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Always Upgrading
There are several options for fully automating or adding remote control to a ceiling fan. Each has its difficulties and downsides. Sometimes you may want a simpler route to add remote control to the light fixture only. It’s actually pretty easy to do, and it’s something that can be done for any similar light with a pull-chain as well.
Supply List
Here’s my suggested supply list:
Making it easy
I have a ceiling fan with light in my bedroom, and the fan usually stays on low, just to keep air circulating. It isn’t wired to a wall switch, nor does it have a remote. Last Christmas, I did get these really handy chain toggles that both look great and make the task of picking the right one easy, even in the dark. But sometimes, I just don’t want to sit up in bed to pull a chain. It’s also nice to be able to program a scene that turns the light on and off at certain times when I’m on vacation to make it appear that I’m home.
Z-Wave Micro Switch
If you already have a Z-Wave hub, there’s only one electronic component you’ll need for this upgrade, and that’s a micro switch. Several different manufacturers make these, and I’ve tried most of them. I won’t list them all because you only care about what works. I’ve had the best success with the Aeotec Nano Switch. As a second option, Enerwave makes a micro switch which may be easier to wire due to having attached wire pigtails, but I haven’t found them to be as reliable as Aeotec. YMMV.
The Aeotec Nano Switch works by monitoring the power input, and switching the power output whenever the input changes. So that means that you can use an existing wall switch, or in this case a chain toggle, and each time you flip the switch, it will toggle power. You can control it via Z-Wave, or locally and never run into issues with maintained state. (Other great uses for the nano switch is in adding Z-Wave automation to 3 and 4-way switch configurations or anywhere you want to keep the aesthetic of an existing switch.)
Basic Wiring
So down to the brass tacks of how you get this done: Essentially the light wiring for a ceiling fan (or any light with a chain toggle) looks like this:
Each time you pull the chain, the switch changes state.
And here’s the basic wiring diagram for the Aeotec Nano on an AC circuit.
Upgrading the switch
For a ceiling fan, you just need to tie this logic into the existing switch diagram above. First, make sure the power is turned off at your breaker panel and confirm there’s no live electricity at the fan. I highly recommend the use of a voltage detector to confirm the power is off. You can get one for only about $10 and it could very easily be what keeps your heart beating on a DIY electrical project.
Once you’ve confirmed that the power is off, identify the wires you’re interested in. There may be a whole bundle in there for controlling the fan, but the wires for the light should be pretty basic. You’re looking for a circuit that goes into the chain toggle, out from there to the light, and then a return from the light. Invariably the return (neutral) should be white. Here’s that diagram again.
Wiring tips
You’re going to have to do some splicing here, and since the Nano dimmer doesn’t include wire leaders, you’ll need a few short lengths of wire (about 4 inches each) to tie in to the existing wiring. You could use wire nuts to tie your wires together, but I recommend Wago Lever Nuts instead. They’re a lot easier to work with, and they take up less space. Their use is one trick I picked up, specifically for working with retrofitting smart light switches where space in the electrical box is at a premium. Here’s what the final wiring should look like with an Aeotec Nano. If you choose a different brand, the wiring should be essentially the same.
Finishing up
Double-check all your connections to the switch and at the wire nuts, to make sure you followed the diagrams and that everything is securely attached and then turn power back on. At this point, you should be able to still control the light with the chain. Follow the user manual to pair with your hub and control it that way.
If you find you can control the light via Z-Wave, but not with the chain, you may have to manually configure the switch’s software. The Aeotec Nano should automatically detect the switch type, but in case it doesn’t you’ll want to set the mode to 2-state switch mode. This is done by setting Parameter 120 (1 byte decimal) to 1. The process for doing so will vary depending on your hub, but is pretty trivial.
