Right that’s because you likely have a fan motor with multiple windings (as indicated by the several wires going from each button to the motor).
The iFan03 is a variable (we’ll call it…) voltage controller as noted above.
the high speed output of the iFan provides full output voltage to the motors high speed winding so it works correctly.
the other two speeds provide a reduced voltage output to the high speed winding which the winding isn’t designed to run on so it struggles.
you need a way to provide full voltage to each of the motor winding input leads for it to run at those different speeds. An iFan can’t do that. so you need to use individually controlled relays as suggested to get the functionality you want.
I may have the details wrong but the concepts are close enough to get the point across I hope.
The wiring diagram suggests there’s something going on in that switch box.
As both @Mikefila and @finity say, it does not seem compatible with the iFan switch.
I’d disconnect it from the mains and check out the configuration with a multi meter.
Switched pairs, resistance and maybe even capacitance.
The esp solution may be your only option as one of the switches does not appear to have a live feed and I’ve no idea what’s happening with the bottom one.
Feed back what you find and we’ll have a look
Thanks for your suggestion. The brown and yellow wires come from a capacitor as shown in the photo. I thought about using a very similar solution to what you’re showing here and even ordered the item, a Sonoff 4CH, however I wasn’t sure if it would work because as noted here this is a capacitor motor, the iFan3 has two capacitors so I thought it would be more appropriate. It does work, I just lose two speeds because the windings aren’t connected, since the iFan has only 1 output. And from observation of the push buttons, when you select speed MEDIUM then it basically seems to just activate a 2nd winding along with the 1st!?!?!?
You are correct, the motor has multiple windings, and the diagram confirms.
And correct again about the voltage, it drops on the iFan, I thought if the reduced voltage was applied to the main window on the motor it would just reduce its speed, but then I guess there’s a reason why the hood was wired the way it is rather than by simply dropping the voltage like I was thinking.
I think I will use a 4 channel relay as advised because this was actually my first way of thinking to solve this issue. Just wanna make sure I get other opinions to make sure I don’t burn out the motor, because right now the main winding (speed HIGH) gets full voltage and it’s designed for that, so all is good, I didn’t mess with the other windings because I’m not sure what the reaction would be, I know some electricity and I’m not afraid of using a multimeter or wiring things up, as long as either I know it, or I’m provided the guidance, which by the way is much appreciated.
I will take some readings with my multimeter and report back, thanks. One thing I noticed is that as commented previously, when speed LOW is activated, then its corresponding switch is active. When speed MEDIUM is activated, then LOW remains activated and it appears that the switch makes contact with the 2nd winding so the winding for LOW and MEDIUM are combined to form a MEDIUM speed. Speed HIGH however, is its own winding and you get full power when it’s active. The reasoning behind this is that while the switch casing was open so I could see which wire goes where, I pressed the buttons and could hear the mechanisms inside, they sound different between LOW MEDIUM HIGH.
Looking at how mine is wired, the switch only allows one winding to be on at a time so I’ll make a software interlock in ESPHOME to make sure that only one relay can be on at a time. Might need to check yours if its the same - not even sure if it will damage the motor if more than one winding gets a voltage at the same time ?
Thanks for responding, I agree, this is why I am not using more than one winding and why I chose the iFan (in addition to seeing that it’s a capacitor motor and iFan having two capacitors). I wasn’t sure if using two windings at the same time would damage the motor. There’s things in electricity that I know will be fine, others I don’t know so I look for advice, this is why I am here, I am ignorant about motors and any advice is appreciated, I love learning.
Software interlocks are sketchy as they can fail. You can daisy chain the power through the relay. The first relay gets power connected to the common. The switched leg to the n/o contact. The n/c of that relay gets wired to the common of the next.
This way, the only way power is moved to the next relay requires the preceding relay to be off.
Thanks, yes I was going to do that as mentioned in the ESPHOME page below. It doesn’t stop the relays energising together but will prevent more than one motor coil getting a supply
I have a hard time applying this to what is described above. Anyone got any ideas how I can make this smart? Thanks!
@Mutt I so recognize your dilemma. I have another one since I installed a restaurant style hood that only has its buttons at the top, so the wife can’t reach them without standing on a stool. She is about to kill me.
I haven’t cracked mine yet, but about to do so. Installed some SK6812 led strips and planning to control fan and hood lights from ESP32 too.
On your occasion, I would play with those buttons. You have the flex cable and to me it looks like they are simple buttons and PIC16F690 chip reading them and controlling fans accordingly.
Steps I would do:
Switch off power
Unplug flex cable and locate Vdd (positive +5V) and Vss or GND (ground)
Once above done, press each button and check how it affects flex cable. Should make short between ground or positive. ( Might be pull up or pull down circuit ).
If all goes right and you find each button pin etc, then install node mcu or similar (8266 will be more than enough), find each input pin on PIC and connect to esp.
grab voltage of the pins
Because PIC is a 5V mcu and ESP is 3.3V you might need a level shifter.
Well, that’s at least the way I would crack yours down.
Is there a way to connect a sonoff basic or similar to one of these extractor hood? I did a simply test by turn it on a switching the current off and on again and it doesn’t remember the status. I don’t mind voiding warranty by disassembling it. Anyone tried and made it work? My final goal is to match it with an humidity sensor.
The range Hood I have at the moment does not feed out the home so I don’t use it for cooking but what I have done is put a switch bot in place to the light switch on it to use it as an automated light when motion is detected at night when I am in the kitchen getting a drink etc.
I used an ifan04 to make my hood fan smart. Stuck the remote on the front where the controls I removed used to be.
Flashed to esphome with an extra capacitor it controls the fan perfectly. Even added a bme680 to the ifan04 and have the fan operating by itself based on IAQ.
