This is an in-wall installation, and so it may require help from an electrician. We tested and like the Lutron Caséta Smart Fan Switch, from the same company that makes one of our favorite in-wall smart dimmers and smart window shades.
But a smart fan switch also connects to your home network and can be set up using an app so that it turns on and off on its own (or when other smart devices tell it to). Turn an ordinary fan smart with a switchĪ smart fan switch is pretty much the same as a smart light switch: Once it’s installed in a wall, you can control your fan using buttons, as you would a regular old switch. All of these options allow you to automate your fan or at least control it in a much more convenient and energy-saving way than with a traditional fan.
#Wifi ceiling fan control install
There are three ways to upgrade to a smart ceiling fan: Install an in-wall smart switch, which controls an existing fan add a smart hub or bridge, which adds smart controls to your existing fan (without requiring any wiring) or buy an all-new ceiling fan with built-in smart features.Īs you’d expect, prices range widely. To get the most features, many smart fans need to be integrated with a smart-home platform, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or Samsung SmartThings ( the Big Ass fan, below, can do all that on its own). A smart fan can also tie in with your smart thermostat to help it keep the temperature in a room more consistent. You can control it with a voice-controlled speaker, like an Amazon Echo, or use a smartphone app, whether you’re in the room or not. You can set the fan to turn on or off automatically, based on a schedule, room temperature, or even whether a room is occupied. When smart-home features are added to a ceiling fan, it’s even easier to use, and they can make your fan more energy-efficient. For every degree you bump your thermostat in the summer, you’ll save about 3% on your energy bill.
And it’s not a small amount: The Department of Energy says ceiling fans cool you enough that when you use them in conjunction with AC, you can raise the thermostat 4 degrees Fahrenheit and not notice the difference. Unlike air conditioning, ceiling fans don’t cool rooms, they cool people (via the wind-chill effect). And though a regular fan can be really effective, a smart ceiling fan is even more so. Many homes have ceiling fans, but most people don’t realize how powerful they can be. We found a smart solution-just by looking up. But the equally overheated power bills aren’t so cool. As anyone who’s been sweat-glued to their couch by one of this summer’s countless heat waves can attest, nothing beats air conditioning.