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Smart Light Switch?

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  • 29-12-2017 8:20pm
    #1
    OREGATO
    Registered Users Posts: 898 ✭✭✭


    Hi guys,

    So Ive been considering Philips Hue for my house but the cost of replacing the light bulbs would be quite costly.. to be honest, I don't think I need much of the dimming or colour change features so I was considering replacing some light switches with smart light switches.

    Can any one comment on if this is possible and if any of them could be hooked up to a sensor? I would like for example to be able to turn on the existing undercounter lights in the kitchen when it picks up motion.

    I have some old tube lights and 9 gu10's in the kitchen and id prefer to change the light switch instead of the light bulbs.

    Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.


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    #2
    Stoner
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    OREGATO wrote:
    I have some old tube lights and 9 gu10's in the kitchen and id prefer to change the light switch instead of the light bulbs.


    SONOFF light switches would be the cheapest way to do what you want!


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    #3
    OREGATO
    Registered Users Posts: 898 ✭✭✭OREGATO


    Stoner wrote: »
    SONOFF light switches would be the cheapest way to do what you want!

    Cheers stoner. I saw some of your posts regarding the sonoff switches and thought it might be a contender.

    A few questions:
    1. Where is the best place to buy the switches?
    2. Do I need a "hub" to run them? With q1, what would I need to purchase to get this set up?
    3. Is set up easy? Apart from the wiring is there an app that will allow me to set up what I want easily?

    My plan is to have a motion sensor connected to a socket in the kitchen and once triggered it'll turn on the under cabinet lights for a specified amount of time. I think it would be really handy while having a new born in the house instead of headbutting light switches to turn on and off all the kitchen lights. :)


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    #4
    kenmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,276 ✭✭✭kenmc


    Yeah sonoff, but you need neutral at the switch plate for them to work (and most smart switches I've seen). For a sensor, you could perhaps use something like a nodered and a pir sensor to send an mqtt message to get e.g. openhab to trigger the switch. It's a bit of hacking around, you'd need to reflash the switch with espeasy or tasmota to achieve this I think, but it's what I'm planning to do in a new build


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    #5
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,509 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Stoner would know this better. But I believe the Sonoff Wall switch unfortunately requires Neutral, which is present at most Irish homes light switches.

    I think some of the sonoff inline controllers don't require neutral, which may or may not be a convenient solution for you.

    Xiaomi have some pretty affordable light smart light switches, that don't require neutral, but they do require the Xiaomi hub and aren't very well integrated with anything else.

    LightwaveRF is probably the most reliable and well integrated option, but requires a hub and is very expensive.

    So while LWRF is pretty good, it is very expensive, their isn't really a good, cheap option yet unfortunately.


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    #6
    Stoner
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    OREGATO wrote:
    My plan is to have a motion sensor connected to a socket in the kitchen and once triggered it'll turn on the under cabinet lights for a specified amount of time. I think it would be really handy while having a new born in the house instead of headbutting light switches to turn on and off all the kitchen lights.


    To be honest your best option here is to simply put in a regular PIR for 15 euro and leave it alone imo

    SONOFF needs wifi for remote use, but no hub. It would be about 15 Euro.

    SONOFF do not offer a pir at the moment. So you'd need to integrate it with a system that did have one. (Getting pricy)

    I wouldn't recommend IFTTT link from another system as it's a light requirement using a PIR and it takes too long


    TBH to me it sounds like you just need a mains PIR


    Fibaro are better than lightwaverf imo.

    I've a bag of lightwaverf switches that just don't like my lamps

    Both Fibaro and lightwaverf can operate without a neutral


    Final option

    Get a standard inline SONOFF.

    Wire it that both the PIR and SONOFF present the same live cable to the fitting.

    Use the inline SONOFF vas you'll have a neutral in the ceiling. Join the switch and feed cables in the switch.

    SONOFF and the pir will control it.


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    #7
    Stoner
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    OREGATO wrote:
    A few questions: 1. Where is the best place to buy the switches? 2. Do I need a "hub" to run them? With q1, what would I need to purchase to get this set up? 3. Is set up easy? Apart from the wiring is there an app that will allow me to set up what I want easily?


    You get them on eBay

    No hub
    It's as easy as this stuff gets
    The app is eWelink


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    #8
    Metric Tensor
    Registered Users Posts: 3,724 ✭✭✭Metric Tensor


    The Fibaro Dimmer 2 works on a two wire light switch. I got one to test it out and it's a great piece of kit. It's quite expensive though.


    If the circuit has less than 50ish Watts you may have to install a bypass also but they are cheap and easy to do.

    *NB - The above assumes you've already got a Z Wave system working. If you haven't then you have to buy a hub too and the costs build up.


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    #9
    bigneacy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,222 ✭✭✭bigneacy


    Does sonoff work with Google Home for voice control? I've three X 3 gang switches that I'd prefer to automate than the bulbs, but I'd like to retain google home voice control that I already have in place for our smart bulbs and switches


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    #10
    Stoner
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    bigneacy wrote:
    Does sonoff work with Google Home for voice control? I've three X 3 gang switches that I'd prefer to automate than the bulbs, but I'd like to retain google home voice control that I already have in place for our smart bulbs and switches


    Yes it works with Google home


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    #11
    brio09
    Registered Users Posts: 197 ✭✭brio09


    Metric Tensor wrote: »
    The Fibaro Dimmer 2 works on a two wire light switch. I got one to test it out and it's a great piece of kit. It's quite expensive though.


    If the circuit has less than 50ish Watts you may have to install a bypass also but they are cheap and easy to do.

    *NB - The above assumes you've already got a Z Wave system working. If you haven't then you have to buy a hub too and the costs build up.

    fibaro is interesting! thanks for the reco - been checking it out today thanks to your mention


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    #12
    donspeekinglesh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,862 ✭✭✭donspeekinglesh


    I have 2 Fibaro dimmers, they work great.
    (Have others to install - but having trouble getting the switches I use post-Brexit.)


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    #13
    brio09
    Registered Users Posts: 197 ✭✭brio09


    there are comments online about the plastic button in the fibaro walli switches being flimsy. after my online research online, i concluded to not choose them due to the quality issue but would love to hear more recent thoughts!
    how did you find the quality to be?


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