I've just purchased a really low-cost add-on ceiling fan RF remote control. The handheld remote has fan speed/off buttons, and light on/off/dim buttons. The control module itself has black and white input wires, and white (neutral), black (fan), and blue (light) output wires. If the wall switch is turned off, the control will remember the current fan speed and light level, and they will be restored when the switch is turned on. The wall switch can also be used for additional control by turning it off and on rapidly: if it is turned off for more than one-half second, then back on, the fan will switch to the next slower speed and cycle through; if it is turned off for less than one-half second, then back on, the light will dim to the next lower level and cycle through.

I also have a X10 Pro XPS3 appliance (relay) switche which I intended to install for the ceiling fan/light fixture, which should be no problem. So my first question is, can the X10 switch be made to cycle off/on quickly enough to operate the control as described above. I suspect the answer is no, at least for the under one-half second duration, and that even were it possible, it would likely not be a very good idea to frequently subject the switch to such operation (although it may be okay for the longer duration).

Secondly, I use compact fluorescent bulbs for cost/energy/heat savings. I know that using a triac dimmer for such is a no-no. I don't know, but presume that the fan control uses a triac for the light circuit. Would it be safe to install in this manner, so long as the light is never dimmed, but only switched on/off? If not, would it be safe to wire the light straight to the incoming hot, thereby bypassing the fan control unit (I presume that the neutral passes straight through the fan control unit), and thus giving me control of fan speed via RF, and control of the light (without dimming) and fan on/off via the X10 wall switch? Or any better suggestions?

Finally, is there a way to give an Ocelot RF control of the fan?

Thanks.

If you have an Ocelot you may be able to use the digital outputs and a solid state AC relay to obtain the timing you need. This would depend on wether or not you can get a low volt wire and a ground to a convenient AC interface location for the fan. Also with the Ocelot you can solve the speed problem with other methods using X10 relays and manual speed controls or with the new single (and expensive) Lightolier unit.

Hi jazzman. That's a solution I hadn't thought of :-), I'll give it a look.

Now can anyone (Larry?) say if it's safe to *assume* that the neutral-in and neutral-out of the fan control unit are the same, and therefore okay to connect the light to the incomming switched-hot?

Thanks.

Yes, PC, that is a safe assumption, especially since the receiver controls two loads. They probably use two whites instead of one to make wiring easier.

Occasionally, a single-load controller might have a component in the neutral line, but I'd bet anything that the two whites are tied together inside the unit.

If you want to be 100% sure, open the receiver and visually confirm.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

Thanks, Larry :-). The control unit label says not to use energy saving light kits, so it's a good bet that it uses a triac. Therefore, I'll wire the light direct to switched-hot :-).