enough for constant rotation, but enough to get going.

    The fanlinc is also about 10 years old now so it may not be playing nice with this new fan.

    Maybe some other in the group will have a better response.

    Comment

      #3
      No additional responses yet, so let me jump on your input.

      Regarding the fan, it's actually about 6 years old. So, not too new of a fan. That said, if your theory about the blead is what is happening here, do you think that could cause damage to the fan? Should I just ignore it, or are my concerns warranted?

      Thanks again,
      -= Brandon.

      Comment

        #4
        Does your problem fan. Use a remote module in the fan housing and have LED type lights? The ones I found did.
        Did you bypass the remote module to use the FanLinc?
        Was the other fan you tried also have a remote module and did you bypass it?
        I did not find any data on what type motor is in the fan. If it is a DC type motor. The FanLinc will not properly control it. As it is for AC motors.

        Comment

          #5
          No, it is not LED. It uses a single incandescent lamp.

          It did have a remote module. See the attached images.

          I did bypass and remove the old remote module. If you look at the video links I posted in my initial message, you can see how it is hooked up directly.

          Based on the old/original fan module's label ("MOTOR L" and "MOTOR N"), it does indeed appear to be driving an AC motor. So, in theory, everything seems like it should check out.

          -= Brandon.
          You do not have permission to view this gallery.
          This gallery has 2 photos.

          Comment

            #6
            Thank you for the added information.
            It does look like it is an AC type motor.
            The only thing I can think of. Inside the fan. The light bulb is not wired to the Motor N and Light bulb power wire. That I would expect but to the Motor L and Light Bulb power wire and the original remote controlled the bulb back to the incoming neutral power wire.

            Comment

              #7
              I'm not fully understanding your response. Could you explain a little more?

              Comment

                #8
                I thought about the response more closely and it probably would not be that way. Sorry for the confusion. Best to ignore it.
                My thought was if the light bulb was if the bulb was powered by the Fan L wire the controller would connect it to the AC neutral or Fan N to turn it on.

                Now that I looked at you photos again. It said Solid State Fan Speed Control. So if it is an AC motor. The original remote must be modifying the AC wave to control the speed of a motor that can be controlled by such a controller. The Fanlinc would probably also control that motor. As you found.

                It also shows three wires to the fan light assembly. So the Fan N is probably common to both the fan motor and light. With power for the light between Fan N and the Light input wire.

                You indicated the bulb is incandescent. Do you know its wattage and if it is a 120 volt bulb?

                Comment

                  #9
                  It uses a JDE11 120v 100w lamp.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    I'm sorry? I guess I'm not following your question.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Sorry I missed your response. You did answer the question and I missed it.
                      A JDE11 120v 100w lamp. Is a 120VAC Halogen Bulb.
                      I don't have any added thought on it right now. Other than it was a different type bulb. As some LED or CFL bulbs can cause issues.

                      Comment

                      Previous template Next
                      Working...
                      X