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Turn on room fan as you do room lights.

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StrangeDucks

Turn on room fan as you do room lights.
« on: July 28, 2020, 07:51:44 pm »
If one creates a group, assigns an echo to it and any light - when the command "turn on the lights" is heard by the associated echo, that assigned light turns on. I have echos in every room. Being able to enter a room and say turn on the lights and have only that room's lights turn on is intuitive to use. I'd like to do the same with ceiling fans, "turn on the fan" vice "turn on guest room fan." Is this possible? If yes, how?

Re: Turn on room fan as you do room lights.
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2020, 09:51:47 pm »
I believe it is, but you may need to use an additional product to get there... there is a little puck called BOND, that controls ceiling fans that use remote controls... other than that. I would think wiring in something akin to an outlet (in ceiling) to allow the use of the voice controls for a non remote fan. the electronics are there, and simply put, wiring a male connector onto the fan and a female onto the wiring in the box, then cramming all of it into an electrical box (You can buy oversized/deep boxes). Or be very adventurous and buy one of the many available modules to control pretty nearly anything... keep in mind the "last known setting" portion of anything other than products made with that feature will not work.

I have one remote controlled fan I would like to do the same with, however, I can't make that happen without gutting the fan controls as the dimmer in the fan kills my ability to use even the most standard of LED bulbs... making it worth less to even bother.

On most Non remote controlled fans, they have multi-pull operation making the "last known setting" feature impossible to miss... always coming back on after a power outage or cut off, at the same operating speed it was in prior to that event.
2 Echo Dots 2nd gen
2 echo dots gen 3 (no clock) -2 Echo Dot 3rd gen with Clock
1 echo dot Gen 4 with clock
1 Echo Spot
4 10" Fire Tablets
1 15' Echo show
23 Hue Lights 1 Hue bridge - 1 Amazon Smart plug outlet
One Ring Doorbell Pro
4 cell phones with Alexa app installed!
You should see My Apple Device List!

jvk of md

Re: Turn on room fan as you do room lights.
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2020, 09:21:02 am »
There are wall switches now for fans... I know honeywell for sure that works with alexa.  I assume you have 2 separately wired wall switches for your fan/lt combos and are using 1 to turn on the lights. 

Re: Turn on room fan as you do room lights.
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2020, 06:51:41 am »
I can highly recommend the Bond unit. I use it to control 3 ceiling fans and it works great with Alexa. You use the Bond app to setup the connections to your fans, then link your Bond account with Alexa. Alexa will recognize the fan as a switch and if you set the fan up correctly in the Bond app, it will give you control of the speed of the fan. Alexa will see the fan light as a light and you can add that light to an Alexa group. I can walk into my rooms that have an Echo which is assigned to that rooms group and say turn on lights and if the fan light is in that group it will turn on. Now, here is the snag. Sometimes Alexa will not understand if you just tell Alexa to turn on fan and you have more than one fan controlled by Alexa. Every fan must be named uniquely and sometimes Alexa will need clarification on which fan you are requesting action on. I like my Bond setup and it works very well with Alexs.

Re: Turn on room fan as you do room lights.
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2020, 03:47:37 pm »
I can highly recommend the Bond unit. I use it to control 3 ceiling fans and it works great with Alexa. You use the Bond app to setup the connections to your fans, then link your Bond account with Alexa. Alexa will recognize the fan as a switch and if you set the fan up correctly in the Bond app, it will give you control of the speed of the fan. Alexa will see the fan light as a light and you can add that light to an Alexa group. I can walk into my rooms that have an Echo which is assigned to that rooms group and say turn on lights and if the fan light is in that group it will turn on. Now, here is the snag. Sometimes Alexa will not understand if you just tell Alexa to turn on fan and you have more than one fan controlled by Alexa. Every fan must be named uniquely and sometimes Alexa will need clarification on which fan you are requesting action on. I like my Bond setup and it works very well with Alexs.

Thanks for that review... I have been looking at the bond since pre-release and the price has come down to a decent level since then... originally offered at 99.99 (yeah, I know that's standard retail...), now they sell show up for a lot less on occasion... sometimes as low as 59 bucks... next time I see them on sale I think I'll get one... (or I'll buy a new ceiling fan that works with my smart stuff.)
2 Echo Dots 2nd gen
2 echo dots gen 3 (no clock) -2 Echo Dot 3rd gen with Clock
1 echo dot Gen 4 with clock
1 Echo Spot
4 10" Fire Tablets
1 15' Echo show
23 Hue Lights 1 Hue bridge - 1 Amazon Smart plug outlet
One Ring Doorbell Pro
4 cell phones with Alexa app installed!
You should see My Apple Device List!