Skip to main content

Sonoff IFan 03

Installing a Sonoff Ifan 03


Please note: This is one of our customers stories


lesson learnt - don’t try and find the most complicated way to install, it’s easier than it looks. After literally taking apart my ceiling fan and all it’s components to figure out how the ifan connects, it resulted in a simple connection where the live and neutral wires meet the ceiling fan - and it works!


I have a flat roof house, so going into the ceiling to make a simple connection wasn’t possible. I had to take down my ceiling fan (that has 2 chains, one for the light and the other for a 3 speed controller) to do the installation. You will need a second pair of hands to help with bringing down the ceiling fan and re-installing it. 

I temporarily hooked up my ceiling fan to a 3 pin plug. This was used to connect to a wall socket to test if what I was doing was right. ( this step is not required)

For the ceiling fan I have, there were 3 wires going into the fan, live for the light ( connects to the light wire on the Ifan) , live for the fan ( connects to the fan wire on the ifan) and a neutral ( connects to the com wire on the ifan). 


Once the above connections were made, it was time to re install the ceiling fan. 

The live and neutral wire on the ifan connected to the live and neutral wire that the ceiling fan was previously connected to. 

Ensure that your fan is set to the highest speed by pulling on the fan chain. 


The RM433 remote set up was straight forward. Press and hold any button as soon as the ifan is switched on to pair. 


The app set up took a bit of time as the firmware was not up to date and my iPhone refused to connect to the ifan. After following the below trouble shooting steps, it finally worked:

  • Press the button on the ifan for 5sec to restore factory settings, then pair
  • Press the WiFi button on the remote for 5 sec to pair
  • Pair using the compatibility mode (linking directly to the ifan and not using the WiFi)
  • Use an older model android phone to pair the device - this worked. 

The problem was that the firmware was not up to date which prevented my iPhone from connecting to the ifan. Once the ifan was paired using the android device, a firmware upgrade was required, which resolved the problem. 


I must say that after doing an 8hour installation (and troubleshooting) , if I knew the above, it could have been done in less than an hr. 

I’m a happy customer now. It works and such a great addition to my home automation journey. 


Tools used:

  • Wire cutter
  • Insulation tape
  • Philips screw driver 
  • Ladder

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sonoff Micro

Installing a Sonoff Micro Please note: This is one of our customers stories As a novice user, linking the Sonoff micro was quite simple after getting the basics ( that I should have known ) right.   Downloading the EWELINK app was straight forward. Just ensure that you link to a 2.4ghz WiFi network when pairing your app to device and enter your network password ( not your EWELINK app password - Took me a few tries to figure this out). Once that’s done you can jump back to a 5ghz network.   You would need a USB port to connect the micro to - it’s quite bulky to connect to a laptop so I wouldn’t suggest that unless you have an external USB adapter. For best results connect the micro to a USB port on a wall socket or connect it to a usb charger.   With a 5w charging capacity the micro is great for scheduling recurring charges for devices such as your cellphone or powerbanks. You can also set a timer to switch of c
Post a Comment
Read more

Making your driveway gates smart

Installing a Sonoff Gate Switch By installing a Sonoff Gate Switch  will allow you to open or close your your driveway gate from your cellphone, voice assistance or even your smart home hub like Home Assistant Setup the Gate Switch Below is a typical setup. You will power the Gate Switch by connecting the 12V/24V and NEGATIVE (or COM ) to the Gate Switch as shown above. Then connect the TRG to NO  pin and the COM on the gate motor to the COM on the switch. Some technical terms TRG - This is the Trigger pin on the motor. This pin allows the gate to open or close. By connecting a wire to the TRG and COM pin, they gate will trigger. COM - This is know as a Common Pin or Negative NO - This is referred to as Normally opened, meaning the switch is open and current doesnt flow. Setup and pair the switch Open your eWelink app the Gate switch as per normal. Upgrade your device f
10 comments
Read more

Adding Smart Lights to your Home

Making your lights Smart.  By making your lights smarts in your home means that you can switch it ON or OFF with your phone, control it via a voice assistance like Alexa or Google Home or even a home automation hub like Home Assistant. This also means you can control it from anywhere, even if you are not at home. Apart from that you can create Automations for it. This can include things the following: Automatically switching the light on at sunset and switching it on in the morning. Automatically switching on a light at night and when you open a door Automatically switching on a light at night when your kid is going to the bathroom at night. Automatically dim the lights when you switch your home entertainment to movie mode. The possibilities of use cases for lighting is endless BUT first you will need to ensure you lights are smart. There are different ways that you can make your light at home smart and this blog is going to explain to you the different ways using different devices fro
Post a Comment
Read more