Make Your Ceiling Fans Smart: The Ultimate Guide!

Discover the best way to make YOUR ceiling fan smart!
Shop Best Buy's Top Deals Here!

Thanks to Best Buy for sponsoring today's video!

We now have smart ceiling fans, smart switches, AC powered fans, DC powered fans, different switch configurations, and more, making it as confusing as ever to make your ceiling fan smart. So we'll address it all in today's video and help you determine the best method to make YOUR ceiling fan smart based on you current setup or fan.
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RESOURCES
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Products Seen in Video:

Lutron Fan Control Switch

Lutron Smart Switch for Lights or Fans

Meross Wi-Fi Smart Fan and Light Wall Switch

NOTE: Some links above are affiliate links from which I get a small commission. This does not affect you as a customer at all, but helps me keep on making videos for you guys!

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SOCIAL
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🎥 RECOMMENDED
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▶ HomeKit 101 Playlist: Getting Started

▶ Aqara T2 Relay: Make Your Ceiling Fan Smart!

▶ The Best Smart Home Products Available (That I ACTUALLY Use)!

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CHAPTERS
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0:00 Chapters
0:50 Background
1:43 Sponsor - Best Buy
2:52 Consulting a Professional
3:37 Smart Fans
5:13 Smart Fan Switches
6:30 AC vs. DC Powered Ceiling Fans & Fan Remotes
8:55 My Solution for DC Powered Fans
10:38 Other Switch Options
13:17 Final Thoughts

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#AppleHome #SmartHome #SmartFan #BestBuyPartner #magicLinks #bestbuy @BestBuy

[ShaneCreates]

Thank you to Best Buy for sponsoring this video! Check out their Top Deals page!

⭐ Let's Connect! ⭐

[ginjeff]

I use Bond + Homebridge+bond plugin. I have 1 DC and 5 AC fans, using the inbox RF controllers and remotes, and all work as expected including speed control and (usually) light dimmer. You program the Bond using the existing remotes and can do some customizing using their app. It's very simple to then connect the Bond to HomeKit and it's been working great. Occasionally requires cycling the bond unit and/or homebridge, but not often.

None of my fans are controlled by a wall switch, but if they were, I would use a smart switch, wire the load to the hot at the junction box, and use automations. I also have the Bond connected to my RF (cheap, but not smart) shades. So, currently nine devices all controlled by a $100 hub + my existing homebridge. No need to get up on ladders, ;)

[GreenArrowNetwork]

Yay, I’ve been waiting for this one. The best and clearest explanation for getting my fan into my smart home. Thanks Shane, as always.

[misteraon]

I just recently modified a DC fan in our master bedroom. It’s a Harbor Breeze and they incorporate the controller into the top of the fan. It only had a single hot but the house was set up for separate wall switches. So when I originally installed it I had to cap one circuit and we couldn’t use the wall switch anymore…only the remote.

I recently dropped the fan and ran a second hot line through the down rod and bypassed the light on the controller and wired it directly to the second circuit.

Now the fan can be controlled independently with a smart wall switch (relay) and the light with a smart wall dimmer. So they can be controlled now from the wall again or home automation without having to locate the remote. Only caveat is you need the remote if you want to adjust the speed of the fan…but not that big of a deal and better than it was.

Just wish manufacturers would stop shoving half baked products down our throats and stick with reliable and proven options.

[Dr_Cole]

Damn son! Way to land the Best Buy sponsorship 😀

[iChaseCorals]

We just purchased 4 RF controlled ceiling fans with light and your video makes a lot of sense using the Aqara relays for all of them. I’m taking it a step further by using a Tuya RF blaster and homebridge to control the fan speed in HK. But now I’m wondering if i should only use the Tuya RF blaster.

[lordaim]

Thanks, needed this info for my new build. Almost bought the Lutron fan control for a dc fan.

[dahur]

I've been using a smart switch with Smartthings for fan controls. I still have to get the ladder out twice a year to change the direction though. Clockwise in the winter, counter-clockwise in the summer....other than that, the switches have worked out great. I can tell Alexa to turn on or off my fans also if I don't feel like getting up.

[exciting-burp]

You need to be extremely sure that your switch is rated for fan control - also called an inductive load. Motors have an extremely high inrush current (a massive but temporary spike in wattage as it begins to spin).

[danielt.]

Hunter integrates their receivers into the motor unit now, and can’t be bypassed without significant modification, at least on all the models I looked at. Hopefully they’ll be companies that still make nice “dumb” fans for a while. Went with Harbor Breeze for my 2 recent installs so I could use Lutron switches.

[Brendan_Keyport-WABMK]

My existing fan had a RF based switch - ended up putting a smart bulb in, and bond RF Controller through homebridge to get the fan into homekit. Works great.

[dankelley]

Shane, great explanation & caution with the newer dc powered fan motors. I use a Bond controller that operates all my fans throughout my home. Works great with RF or infrared operated fans that work of that style remote. Makes dumb fans & other devices smart!

[yessi_r]

Hey Shane. coming from the Z wave (honestly possible with zigbee as well) world there's a great way to achieve what you want with the "accidentally killing the light switch" issue for those who want to use a relay or smart controller but still want to keep it WAF certified. for switches like Zooz and Inovelli that offer scene control. you can disable the internal relay so that physical button presses don't kill the power. this way you can press the top or bottom of the switch physically and tie those actions to the on/off respectively of the fan and/or light. it's a great alternative to keeping the house as user friendly as possible. plus in the event of say a power outage or something odd where you need to enable the physical relay for whatever reason, you can do this manually at the switch with no network communication required, just a series of button presses.

[addLDN]

I'm using the Sonoff iFan04 which I flashed with HAA which enables native homekit support (no bridge etc needed). 3 fan speeds + can use a remote if wanted

[benprovan]

Great video. You answered so many questions i had, and many questions I didn’t have but now do!

[LiamTempleton]

I used my BroadLink universal remote to send a signal to my remote control fan with HOOBs. Works perfect.

[Arachne]

You should get some sort of basic electrician certificate with all the electrical work you do.

And thank you, this was a very much needed video. Been struggling with what to do about a lot of my fans.

Want to do the Meross switch, but not sure what to do with the empty spot it will leave. Would love a hardwired scene button. Looked like one of the switches you showed had scene buttons on it. Would love more on that switch. 🙃

[nicole]

Another option is to pair a smart button with the smart fans -- I set those for on/off so there is still a "switch" in the bedroom

[jeremiahpowell]

Have you checked out WAC Fans they have a remote that looks like Lutron and they also have a wall switch that gives power without neutral wire and communicates with the fan without remote but you still can use the remote as well

[JS-cbrx]

We have separate fan, speed control and a separate light on/off control.

For a DC fan can I just eliminate the fan control wall switch and hook everything up to the light on/off switch.

This way I can just control the fan speed and light light brightness using the fans remote control?