Make a Pull Chain Fan 1000% Smarter with this Light Switch

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Hopefully this helps those of you with pull chain fans, or you can pass it along to someone else trying to figure out this smart home problem. Thanks for watching, we are working on some big videos coming in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out!

[@pjermarusic7215]

When is video with ikea tradfri going out?. Pls reply, im a huge fan ❤️❤️

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Hey Pjer I bought all the tradfri devices but was actually waiting for the tradfri motion sensor to be available at my local IKEA. Looks like it is now so I will pick that up and see if I can cover all the tradfri stuff soon.

[@pjermarusic7215]

@@SmartHomeSolver good 👍

[@dylantrisciuzzi9479]

Hello! Any advice for adding to a smart home for around $100? I have 2 or 3 echo dots, one alexa hub unit (the tall cylinder), an echo show, and 1 smart bulb lol. Ideally I would like to automate lights like you've done in another video (with motion detectors) and set up an automatic schedule for the pool outside. Maybe when they get cheaper also automate the blinds in the house as well. Anywho, Thanks for any advice you have!!

[@Ryder0910]

I can’t wait to see those videos

[@extremesportsandmore5799]

Love how he includes the "REED!" in the time stamps!

[@hectorazopoulos1922]

My smart home is almost completely smart life. When I started it last year I was hesitating with Smart things. I don't regret, it works very well. I don't understand why KZbinrs consider smartlife like a secondary, unimportant smart ecosystem. I would love to see more smart life/Tuya products, automations, ideas on your channel.

[@baitykris1]

I loved the outro on this video. So easy for this to happen when you are helping family to setup their smart home.

[@kevinjoseph9023]

Extra points for the theatrics! Always appreciated.

[@shullln]

Just got a few fan only switches, and got them installed. They make our ceiling fans much more useable.

[@EdwinPWeston]

I just love the ending... Reminded me of an old Steven Wright joke!

[@truthandlove0]

Your videos get better and better and I greatly appreciate the humor you use, especially when your family is involved lol keep it up! Also, in my opinion, your editing is fan-tastic (I do mean that though).

[@chrislagasse4697]

Did you pick up the new Inovelli Fan Switch? I grabbed it and set it up. It works well. I had small issues getting it going, particularly related to the signal being received by the device you connect on the fan side. I'm liking it. Only caveat is that it seems a little slow to turn on so my wife keeps thinking it didn't work.

[@CoreyDunmore]

Oh yeah!!! Drop that smart switch video.. just got a new apartment sir.

[@turboflush]

Also being controlled on the switch side.. requires the wires from the fan to have two wires. Which is less common than having a neutral wire. If you have them one might be tucked away or they might be twisted together. If you don't have the two wires at the switch.. you will need to run a new wire or get a module to put into the fan which I have found can be difficult due to size issues. Some fans have very small bases and the controllers almost don't fit. I like the lutron fan/light switches. But I need it in brown. :(

[@soupdog89]

That is a great solution for my bedrrom where I have a light switch and I will check that out. My livingroom does not have a light switch, you turn on the light and set the fan speed with 2 chains. I have to go back and look, but I thought I remember you did a video where you install something in the wiring harness that I think may be a good solutions for my livingroom.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I did a video a long time ago with the Haiku fan. There is a wireless module that goes in the wiring harness. That's specific for the Haiku fan and doesn't work for other fans. Yeah there could be a wire that goes to the fan tucked away possibly.

[@Techlifeandmore]

I have Phillips hue smart bulbs in the fan that I would use this on. Will this still work?

[@PrydeWater901]

Kasa has a smart fan switch now. I wanna see what you think first.

[@midnightbass6596]

Came back to this vid to ask a question, is there any wiring that might need to be added or is it all set up the way it should be?

[@102179mark]

I've been looking for something like this! Thank you.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Glad it could help!

[@FAKEIED]

Hi Reid, We have pull chain fan and light, which is pretty high up. But light and fan have separate switches. Would this work with both of them? If so, how do we connect the wires? Thanks.

[@seththetechguy]

great video!! Love the Sketch at the end!!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks Seth!

[@jennybthick]

So is this better better than BOND? I have bond set up at the moment...

[@thi-m10]

Is there reverse mode available?

[@CarnivoreRonin]

Very cool, I have a 2 pull chain fan and light combination... But it doesn't have a wall switch, just the pull chains. I was thinking about using a Shelly 2.5 to control it.

[@rileym2678]

Would this work with a Hunter fan that is already controlled with a remote?

[@AndreViens]

Did you just install a switch not connected to anything since you consolidated two switches into one?

[@OutdoorsWithGeoff]

I did the same thing with mine and used it as a dummy switch. I eventually just got a blank Decora filler for a couple bucks to fill the space.

[@hometechreviews8444]

Great video! For a fan switch I like my Lutron caseta switch works perfect!

[@nix4644]

I have the Lutron fan switch and it's rock solid, but of course it doesn't control the light, so this might be a great alternative. Thanks for your videos and I always enjoy your add on's at the end. Sadly, I recognize the looks on those faces. Been there, done that, as they say.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Oh awesome. I love Lutron and I would imagine the fan switch would work well. Yeah if you had two light switches, one for the fan and one for the light, the Lutron would work great.

[@heathercostello6705]

Life changing!!

[@LaminarSound]

I need this exact kit but for Apple Homekit

[@rhaydsouza0912]

Hi.. I am having an issue with the Alexa integration.. I can only turn on/ off the fan.. I am unable to control the light.. Any thoughts???

[@NeilNatic]

I think inovellis fan / light in a single gang is a much better option with full smart things compatibility

[@iqbalpreetkaur1343]

So is this better than lutran casetta fan light switch? please help. i don't know what to purchase.

[@artieartya]

What about a fan that has a remote control instead of the pull chain? Do these switches work or not?

[@andreyv1]

I want to know this as well

[@rickward1262]

No, it won’t work with fans with remote controls

[@makesomethinghappenmsh2274]

I have this, one thing I noticed is that it can not run the fan as fast as if it was just on a normal switch. It's about 20 percent slower, and before you even ask... Yes, the pull chain is on the fastest setting. Unfortunately, this seems to be one of the only smart switches on the market for this application.

[@ein57ein]

Good info, I'll have to look in my wall to make sure I have a wire for the fan. :-)

[@johnm.zamora52]

Could you still use it with a fan that has a remote?

[@eddiesanchez9095]

Awesome Video!!! Thank you for Sharing !!!

[@Jake-zk1mv]

Love the videos! Random question, has ANYONE seen a black version of something like this anywhere?? Can’t seem to find one with both a light and fan toggle 😩

[@naturaljah100]

What is your opinion on the Orro light switch!

[@cz8647]

Thank you for your videos they are great! I have learned quite a bit and find them really entertaining. Keep up the great work! Wondering if you can do a review for Wi-Fi light switches that require no neutral wire. I live in an older home and none of my lights switches have neutral wires. I’ve heard of some light switches out there but I think you could do a great review. Looking forward to seeing it. Thank you

[@bobbyrowlett4518]

I gave this video a like just for the fan pun. 😂

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Haha, thanks!

[@berylwhite2983]

I feel sorry for your family! LOL and by the way does your wife say Smart Life is like you and SmartThings someday you'll work! I'm sure she's got a long list of things for you to do. And you know all the women in your house have you wrapped around their fingers. Well that another information filled video very well worth worth my time. Thanks for all your work. And stay safe

[@SpencerScottFL]

Been looking for something like this. Thanks for sharing! :)

[@bharned3]

Thanks I’ll try this. Wish you had install instructions

[@mannygonzalez7987]

I have two switches one for the ceiling fan and other for the ceiling light. Would this work?

[@hamhumtube]

I like your videos especially jokes at the end :)

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks I appreciate it!

[@joshgettinger9799]

Looking forward to the light switch comparison video. Are you going to include Inovelli?

[@first-nn8it]

I'm about to buy a home and want to install smart switches, doorbell, and more. I have been watching your videos and it gets me excited so since you do live near me from what you have said on your videos would you be down to collab when I buy this house? The video idea is we give you a budget for example we say we have $500 and these are some things we want in the house and you buy them and install them making a say under $500 video or something along those lines? If not no big deal just a cool idea for a video.

[@enriquejauregui3771]

Can I use this switch with halo lights?

[@franka1648]

I have a pull chain fan with lights but it’s a 3 way switch. Any solutions to make that work? I have a 3 way smart switch installed now, but I can’t control the lights and fan seperatly. It only turns it on and off

[@clariciogara]

FYI I got this switch and I am having nothing but headache with it, the light flickers when I trun the fan on, sometimes when you try turning the light off they stay on but dimm , I had nothing but trouble, I'm looking on other options right now

[@Max_Jua]

I have the Sonoff ifan 03 with remote control and it works great. Alexa + Google + ifttt + remote control + doesn't need already wired cables + doesn't need neutral (I think)

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Oh that's great to hear. I'll have to check that out for the future.

[@adiankonina]

love your video

[@justsendit8506]

I’m not a fan of pull chain fans (pun intended). I’m assuming there’s no function in the switch for spin direction - still gotta go up there and change that manually? ... I always find your video endings entertaining! 😂

[@1stTimeRCBuilder]

Installed it today works great on the smart life app but Alexa only finds the fan as a device. On the cid you mentioned the light showed up with Chinese characters, but I don’t get that either. Have tried delinking the skill and rediscovering devices but only the fan shows up. Any ideas? Appreciate any help.

[@alfredricbeamaniii5827]

Reed are the hard to program like the GE z wave light switches

[@apevny]

Not sure if this is the best video to comment on but I had a smart home question. I just bought a Inovelli Red Dimmer switch. What I would like to do is it to trigger my bond fan controller so if you click the dimmer up it increases the speed from off to low to high, then down to do the opposite. Is that something possible to do within smartthings and a piston? Within the normal smartthings interface I believe I can trigger different scenes for single press, double press, triple press, etc. but I was hoping to make it work similar to a normal fan controller for my wife and kids. Any ideas? I will go with the scenes direction unless I find another way to do it. Appreciate the help!

[@tech_gear]

If I'm installing a new fan and only have one switch that controls the fan/light, would this switch still work?

[@colincheng6674]

Reid, I have two light/fan combos wired to the same single switch. Do you see any reason why this product wouldn't be able to control both?

[@sonnym9954]

Reed, I became a fan and subscribed after your first video. I started to automate and I have been using Tp-Link Kasa as my main smarts and Smarthings to tie them in while linked to Google Assistant. I use my smart phone for control but I'll soon be using a tablet that has been laying around. I have Ceiling fans with lights so I used two Kasa Dimmer switches for each one. Although it has been working fine I read it is a No-no. Which brand ceiling fan switch should I use that would tie in to my setup. Thanks in advance.

[@milesgarland2849]

Review on C by GE Full Color Smart LED Bulb A19, which was made to use with Google Home?

[@michaelribovich4932]

What switch could I use when I have two separate switches in a 1 switch width

[@bharned3]

So did you just leave the light switch capped off and non functional? About to do mine and trying to figure out what you did.

[@neelsathwara1348]

This switch is tuya based??????

[@nola2635]

Can this be flashed with Tasmota?

[@ScottSchramm]

Do you need two switches for this to work? I'm pretty sure most people that have pull string fans only have one switch that controls both so I don't think this smart switch would work.

[@rfh1987]

Please do a video about the new Inovelli Fan & Light switch. I'm very curious about it.

[@davidjordan5077]

The Inovelli Fan + Light switch rocks! Just installed one in my ST setup. I love that I can use it to call scenes to activate other lights in the room (or house).

[@rfh1987]

@@davidjordan5077 I've been using their Gen 2 Red Series dimmers for several of my lights, and really liking them. After doing more research on the Fan & Light Switch, I actually pulled the plug, and ordered one last night. I'm also using Smartthings, but planning on switching to Hubitat next month.

[@davidjordan5077]

@@rfh1987 I use mainly 2nd gen black dimmers and switches with a few reds here and there. Most of my switch locations just don't need all the bells and whistles, and it saves a few bucks.

[@rfh1987]

@@davidjordan5077 It does save a few bucks, but if later I decide I want that extra functionality, I'll wish I had used Red. So, I'm using Red. Haha

[@Lucaspopz]

My fan is powered separately no wall switches.. what can I do ? Help

[@aderfigueroa]

Smart switches cool but how about the price

[@mong0038]

Any suggestions for someone with a light switch and no neutral trying to control a fan? I replaced a light with a fan in an older home so no neutral. My current idea is to use Bond for the fan control only and a C by GE light switch on the wall to control C by GE lights. I still need some sort of fan control on the wall though and I'm not sure what to use.

[@davidjordan5077]

If the switch is currently controlling the fan as on/off get the Inovelli fan + light switch. Wire the switch to be hot all the time the switch controls the fan wirelessly so you don't need power going back to the fan from switch.

[@mong0038]

@@davidjordan5077 I didn't know that. Does the switch come with a module? Do I need a hub then?

[@davidjordan5077]

@@mong0038 Yes to both. It comes with the module that goes in the fan canopy, and you need a z wave compatible hub. I use Smart things, but it works with Hubitat, Homeseer and others.

[@mong0038]

@@davidjordan5077 will it work with a lutron hub? I have 4 switches on the lutron system now.

[@davidjordan5077]

@@mong0038 I unfortunately no, Luton uses its own proprietary protocol and is not a z wave hub.

[@onlyzach1]

I like the Bond hub I have (for the most part), but sometimes the switch gets hit off by mistake. This looks like a good alternative. Don't think I'd get one though. I so wanted the end bit to actually happen! That was funny.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Hey Zack the same thing happens to me. I did a video about adding a switch that allows the fan to always stay powered and then you can use the switch to control the Bond hub. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2KsfnSPpt5qoJo it's been working very well for me.

[@Derakkon2]

I just got a Bond hub and an RF fan receiver to test it out with. I had tried using the Hampton Bay Zigbee controllers, but they are garbage. I've resorted to using the pull chains until I get them replaced with RF receivers. I hope I have better luck with Bond. I would consider trying the switch in this video, but the wiring in the switch boxes in my home aren't compatible.

[@ronm6585]

Thank you.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks for supporting!

[@AlRib]

Not sure why the outro was so funny to me 😂

[@midnightbass6596]

Hey Reed what if you have smart lights in the fan and you don't want to control them through the switch

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I don't think you can disable controlling of the physical light with this Treatlife switch. You would need something like the Inovelli or Zooz switch kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2KsfnSPpt5qoJo

[@neightjay]

Reed, thanks for all the videos. They have been my go to regarding my smart home setup. Quick question, I was wondering if this switch is best for my application. I have a Hunter fan but only one switch that controls the both the lights and the fan speed (also has a remote). If installed would it allow me to control both the light and fan, or do I need two plugs like the one you were working on? Thanks for any help.

[@Techlifeandmore]

In this case, you don’t need something like this. Since the fan has a remote, you can use something like the bond smart home fan controller to control the fan.

[@wfemp_4730]

As long as you have a neutral line and existing separate lines for the light and fan. Kind of a big deal.

[@prstorero]

We're moving into a new house soon so I'll be interested in the upcoming comparison video. I've had issues with the hue lights in my room (not the brightest, sometimes they don't turn off correctly, they'll turn back on after turning off, etc.). So I'm thinking I'll use regular bulbs but with a smart switch instead. Have you tried that setup? Or have you only used smart switches paired with smart bulbs?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I mainly use smart switches with dumb bulbs. That's the most reliable solution I have used for sure. I don't think I've had any issues with any smart switch I've used in my house but there is a wide range of different smart switches available.

[@prstorero]

@@SmartHomeSolver Awesome, that takes care of the worry I had in regards to potential compatibility issues. We're supposed to be getting some nice lights (step dad owns an electrical company), so I wanted to try and stick to those. I loved my hue bulbs when I first got them, but over time they have been problematic. Thank you for answering my question!

[@leestorm]

This is great, now where's the (no neutral wire) version :)

[@clellbritt3434]

look into Zooz or Innovelli for non-neutral options. More pricey, but they sometimes have deals.

[@franciswilliams5190]

Can’t see video in play mode. Only when I manually advance.

[@nos4nus1]

Apparently this switch doesn't exist on Amazon, and the link, above, takes you do a "This page Not Found" page. anyway, I've been looking for a switch to replace the dumb switch in my bedroom, which is an older chain fan.

[@kingoftrollers2822]

can you show me the wiring?

[@tpeasetiger]

Hey, so I’m trying to do this myself but I’m struggling. The ceiling fan in our kitchen is only controlled with a light switch that toggles on and off. I can’t find a fan load or light load wire. I suspect these were combined somewhere down the line in the wiring. Any help?

[@santanapati7418]

You probably don’t have a separate wire cause it was probably wire for a light switch only this switch is only good if you have the two power separate otherwise is only good to turn on the switch

[@tpeasetiger]

Santana pa ti Yeah, I figured out what the issue was...they wired both wires to be controlled by one switch and I would have to tear the ceiling apart to run a new wire through to make it work...oh well.

[@Mephmt]

So I have a pull chain fan in my bedroom and only one light switch. I know my whole house has neutral wires as I've been adding treatlife switches all around for single and three ways all over. However, I don't have anything that controls ceiling fans yet. I haven't opened up the switch yet, so I don't know if there is a wire for the fan itself. That's required?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Yes the wire is required to control the fan. As other's have mentioned it could be bundled up with some other wires.

[@rickward1262]

Could you put pigtails on either end of the load wire and then separate the light and fan at the switch and fan?

[@Nickachuuu]

Question for you, as I don't know where to start. I have a game system, a Philips hue box, and a television (Sony x950g). Im looking into the If that then this app, but it doesn't let me set up a chain of events. Do you know how to set up a scenario where Phrase A( Start the PS4) will translate to Turning on the PS4 Turning on the Hue Sync Box Put the Sony TV on the input the Hue Box is hooked up to. ?

[@Nickachuuu]

I get the PS4 is the trivial part because its not supported. But what about the hue box?

[@MrChanw11]

Wouldnt your fan require that it have a separate line for lights and fan? If I retrofitted a fan into a light fixture this probably wouldnt work

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Yes it would require an extra wire to control the fan so that might not work.

[@AntneR1]

Hi Reed, just got this and I'm having an issue. Can you be more specific on which app you used to setup and what icon you picked? I did Treatlife and chose Ceiling Fan Dimmer. I also tried Smart Life and chose Switch(wifi). Problem is they're only giving me 1 device and I can only have the fan turn on and off. Can't get it to change speeds or adjust light. Spoke to customer service but got cut off and no call back because past 5pm. According to Tech Support, there should be 2 devices showing so I can adjust fan and light with Alexa(even though app screen looks correct. I can adjust via either app. Am I asking Alexa incorrectly, maybe? Any help from you would be appreciated. Thanks!

[@Kirby7601]

Would the 3 speed fan blow up if you try to control the speed from the switch?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Haha I don't know about blowing it up. I would think the two middle fan speeds would be the same possibly.

[@Kirby7601]

@@SmartHomeSolver currently i have a pull chain fan with a light both controlled by a ge smart dimmer switch and my only concern is that if i adjust the speed to the fan, it may cause a fire.

[@BZ1340]

You still need a 3 wire lead to the fan. Which wont work with most houses. 95% of the homes I visit only have a single power run to the light in the ceiling.

[@djAnakin]

I just swapped my fan switches with zwave GE switches and I didn't even think to combine both switches (light and fan) into one switch.

[@Weltfrieden_5]

So Bond only works with fans that dont have a pull string?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Bond works with fans that have a remote. It blasts out an RF signal to change the fan light or fan speed. You only need one Bond for the whole house. I have it controlling 5 different fans.

[@shryx86]

Unfortunately this won't help me since my fan uses a remote that works when it wants to. I wish there was a way to control fan speed with Google Assistant. I use Wyze bulbs for the lights.

[@edastous]

Inovelli makes a fan switch that will work for you. However, you'll need a z-wave hub like SmartThings to use it.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

All my fans use remotes so I have BOND control them. It works with Google Assistant very well and you can change the fan speed. I also have an Inovelli switch like Eric mentioned to not kill power to the fan. Then I have the switch send a command to BOND using SmartThings to control the fan. It works well! Here is the video I talk about it kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2KsfnSPpt5qoJo

[@edastous]

@@SmartHomeSolver I didn't think to use the red series dimmer like you did in that particular video. Inovelli actually came out with another fan specific switch that comes with a replacement z-wave module that you place in the fans canopy. The switch has 2 buttons to allow manually control of the light and fan separately. It's a good solution for those that don't have separate wiring for the light and fan at the switch and for those that use remotes 👍 Bond is definitely more wallet friendly lol.

[@shryx86]

@@SmartHomeSolver Unfortunately I don't think that switch will work for me. The only switch I have is to kill all power to the fan and fan lights. Everything else is controlled through the unreliable remote. I can control the fan lights with Google because of the Wyze bulbs. I use "clap on" to light up the room when I get home.

[@tinachan9333]

Hi Reed, this SONOFF smart home and may I know whether you are interested to test our new products? Looking forward to hearing from you.

[@jasondessenberg6096]

That is great but it does not work with fan that operate with a remote. That is most fans on the market now.

[@pjermarusic7215]

When is video with ikea tradfri?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I'll try and get to it soon. I have probably 10 different things on the shelf that I haven't covered yet. Figuring out how to cover it all quickly is a difficult process. 😅

[@pjermarusic7215]

@@SmartHomeSolver please make tradfri first. I cant wait😉😉

[@renerioscom]

My ceiling fan has a remote already. I want to control it via Alexa. Could this switch mess up the motor?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

If your fan has remotes then this switch wouldn't work. You would need something like BOND that uses RF to control the fans. I have BOND and it works great with Alexa and SmartThings.

[@courtneypelissie4335]

“Reeeeda!”

[@SmartHomeSolver]

My entire childhood...

[@MehNameIsJeff]

This channel is just ads we like to watch on our will

[@PrydeWater901]

I think I’ll wait on the switch shootout vid before I decide. This switch just doesn’t do it for me. It seems a bit goofy to hold the button for pairing.

[@michaelangeloabarreto4588]

It seems to have disappeared from Amazon

[@mikededmon]

Yeah, it sucks for us older home owners that don't have a neutral in their wiring setup. Super frustrating. I'm so limited with what I can do with home automation because of this. Lamp plugs and leaving switches turned on are some of the only options that work.

[@Max_Jua]

Search for the Sonoff ifan 03, as far as remember it doesn't need neutral

[@imjuliamar]

Totally unrelated to the Treatlife switch but adding a smart plug to the end of lamps or other smart home products can make it easy to reset it if it goes wrong like with what i noticed with some devices instead of going up to it and unplugging and plugging it back in

[@christianmoody]

The fan and light switch by Inovelli is better, just sayin' 😏

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Yeah I need to try out Inovelli's fan light combo.

[@Ryder0910]

I love the jokes I’m subscribed

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thank you!