Your ceiling fan is an important part of your home. You may not think about it too much, but it can help you become more comfortable in the summer. It can also help you save money on your cooling bill as it circulates the air around the room.
However, for some people, simply turning their ceiling fan on or off can be quite a chore as they need to find something to stand on, like a chair, in order to operate their fan.
The good news for them is that they can buy Z-wave compatible ceiling fan controls that would allow them to control their ceiling fans using their smartphones and even by just using their voice.
What are the best Z-wave compatible ceiling fan controls that are available now?
GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control
The GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control can replace your current fan switch to allow you to control your ceiling fan with your smartphone. That means you can turn your ceiling fan on or off no matter where you are and even change the fan speed without getting on a chair to do so.
Design and Dimensions
The fan control measures 4.2 inches high and 2.2 inches wide, and includes two paddle colors: almond and white. If these are not what you want or if your current wall plates are in a different color, you can choose from three additional colors for the paddle: brown, black and ivory. These paddles are sold separately.
Features
You can easily replace your current in-wall switch with the GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control. It comes with easy-to-follow instructions that even beginners can set it up themselves.
The GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control works on the 908.42 MHz frequency and can connect with Z-wave hubs and other Z-wave devices. If you connect it with other Z-wave devices, you can create schedules for your ceiling fan, turning it on or off at specified times.
You can also operate it with other connected devices. For instance, you can have it turn on when you arrive home, or when somebody goes into the room where your ceiling fan is. A ceiling fan is also a good way to keep your cooling bills down because it circulates the air around the room.
You can make your ceiling fan work with your smart thermostat to ensure that the room is properly cooled.
The GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control also works with Amazon Alexa speakers, so you could use voice commands to turn your ceiling fan on or off. What could be easier than that?
What you would like about the GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control
The GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control is very easy to install that you could do the replacement yourself even if you are not a DIY enthusiast.
What’s more, the GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control works with a variety of Z-wave hubs, such as Samsung SmartThings, Pulse, Nexia, Trane, Homeseer, Honeywell, Smart Security, Harmony Home Hub Extender, Vera, Connect and Iris.
What could be better
The GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control needs a neutral wire. If your current ceiling fan does not have a neutral wire, you might need to consult an electrician.
Also, the maximum load for the GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control is 15 amps. At most, you can control only two ceiling fans with the smart switch as long as you do not exceed the maximum load.
If you have a ceiling fan with lights, you will need to purchase a separate switch to control these lights. The GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control only replaces switches that control fans.
Moreover, the GE Z-Wave Plus does not have faceplate, so you would need to use your current plates when you install it.
Final say
The GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control is a great way to make your ceiling fan smart. You no longer have to find a chair to turn off your ceiling fan. You can replace your remote with your smartphone.
Or you can just tell your ceiling fan to turn itself off or on. You can also adjust the fan’s speed to your liking with the GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control.
Leviton VRF01-1LZ Vizia RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control
The Leviton VRF01-1LZ Vizia RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control gives you the ability to control your ceiling fan. You can turn your ceiling fan on or off, or choose from three speeds: low, medium, or high. What’s more, it is Z-wave compatible, which means that it can work with other Z-wave devices and hubs.
For instance, you can turn on your smart lights, turn up your smart thermostat, and finally turn on your ceiling fan all with just one button press.
The Z-wave compatibility will also give you the ability to operate your ceiling fan on schedule, create amazing scene transitions, and even operate your ceiling fan while you are away from home.
It comes in white ivory and light almond, but you can buy color change kits for brown, black and gray.
The Leviton VRF01-1LZ Vizia RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control works with Amazon Alexa, allowing you to control your ceiling fan even without having to take out your smartphone.
What you would like about the Leviton VRF01-1LZ Vizia RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control
If you have other Leviton smart switches, this quiet fan speed control switch will fit right in, allowing you to have a uniform look for all your switches. The RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control also has an LED light so that you can find it in the dark.
It also has a microprocessor that controls a kick-start function that can get your fan to the highest speed setting even when it was previously turned off.
What could be better
The Leviton VRF01-1LZ Vizia RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control was designed to work with fan motors, rather than an all-in-one solution for ceiling fans with lights. You should buy another dimmer that would be able to handle the lights on your ceiling fan.
However, what would turn most people off about the Leviton VRF01-1LZ Viza RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control is its price (For the latest prices check here) on the manufacturer’s online store.
Final say about the Leviton VRF01-1LZ Vizia RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control
The Leviton VRF01-1LZ Vizia RF+ Quiet Fan Speed Control is a capable ceiling fan control that allows you to turn your ceiling fan on or off using your smartphone or by issuing voice commands.
It can handle three-speed settings and has a preset on level feature that lets you specify the default speed for the fan every time you turn on. For example, if the set speed is medium, the fan will always operate at medium speed even when it was previously set to high when you last used it.
However, this Z-wave compatible fan control device is quite expensive, costing almost double the price of other fan controls featured here.
Enerwave ZWN-RSM2 Z-Wave Smart Dual Relay Switch Module
The Enerwave ZWN-RSM2 Z-Wave Smart Dual Relay Switch Module turns your current wall switches into a Z-wave compatible device. You add this module to your current wall switch and you can start controlling your lights and ceiling fan with your Z-wave controller or connecting it to a Z-wave gateway.
You can then control your ceiling fan using mobile apps or Web browser. What’s more, the dual relay switch module also acts as a repeater, which extends the range of the Z-wave signal for another 100 feet.
The Enerwave ZWN-RSM2 Z-Wave Smart Dual Relay Switch Module measures 2.02 inches high by 1.71 inches wide and is 0.62 inches thick. This is important to know because you would need to wire it inside your existing switches.
You can use the Enerwave ZWN-RSM2 Z-Wave Smart Dual Relay Switch Module to control both light and ceiling fan.
What you would love about the Enerwave ZWN-RSM2 Z-Wave Smart Dual Relay Switch Module
The Enerwave ZWN-RSM2 Z-Wave Smart Dual Relay Switch Module can handle both ceiling fan and light. It also gives you an alternative way to make your current switches smart, so if you do not have a standard switch, you can still opt for this relay switch module.
What could be better
One of the things that can make you hesitate to buy the Enerwave ZWN-RSM2 Z-Wave Smart Dual Relay Switch Module is that it does not allow you to either dim the lights or choose the ceiling fan’s speed. Also, the package comes with a wiring diagram that may be a little difficult to figure out.
Which one wins?
Of the three devices featured here, the GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control comes out the winner as the best Z-wave compatible ceiling fan control.
It has everything that you should look for in a smart switch: it allows you to turn your ceiling fan on or off using your voice or via a mobile app on your smartphone. It also allows you to adjust fan speed. It has standard dimensions, meaning that it will more likely fit into your current switches.
Furthermore, it does not cost an arm and a leg.
The Leviton VRF01 comes close, but you could buy two of GE’s ceiling fan controller for the price of one Levitron. Leviton, however, can give you silent fan control.
The Enerwave ZWN-RSM2 is a good option for those who do not want a separate switch to control their lights and ceiling fan or may not have a standard in-wall switch slot on your wall.
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