Wondering if anyone has a smart tower fan? I have one of those Bionaire Tower Fans from Costco. I thought if I plugged into an Eve Smart Plug, I would be able to control it. It looks like because the Fan has physical buttons…I can only power it off remotely. I can remotely turn it back on. I have at least 2-3 more months until I get the mini split unit installed in the garage.
I’ve tried it with a few things (Fans, dehumidifiers…)
Most devices power up in an “off” state, so when you use a smart plug to power them, they don’t activate. you need to push a physical button to turn them on.
I tried to find a Dehumidifier with a physical switch so I could switch it on and off with a smart plug based on the humidity measured by a HomePod mini, but I couldn’t find one.
For me, the less smart the better, so I can apply it alternatively.
An interesting definition of “physical buttons” in play here.
The fan I remember growing up with had physical buttons that made a permanent electrical connection. Ironically, a fan made in the 1970s is able to be “smart” where modern ones aren’t.
I could have been clearer. Buttons which make a physical connection (as you’ve described) and show state rather than those which trigger an action on a PCB and don’t show state.
you guys are correct, the type of physical button (or dial) makes a difference. The Bionaire fan has a physical button that makes a connection. This fails (and I guess anything like this will always fail). Whereas my cheap $15 box fan has the dial set on the highest speed and just plugs in. (Off, 1, 2, 3) I just leave it in the 3 position connected to a smart plug.
Incidentally, it can be good to have the “physical connection” switches in the event of a power outage as well. We’ve had power outages in the middle of the night where we woke up not because the power blipped, but because our super-fancy fan wouldn’t come back on without us pressing the button again.
