Help with smart switches/ceiling fan questions

[countryboy]

Guys new to all of this so hopefully not too dumb of questions. I just bought a Dot and currently have no smart switches, hub, etc. but would eventually like to get into home automation... maybe even adding a Nest thermostat at some point.

I'm thinking about installing a new ceiling fan w/light kit to replace an existing ceiling light fixture... probably will be a Hunter in the $100 range. My wall light switch is just a single switch so once the ceiling fan is installed the switch do I understand correctly it will continue to control the light but not the fan? I'm assuming the fan would be controlled by the pull string?

Is there a smart switch or device than could control both light & fan and still work with a Dot? If not then how about something that could just control the fan (On/Off would be ok if only alternative) but still work with the Dot?

Can smart switches be set to a timer?

Can Alexa set timers to turn on lights on a scheduled daily basis?

[tuicemen]

The switch most likely will control the power to the fan and light if the switch is off neither will work if on then you can use The pull strings of the lights for the lights and the pull string of the fan for the fan.
this of course depends how the ceiling box was wired to begin with. If there are 3 wires including the bare ground wire you may be able to wire so power to fan is always on and switch controls light.

There are several switches that will work with Alexa however you'd be stuck with controlling one or the other via the switch.

[countryboy]

Well if I wanted to leave the wall switch powering only the light is there a device that could could be connected to the fan to turn it On/Off and work with Alexa?

[tuicemen]

Yes, but you may be limited to just on/off, and depending on how the fan junction box is wired you may need the light on for the fan control to work.
itead makes modules that can be wired in Sonoff modules may fit in the ceiling fan junction box.
There may also be other wire in type modules from other manufactures.
 
Another option is the broadlink rm  and a ceiling fan with an included manufactures remote (if it can learn the ceiling fans RF)
Hunter I believe makes one.
There are a few threads on the forum here on using a broadlink RM

[fstbusa]

Really depends on how your fan is wired.  If you have a always "hot" or power wire at the fan itself, then you have a couple options...If there is only power to the switch then you really only have 1 option that I know of that doesn't require fishing an additional wire down the wall.

[countryboy]

This doesn't get the best reviews but would this work if you didn't care about being able to use the wall switch? Or does it still depend on how it's wired?

Can't tell if it's compatible with Alexa or not.

[tuicemen]

This doesn't get the best reviews but would this work if you didn't care about being able to use the wall switch?

What work? broadlink, sonoff, something else?

Or does it still depend on how it's wired?

Everything will depend on how the fan is wired and how the switch is wired.

Can't tell if it's compatible with Alexa or not.

  again what is "it"?

[countryboy]

Gee sorry about that!
http://www.smarthome.com/fanlinc-insteon-2475f-ceiling-fan-and-light-controller-fixture-module-dual-band.html

[tuicemen]

I'm not sure Insteon is controllable with a Alexa skill. (maybe)
You may wish to post to their forum to get more info on it and if you can control it via Alexa with their hub or other controller and a skill.
http://forum.smarthome.com/

[kevb]

Currently I think there is only one "stand-alone" ceiling fan compatible with Alexa, the Haiku series by BigAssFans. Not cheap, I think the least expensive is near $600. Most other solutions would require a special fan controller switch and a hub that is Alexa compatible. Hunter makes a bluetooth fan controller so that you can control / program the fan with your phone. My guess is that at some time this type of system will become Alexa compatible. It might be best to just "wait it out".