Smart Lights vs Smart Switches

Nelbert

Nice to see I’ve incited a riot / discussion.......

I’d be thinking of using the Fibaro Dimmer module. I’ve an existing z wave system and the boss cares little about light colours but is very particular about her nice brushed steel light switches.

I’m no electrician but have no problem replacing switches or sockets so that’s no problem.

The boss would use the switches particularly in the kitchen and having a switch and a hue control / dimmer side by side would somewhat confuse things.....
I think I’ll try get one fibaro module and perhaps the IKEA gateway and bulb set and try both in the kitchen and give her the option.

The regular brushed steel switch will work as a regular switch but the ikea remote can dim etc if / when required.

Herself has a tendency to leave kitchen ceiling lights on full whack, where as I would dim or turn them off when we watch tv in the adjoining sitting room.....

Glad my laziness to get up and walk a distance of 10 feet has started such a good discussion.

bk

Nelbert wrote: »

Nice to see I’ve incited a riot / discussion.......

I’d be thinking of using the Fibaro Dimmer module. I’ve an existing z wave system and the boss cares little about light colours but is very particular about her nice brushed steel light switches.

I’m no electrician but have no problem replacing switches or sockets so that’s no problem.

In that case, since you are already invested in z-wave and are comfortable with wiring, then yes, probably best to stick with that.

Nelbert wrote: »

The boss would use the switches particularly in the kitchen and having a switch and a hue control / dimmer side by side would somewhat confuse things.....

I will say, if you use that €1.30 light cover I linked too above, it eliminates any confusion. My missus took to it straight away and seems no issue with any visitor. A switch is a switch, as long as the more traditionally obvious one is hidden away, then they have no problem using the new one.

But since you are already into z-wave, then I'd agree fine to stick with that.

Nelbert wrote: »

I think I’ll try get one fibaro module and perhaps the IKEA gateway and bulb set and try both in the kitchen and give her the option.

One thing I'd think about is a motion sensor for the hallway lights. That has been a big success with my family, much to my surprise.

Nelbert wrote: »

The regular brushed steel switch will work as a regular switch but the ikea remote can dim etc if / when required.

Herself has a tendency to leave kitchen ceiling lights on full whack, where as I would dim or turn them off when we watch tv in the adjoining sitting room.....

Glad my laziness to get up and walk a distance of 10 feet has started such a good discussion.

Haha, I've exactly the same scenario!! Semi shared kitchen/living room, she is always leaving the light on in there which is annoying from the living room.

It is the last light I have to "fix" Unfortunately the light fitting doesn't take Hue lights, some daft tiny bulbs. So either a smart switch like this or change the light fitting for a Hue compatible one. Maybe an Ikea death Star light fitting

One option to think about is a motion sensor for the kitchen. Light turns off automatically a few minutes after she leaves! :cool:

Wossack

bk wrote: »

Ah, cool, some questions for you so if you don't mind?

- What z-wave hub are you using?
- Are you using a standard light switch with it? As opposed to some Z-wave switch?
- If you are using a standard light switch, what happens if you switch the power off at the light switch? Can you then remotely switch the light on? Or do you have to hit the light switch on first?

Thanks, BTW the conversation between wexfordman2 and I probably went a bit Off Topic and was more about general ideas of approaches to smart lighting, rather then the OP's specific needs.

- I have my fibaro dimmers hooked up to my samsung smartthings

- using a standard light switch - normal 2 state toggle type.

- am unsure, but the fibaro might be unique in it working perfectly with toggle switches - doesnt require a momentary type switch. Doesnt need double flips or anything, a single flip changes the light state from on to off (or vice versa). The switches state does not interfere with the app/hub at all. A physical switch flip is updated immediately in the app too, which is a nice touch.

Note, Ive no dimming control with my toggles - but may be possible with some convoluted press sequence, havent investigated. Roller shutter switches would likely be ideal if you wanted full dimmer control at the wall. But this suits my purposes though. Like you, trying to reduce physical wall switch use, not increase it

bk

Wossack wrote: »

- I have my fibaro dimmers hooked up to my samsung smartthings

Wossack wrote: »

- using a standard light switch - normal 2 state toggle type.

- am unsure, but the fibaro might be unique in it working perfectly with toggle switches - doesnt require a momentary type switch. Doesnt need double flips or anything, a single flip changes the light state from on to off (or vice versa). The switches state does not interfere with the app/hub at all. A physical switch flip is updated immediately in the app too, which is a nice touch.

Cool, so it sounds like the dimmer module is bypassing the actual switch and the switch is just acting as a control to signal the dimmer what to do.

I'm assuming that the light switch has no relation to the traditional ON/OFF positions. So the switch might be in the traditional OFF position, but the light is actually on due to app control. Moving the light switch to the ON position might then actually switch if off. In other words, like with two way lights, where the switch position has no physical relation to the light being on or off.

I think some people use momentary switches in this case, just for completeness, as not to confuse people with the non standard switch position. Though I don't think it is technically necessary.

Wossack wrote: »

Note, Ive no dimming control with my toggles - but may be possible with some convoluted press sequence, havent investigated. Roller shutter switches would likely be ideal if you wanted full dimmer control at the wall. But this suits my purposes though. Like you, trying to reduce physical wall switch use, not increase it

Yes, I've already pretty much eliminated it in the hall, bathrooms and utility rooms with motion sensors and greatly reduced in the living room with sunset routines.

This z-wave setup is a very interesting solution, it might be a solution to my kitchen light, though it is unfortunately a double switch, so I'll have to investigate further.

BTW I just watched the install video for this module. I will say that it isn't straight forward, you would have to be VERY comfortable with wiring. I do think it is another level up of DIYing from Hue and many people might need an electrician to install it, which would blow out the cost. Just FYI for anyone else reading this, be careful, such wiring can kill you.

Stoner

bk wrote:

Having kitted out my entire home with Hue smart bulbs (and a sprinkling of Ikea), I couldn't disagree more with you.

I think though that he's right about the switching. It's an issue for most.

There's no way I'm replacing my recessed edge brushed chrome switches with plastic surface switches.

Anyway they could do both with a firmware change

You basic 10 euro halogen PIR light has similar functionality

bk

Stoner wrote: »

You basic 10 euro halogen PIR light has similar functionality

Nope, not at all. For instance it can't adjust the brightness level depending on time of day. Such as turning on the lights at very low brightness at night so you don't blind yourself when going to the toilet.

This is really what makes these motion sensors great.

Though of course the same is possible with the above z-wave dimmer, a z-wave motion sensor and SmartThings, though not the white ambiance/colour.

Stoner wrote: »

I think though that he's right about the switching. It's an issue for most.

There's no way I'm replacing my recessed edge brushed chrome switches with plastic surface switches.

Of course, aesthetics is a fair point, but also a personal one.

Personally, given the mountain of toys strewn all over my place, the look of light switches is the least of my aesthetic worries

If anything, when people do notice them, it is a major talking point and people are wowed by them.

However thinking about it, a solution to combine best of both worlds:
- Use the above mentioned Z-Wave dimmer switches with your nice brushed metal switches.
- Connect to SmartThings hub
- Put Hue bulbs in and also connect them to SmartThings hub.

That should allow you to use the switch to switch the light on/off, but use dimming/white ambiance/colour on the Hue bulb.

Would take a bit of setting up in SmartThings, but would be doable.

You could also use those nice Z-Wave scene selectors too.

wexfordman2

I hope we're not falling out bk :-)

I have I think about 55 light fittings in my house, excluding lamps. They are a combination of internal, external, gu10, b22 etc etc.

Manual control for these is spread across about 20 different wall switches, 35 individual gangs/buttons

I need to add some more outdoor lights in the garden and some facial dowblights as well, so prob about another 20 light fittings in total.

Thats 75 bulbs, and 35 switches, but they are all smart switches controlled by 8 din rail mounted relays, which is where the smarts come in.

My wall switches are all brushed steel (momentary)/switches that look and feel exactly like normal switches, no one notices the difference, guests etc.

If I lose my bb, my hub, everything, the lighting still works exactly like before, like normal switches.

I have remote access, remote app control, routines, macros, voice control, pir motion control, timers, sunset detection, alarm system integration, you name it I've got it. And I and others in the house still use the wall switches, I wouldn't and couldn't do without them.

All of this is done using just 8 modules as the core of the system, in my fuse board controlling light relays, at a hardware cost of about 40 euro per circuit (not per bulb). Its reckoned that a standard 3 bed semi could have this system installed for less than 1k hardware cost (excluding a controller).

I've had this sort of system for nearly twenty years, only really added voice control to it since google home came about.

I also have hue, but just in a few lamps. I bekeive there is a place for hue, primarily for lighting effects, lamps and decorative lighting, and as a solution for refits without having to wire.

However, if someone is rewiring, or has the option or alternative to put in smart switches, then i think it would be daft to go the hue route.

If you have a neutral in your switch, then certainly no need to go the hue direction into your inbuilt lighting. If you are rewiring, then go for a combination of cat5 and neutral in the wall switches, the cost of wiring is very very cheap relative to a build cost overall.

I love hue, I think its great, but it has its limitations, and as others touched on, one of these is the lack of a toggle option (so close yet so far). With a toggle option you would almost have full functionality using momentary switches.

wexfordman2

BTW, I would not hook hue lights to a smart switch, logic of controlling it would be way too much.

bk

wexfordman2 wrote: »

All of this is done using just 8 modules as the core of the system, in my fuse board controlling light relays, at a hardware cost of about 40 euro per circuit (not per bulb). Its reckoned that a standard 3 bed semi could have this system installed for less than 1k hardware cost (excluding a controller).

This is my problem, I feel like your numbers are completely out of whack.

So take a typical person with a typical 3 bed home, already built and in place.

You are saying they should get builders and electricians in to rip holes in their walls to run cables to each switch and you honestly think that is cheaper then just slotting some Hue bulbs and dimmers in. Not a hope!

Even in the case of a new build, then you have to factor in the cost of buying 35 dimmable LED bulbs (not cheap) and the extra cost of electricians running extra cables, etc. It isn't going to be cheap. Though at least with a new build, it is a more reasonable proposition, though I'd say Neutral at switches and deep back boxes is probably enough.

Now Wossack's solution of a Z-Wave dimmer is a reasonable solution to a person with lots of bulbs off one switch and who wants to add control to an existing home without re-wiring. But it isn't necessarily cheaper then Hue.

I just did the maths for my place and it worked out about the same cost (without brushed metal switches, that makes it more expensive). But without white ambiance and colour.

It sounds like you have a very large home, with lots of bulbs and are coming from that perspective. But that isn't the case for the majority of people living in apartments up to 3 bed semi's.

wexfordman2 wrote: »

However, if someone is rewiring, or has the option or alternative to put in smart switches, then i think it would be daft to go the hue route.

Thing is, I feel that it an incredibly small number of people.

The vast majority are just looking to just add some smart lights to their existing home, without too mad costs. I suspect ripping holes in walls is not an option for most people. I think for most people Hue is an easier and much cheaper solution.

wexfordman2 wrote: »

If you have a neutral in your switch, then certainly no need to go the hue direction into your inbuilt lighting.

Which of course most Irish homes don't have and even if you do then you still don't gain the advantages of white ambiance or colour.

wexfordman2 wrote: »

If you are rewiring, then go for a combination of cat5 and neutral in the wall switches, the cost of wiring is very very cheap relative to a build cost overall.

But how many people are doing a full rewire, I just don't see it happening much.

Certainly if you are doing a full build/gutting a house, then sure, putting Neutral at every switch and deep back boxes is recommended. Though I'm not sure there is much need for cat5, you can easily achieve the same with Z-wave.

But I really don't think the costs are at all as cheap as you make out, not for a typical home. I think you are forgetting a lot of the costs, the money you paid for dimable LEDs, what you paid for electricians to run extra cabling, the cost of nice brush metal switches, etc. That all adds up quickly.

Nelbert

Neutral at the switch is thankfully not required for the fibaro and a few others.
And for me I’m in the fortunate position of comparing switch cost (vera controller is long since bought) vs hue hub and bulbs which skews things a bit.

At the moment I’m leaning towards Hue or IKEA hub plus two bulbs to trial in the kitchen and I’ll install a Fibaro Dimmer elsewhere in simple on/ off mode to avail of it not needing neutral.
I honest don’t think we need or would use the white ambience and colour aspects just the dimming so given that’s one of Hue’s largest selling points it’s why I am only will to “dip my toe”.... essentially I’m just looking to “smarten” the kitchen switch and / or the associated bulbs.

I really don’t think those switch covers are a boss approval aesthetic however I’ve come across small clear switch guards that just stick over the actual switch part rather than the covering the whole faceplate.

With this I can assess hue as an option for the rest of the house. Certain light fightings use the small G9 type bulbs and in those fightings it will likely be the switch that gets smartened rather than the bulbs as I don’t think any smart bulbs are available for those.

bk

Nelbert wrote: »

I honest don’t think we need or would use the white ambience and colour aspects just the dimming so given that’s one of Hue’s largest selling points it’s why I am only will to “dip my toe”.... essentially I’m just looking to “smarten” the kitchen switch and / or the associated bulbs.

A small warning about this, I started out the same, getting only white only bulbs, I've since replaced them all with White Ambiance/Colour.

Let us know how it all goes.

Nelbert

bk wrote: »

A small warning about this, I started out the same, getting only white only bulbs, I've since replaced them all with White Ambiance/Colour.

Let us know how it all goes.

The boss gives out about it looking like the Red light district when I stick the RGB strips on anything other than white...... so I’m not expecting any issues....

From checking I’ll likely go with the ikea gateway kit as it includes the remote / dimmer.

bk

Nelbert wrote: »

The boss gives out about it looking like the Red light district when I stick the RGB strips on anything other than white...... so I’m not expecting any issues....

Haha, my missus loves it when we put on red light time

What I've found most useful is White Ambiance. I work from home a lot, so nice to put the lights on bright "day light" white during the day, to help concentrate, in particular in these dark winter days.

Though you might not need that, just FYI.

Metric Tensor

I have one of the fibaro units - got it as a present to myself and as a test case for the Christmas. It is an awesome piece of kit! I'll bullet point a few things below but anyone who has any questions feel free to ask!

• It's tiny - one fitted in my backbox without too much effort. There is approx 40mm from my switch plate to the back of the box.
• It works with a two wire set-up but you may need to install a small bypass at the ceiling rose or downlighter if the load on the circuit is too small. Fibaro say anything below 50W but mine is working fine on a circuit with 22W without a bypass
• It works with either a toggle switch or momentary switch. In the case of toggle switches you can tell to have up for off and down for on in all cases or tell it to simply switch the light to the opposite of its current setting when the switch is toggled. This was important for me because I wanted the switching to remain as before for regular visitors - they don't even know it's there.
• You can dim with a "standard" toggle switch too by flicking it a certain number of times. (I just use my phone or automation if dimming is required - which it isn't in its current location)
• It has a power readout showing usage and accumlated usage, which is quite nice
• Wiring it requires understanding of lighting circuits and a healthy degree of electrical skill. It is in no way as easy as putting in a light bulb. I had my electrician here on other business so I got him to install it with me.
• Although it works well on a two wire system there is some difficulty with two-way switches. You need the live and switched live wire at the same box for the fibaro unit. One of the ways of doing two way switches in older Irish houses was by using a "strapper." With the strapper set up the live and switched live are at separate boxes (i.e. at either end of a corridor or top and bottom of a stairs). In that case you need to hope there's a second switch at the switched live box powered by a live on the same circuit.
• I have found it to be very robust on my z-wave network so far. Not a single drop-off or out (on a relatively unpopulated network)
• Obviously it can't change colour like the hues - but there is pretty much nothing else "missing" as far as I can see and it could save a fortune if you have 5-10 GU10s all on the one circuit or a room with 9 candle B22s (both of which the previous owner of our house installed!).

For me the two biggest pros and cons are as follows:

Pros:
1. Light switch behaves exactly as before with existing LEDs in place.
2. I aready had a z-wave system so no hub or changes needed to my home automation set up


Cons:
1. The installation of these requires re-wiring your light switch and in anything other than a simple one gang two-wire set-up requires quite a bit of thought and in depth wiring knowledge.
2. No colour changing - I would really like to be able to switch my bulbs between cool white and warm white in certain rooms. RGB doesn't really interest me.

Nelbert

To complicate things the kitchen light switch actually has neutral! Had the ikea gateway in the basket and was about to order online and given the kitchen is in a relatively new extension I said I’d double check behind the switch!

So now I’m thinking dimmer module or switch would be the way to go!

One of the TKB z wave dimmer switch or give herself the option of module and brushed steel switch.

I don’t really agree with the point about needing an electrician to wire it. The module itself replaces the switch, the only complication is the crossing of the neutral on the module into the switched live but that wouldn’t put me off in a 2 wire setup. Once you then you are hooking your switch up to the module. Vesternet wiring diagrams are quite clear for these modules in my opinion.

bk

Thanks Metric Tensor, great review. Seems like a very good product and a decent option for many people.

bk

Nelbert wrote: »

I don’t really agree with the point about needing an electrician to wire it. The module itself replaces the switch, the only complication is the crossing of the neutral on the module into the switched live but that wouldn’t put me off in a 2 wire setup. Once you then you are hooking your switch up to the module. Vesternet wiring diagrams are quite clear for these modules in my opinion.

I think you should keep in mind that probably the vast majority of people wouldn't have a clue what the majority of terms you said above mean!!

Most people have little or no knowledge of wiring. Having watched the video, I'd say it would be on the more complicated end for even people comfortable with wiring a plug. Doable, but I'd say more for people who have already done a lot of wiring.

BTW Yes, if you have Neutral, then a full z-wave switch is probably the way to go.

Nelbert

bk wrote: »

I think you should keep in mind that probably the vast majority of people wouldn't have a clue what the majority of terms you said above mean!!

Most people have little or no knowledge of wiring. Having watched the video, I'd say it would be on the more complicated end for even people comfortable with wiring a plug. Doable, but I'd say more for people who have already done a lot of wiring.

BTW Yes, if you have Neutral, then a full z-wave switch is probably the way to go.

Fair point. I guess I’m more comfortable than most, when I think of it most of my mates probably couldn’t replace a socket let alone be trusted to wire the module despite how simple I perceive it.

insular1

bk wrote: »

I think you should keep in mind that probably the vast majority of people wouldn't have a clue what the majority of terms you said above mean!!

This is me at the moment! But luckily enough we are in the process of a new build so will have an electrician to do all this for us. This thread was really interesting to me. Hope some of you guys could offer some advice on my situation. As I said it's a new build, I love the idea of automated app controlled lighting and dimming but physical brushed metal switches are a requirement for my wife. What would you guys recommend for someone in my position? Basically want to be able to turn on, off and dim lights from an app or motion sensors or remote but need them to also function normally via a wall switch. I'm not really bothered about multi coloured lighting so not a necessity but maybe a nice to have.

Nelbert

I got the fibaro dimmer module for my kitchen ceiling lights and combined it with a brushed steel 2 button momentary switch.
You press the button to turn on / off, hold it to adjust brightness, press twice quickly to turn to max brightness.

The 2nd button is used to control other lights. So I press the second button and the fibaro sends a signal to other z wave units to tell them to turn on / off.

Hard lesson for me would result in my advice being smart bulbs for lamps, and smart switches for ceiling lights however if you want to go entirely with Hue smart switch in that scenario would be one of the hue dimmers controlling the associated lights.

Recently bought an ikea lamp with built in phone charger, because it’s the plug rather than the bulb that’s smart you can’t charge the phone with the light off. Just to give you a drawback.

As long as you think about the end user and work to that.

If it’s a rewire you should be getting neutral at the switches and get deepest back boxes you can. Will afford you the freedom of choice.

bk

Nelbert wrote: »

If it’s a rewire you should be getting neutral at the switches and get deepest back boxes you can. Will afford you the freedom of choice.

Let me just highlight and reiterate this part. The above is the most important advice, everything else can be swapped and changed later as long as you get this right.

insular1, fibaro modules can go behind any switch your wife likes, talking to a SmartThings hub. Though momentary light switches might make more sense for this application.

Also check out LightwaveRF gen 2 light switches.

If you want you could also add Hue bulbs (you need the hue hub too) to add multicolour support and white ambiance support, but that is something you can always add later.

insular1

This is great. Thanks all! I'm just diving into this IOT properly now at realising it's not as straight forward as I thought. Recommend any good threads/articles that would educate me on the really basic stuff so I can make better choices regarding hubs etc? I'm working my way through the stickies at the moment but if you think of any other essential reading for a complete novice I'd appreciate it!

Thanks again.

itzme

insular1 wrote: »

This is great. Thanks all! I'm just diving into this IOT properly now at realising it's not as straight forward as I thought. Recommend any good threads/articles that would educate me on the really basic stuff so I can make better choices regarding hubs etc? I'm working my way through the stickies at the moment but if you think of any other essential reading for a complete novice I'd appreciate it!

Thanks again.

Not sure of many intro decks on the topic, planning to start my own journey through IOT here soon. The big things to think about for me are all about thinking beyond the buzz and hype

Big Thing #1: Security V convenience
IOT promises everything to just work and be so convenient. For example, it is convenient to be able to switch the alarm on and off with your voice. It is incredibly insecure to be able to switch the alarm off with your voice. If something goes wrong her it could be serious. 

Big Thing #2:Ecosystem V API
Every company and it's dog is trying to setup it's own IOT ecosystem and selling you on the benefits of integration. This is a double edged sword. As an example, say you have a good z-wave/wifi hub and you buy gear from Company A only to later find out that you are tied to Company A's cloud services. What happens if the internet is down? or worse what happens if Company A stops their cloud service? This to me is the biggest risk tech companies fold regularly, be careful tying yourself to a new company offering to do everything.

Big Thing #3: Automation V distraction
IOT promises to automate your life away, what it doesn't say is the hours of planning and effort it takes to do this. The hours of figuring out how to integrate alexa/google home with smartthings .... It also gives you great use cases that on the surface that seem fantastic. My favourite is the new smart doorbells that always show a video of a delivery to your door and you getting a call to let you know. With Amazon Key you go even further but note that on sale Amazon key did not integrate with alarms!

Big Thing #4: Cost of true convenience
These things take someones time, the only way you can build a secure, integrated, automated distraction free system is if you spend time. Either your time or a knowledgable installer. If you're looking at doing this yourself (which I am doing and am enjoying so don't get me wrong no doom and gloom here) expect it to be a long journey. 

Some examples: 
Deliveries to your door. Personally I would not want them to leave the package outside (as is often shown in the videos). Ok so I would want them to leave it inside the door. Easy, put a camera inside the door so that I can unlock the door remotely, tell them to leave it inside and monitor them. Sweet! Now think through the complexity of that. Smart doorbell, smart lock, smart alarm, smart camera needed. They all need to integrate and you need to switch between the doorbell cam and the internal cam after you unlock the door. So you're back to Big Thing 1 and 2. 
Internal motion detection cameras. I have motion detection cameras at my parents home point at front/back doors. They are a dream for notifying me when there is motion and at the doors when they are at home or away from home. Except now I have a new problem, was that notification I just received at 4pm a problem or normal? Was someone expected at that time? I'd better quickly check the video to be safe. Back to Big Thing #3

A fun example:
I put a sensor on my door, a presence sensor on my phone, a presence sensor on my other halves keys and now if someone opens the front door when we are away the internal lights go red and the sound system plays a custom sound. (Practically I get notified  )

So my advice is take your time, start small and don't believe advertisers hype. This tech is very new, tease out what your use cases are and tease out explicitly what your use cases aren't, look up in google "cool things you can do with X". Where possible test out the tech, find people who have it go and try it out go to stores. Then throw them up what you're thinking here or other places for people to offer advice and experience, I've found this board to be my best resource for reading so far.

insular1

Ok so following the advice of the poster above I think I'm gonna start simple. Really I only need/want automated lighting in a few areas so how does this sound as a starting point:

1. These lightwave smart dimmers for the kitchen where we have multiple spots that don't need individual control. (Have a chrome finish to keep wife happy) https://lightwaverf.com/lighting/11533783316

2. Phillips hue for the feature lighting in the hall and sitting room.

Does this sound reasonable? Will these two systems work together using IFTTT
or similar? Will they work with Google home if a get it at a later date?

Thanks for all the advice so far. Learning lots today!

wexfordman2

insular1 wrote: »

Ok so following the advice of the poster above I think I'm gonna start simple. Really I only need/want automated lighting in a few areas so how does this sound as a starting point:

1. These lightwave smart dimmers for the kitchen where we have multiple spots that don't need individual control. (Have a chrome finish to keep wife happy) https://lightwaverf.com/lighting/11533783316

2. Phillips hue for the feature lighting in the hall and sitting room.

Does this sound reasonable? Will these two systems work together using IFTTT
or similar? Will they work with Google home if a get it at a later date?

Thanks for all the advice so far. Learning lots today!

If it was me, I would use hue for lamps to create mood lighting , and not much else. Everything else I would use wired or wireless smart switches.

Hue will work with home, I believe lightwave will as well, and to be honest whatever system you choose, a premium requisite should be compatibility with google home and alexa

insular1

It does seem easier to upgrade to hue at a later date if I felt I wanted it so maybe I'd be better investing in smart switches while I have the electritian on site. How do you think the lightwave dimmer linked above compared to the fibaro dimmer module? Do the both do basically the same thing? Fibaro seems cheaper from what I can see.

wexfordman2

insular1 wrote: »

It does seem easier to upgrade to hue at a later date if I felt I wanted it so maybe I'd be better investing in smart switches while I have the electritian on site. How do you think the lightwave dimmer linked above compared to the fibaro dimmer module? Do the both do basically the same thing? Fibaro seems cheaper from what I can see.

Can't say on the comparison, I've not used either, I've a different system. If your serious about doing it, perhaps buy one of each and show to your electrician so you plan out circuits, back boxes etc ?

The fibaro is a bit more flexible I think though

bk

Well a few things about the above linked LightwaveRF dimmer:

- It is gen 1, that means it has only one way comms. You can sent it a command on/off, but it can't tell you what state it currently is in.

Fibaro support 2 way comms. As in it can tell you if the light is actually on or off.

LightwaveRF have newer Gen 2 switches that support two way comms, but they are more expensive, this is the Gen 2 dimmer, but as you see it isn't Chrome:

https://lightwaverf.com/lighting/11481667540

- You will also need the LightwaveRF Hub, they have different hubs for gen 1 and gen 2 and the gen 2 one is pretty expensive.

BTW There is a very good post on the SmartThings forum about the different smart lighting options compatible with it. It is specifically about SmartThings support, but gives a good info:

https://community.smartthings.com/t/vfaq-lighting-control-options-for-uk-smartthings/26252?source_topic_id=55822

Unfortunately smart switches in the UK/Ireland market aren't simple and are one of the more complicated topics.

bk

Again the most important thing is deep back boxes and neutral at each light switch. You can then always change in the future without too much difficulty.

lordgoat

bk wrote: »

Again the most important thing is deep back boxes and neutral at each light switch. You can then always change in the future without too much difficulty.

Having replaced a lot of sockets in my house just with regular ones that have an on/off switch deep wall boxes are my best friend! I can't imagine re-wiring them again for anything else. Kango required.