So do dimmers work well for ceiling fans?

I think it depends on the individual fan. I initially installed two Switchlinc dimmers; one for the light and one for the fan. At certain speeds there was a low but noticeable hum. I decided to replace fan Switchlinc with a Switchlinc relay and manually control the speed of fan with the chain switch on the fan. I usually leave the fan on the same fan speed setting, so this works for me.

All my fans don't have the speed chain they use one of those black boxes that goes up between the ceiling mount and the wall switch controls the black boxes.

 

 

I wish someone would make an Insteon fan black-box. It is basically two nodes in the black-box; one lighting dimmer and one three-step relay switch. You could use a keypadlinc to control it in six button mode which would allow the on/off be the lighting control and the four buttons could be the off/low/med/high for the fan relay.

 

Mark,

 

Can you make an Inseton fan black-box yourself (already)????

 

With regards,

Michel

All my fans don't have the speed chain they use one of those black boxes that goes up between the ceiling mount and the wall switch controls the black boxes.

 

 

I wish someone would make an Insteon fan black-box. It is basically two nodes in the black-box; one lighting dimmer and one three-step relay switch. You could use a keypadlinc to control it in six button mode which would allow the on/off be the lighting control and the four buttons could be the off/low/med/high for the fan relay.

 

With the faceless dimmers, the hard part is they don't slide in the spot above the fan where the black-box goes, or do they?

 

Or are you suggesting cracking one of these guys open and adding a Intseon modem chip in.

Precisely!!!

 

With the faceless dimmers, the hard part is they don't slide in the spot above the fan where the black-box goes, or do they?

 

Or are you suggesting cracking one of these guys open and adding a Intseon modem chip in.

With the faceless dimmers, the hard part is they don't slide in the spot above the fan where the black-box goes, or do they?

 

Or are you suggesting cracking one of these guys open and adding a Intseon modem chip in.

 

Back in the early days of automation, we'd take two Hunter fan speed controls...crack em open...and put them on two relays. Now most of the "big boys" in home automation (Lutron, LiteTouch, etc) have fan modules.

 

 

 

Sssshhhh

I am thinking about it...

 

(mumble, mumble)

now were is my darn breadboard from college days

(BLAM!)

ouch that was my head!?!

(woosh, slam, bang, ...tink ......tink .........tink)

i know it's around here somewhere

(scratch, scratch, mumble, mumble)

 

Precisely!!!

I am thinking about it...

 

(mumble, mumble)

now were is my darn breadboard from college days

(BLAM!)

ouch that was my head!?!

(woosh, slam, bang, ...tink ......tink .........tink)

i know it's around here somewhere

(scratch, scratch, mumble, mumble)

 

Precisely!!!

 

It should be "doable"

 

The Lutron Fan/Light controller works off the same theory you have in mind. The wall controller sends data/commands to the receiver plate in the fan canopy. It only requires a hot and neutral from the wall controller to the fan. It has full dimming capacity and variable speed control for the fan from the single pair of wires.

 

Works great in a retrofit, where there is only 12/2 romex going to the fan/light. Data and power using the same wiring…ain’t life grand!