But does anybody know how these can be integrated in my smart home?
I do not want a proprietary cloud service.
I see two possible options:
SONOFF iFan03 (flashed with Tasmota) https://sonoff.tech/product/wifi-diy-smart-switches/ifan03
I guess this uses different volatges to controll the fan. But I am not sure this works with these modern fans that are controlled by a remote.
Does anybody know for sure?
Haiku BigAssFans are supported in openHAB, and I think they ship outside the US. I have 3 of them and I like them a lot. Unfortunately, they are not cheap. The i6 model uses a different protocol than the Haiku fans, so that one is to be avoided.
Insteon makes a ceiling fan controller. However, Iâm not sure if itâs available in your part of the world. It controls the lights and the fan speed, but does not natively support a summer/winter mode. There are similar Z-Wave and WiFi devices. Iâm still not sold on any of those though as the physical interfaces arenât as traditional as Iâd like them to be.
The products from BigAssFans sound really great.
And having a dedicated binding is awesome.
But they are expensive and it looks like they are not easy (or cheap) to buy in Germany.
The âHaiku Lâ would also be a litte higher (29cm) than my examples from the first post (20-23cm).
And I have a low ceiling (2,4m).
@Burzin_Sumariwalla
I think I would need some kind of Insteon hub first, right?
If a third party controller is an option I would properly go with the SONOFF iFan03.
According to this post, there are not many smart ceiling fans on the market yet.
If you go the Insteon route, you would need a controller. An Insteon Hub would probably work, but a better solution would be an Insteon USB PLM. (The native openHAB2 binding is Insteon.)
I agree with you that at least at this time you may be better off with a standard ceiling fan and finding a way to add âsmartsâ to it.
Part of the cost is the direct drive motor, which is super quiet. Part of the cost is the premium for being one of the few smart fans on the market. And, part of the cost is a premium for the styling.
On the positive side, I understand that the binding developer gives really good support.
I bought the 132cm Version which is big.
But it does not stand out on the ceiling, because of its decent design.
I am using the Sonoff 433 MHz RF-Bridge (with Tasmota Firmware) to control it.
If you use another fan, you might need to read the RF commands for your model first.
But you will find the commands for this model in the config below.
Ofcause the RF-Bridge can only send commands to the fan and does not receive any status information.
But controlling it with via Amazon Alexa works great.
I can turn it on/off, change the speed and invert the direction.
// Use default speed "3" wehen turning on
rule "CeilingFan Power Command"
when
Item CeilingFanPower received command
then
if (receivedCommand == ON)
CeilingFanSpeed.sendCommand(3)
else
CeilingFanSpeed.sendCommand(0)
end
// Turn on when setting speed bigger than 0
rule "CeilingFan Speed Update"
when
Item CeilingFanSpeed received update
then
if (CeilingFanSpeed.state == 0)
CeilingFanPower.postUpdate(OFF)
else
CeilingFanPower.postUpdate(ON)
end
Nice feature are the hidden blades and the big light. I replaced the original RF controller with a SONOFF iFan02, flashed with Tasmota.
This gives me full MQTT control over the light and fanspeed in openHAB.
Also, it wasnât clear to me that a good option might be to just get the fan that my wife likes the design of and just replace the fan controller with a sonoff iFan02 if the original rf controller isnât hackable.
Also, it wasnât clear to me that a good option might be to just get the fan that my wife likes the design of and just replace the fan controller with a sonoff iFan02 if the original rf controller isnât hackable.
As far as I understand that does not work for most of the newer fans.
Why is that?
Most 3-speed fans should work with the iFan 02/03 controller.
This could be checked if there is only one L-wire going from the speed switch to the motor.
Using the Sonoff iFan was my first choice.
But I did not find a compatible fan that fit my needs (size, design, price).
Maybe all other fans do work with an iFan.
My impression was that modern fans are incompatible because they use another motor design to be more efficient.
But I am no electrician.
Neither me
If I remember correctly, most 3-speed fans use a switch with 3 different capacitors for controlling the fanspeed. Thatâs why you cannot simply use a dimmer to control them.
And thatâs exactly wht the iFan uses internally.
Thanks again for the tips! I ended up ordering the Ikohs Windcalm with light [WINDCALM DC STYLANCE WHITE - Deckenventilator - Create Ikohs] and Iâll do some measurements with the RF controller when installing it to see whatâs on the wires going to the fan.
I havenât had a chance to start hacking the fan with openhab yet â too many projects, and the uncertain interoperability wasnât a show-stopper for me â but I did take a closer look at some of the components during installation.
The motor is DC and the controller uses three wires to control the fan speed and direction, so the iFan will not be compatible, unfortunately.
The LED array has pairs of yellow and white LEDs and two ICs (SDS3703P and SDS3513S) to support the lamp color and dimming. The signaling is via the two AC wires for the lamp.
Controlling the motor and light directly by replacing the existing remote receiver seems like too much work for me.
Regarding the fan itself, I think itâs a good deal, especially for the price and I ended up buying a second one for another room. The wide base seems a little bulky compared to the more common pole-hung fans on the market, but this makes it much more stable and I didnât have to use weights to correct any wobble. I thought the light was OK, but my wife finds it harsh, which is why the second one we ordered is without the light. On that one, the edges where the blades butt together is exposed and the differing wood colors and grains are very noticeable, especially when the fan is spinning. If this may bother you, consider getting the model with the lamp or the cover plate.
The remote controls for both fans give the impression that Ikohs is not a fan or usability specialist. I have both fans wired directly to unswitched power to be independent of existing lighting and I think Ikohs uses these mainly on switched circuits. The light control on the remote, for example, cycles through the different warmth colors when switching between on and off. So when I turn the light on, I need to press the button a bunch of times until I get the warmth I always want. The remote for the fan without the light has two unused buttons and a different layout than the other fan. If we had these fans on regular wall switches and used the remotes only to adjust settings, this wouldnât be a problem.
In the end, though, weâre pretty happy with these fans. We have 1-2 more rooms where we may eventually add fans and if we do, weâll very likely stick with the Ikohs fans even if I canât get them working with openhab.
