Smart / remote control light bulbs

[d000hg]

In our front room we've a chandelier with 5 B22 bulbs. We flipped the door round so the switch is on the wrong side, and the heavily patterned wallpaper means we don't want to be re-routing into the solid brick wall.

The bulbs are due to be replaced and I wondered about trialling smart bulbs or those with a remote control. Probably prefer the latter since I don't want to have to dick about on my phone to turn the lights on and off.

Other options are welcome to this problem but I'm interested anyway for the future, do these kind of bulbs let you precisely control the colour (temperature)? I don't want to make the bulbs go green or red or flash on and off, but I might like to be able to not only dim them, but change between 2500K for a winter's evening and 4000K when I want to be more awake.

Can I leave them turned on at the mains 24/7 and just control on-bulb?

Can I control 5 bulbs in a fitting at once? I would be really peed off if they didn't all turn on/off in sync!

 

[ericmark]

Have you looked at MK Echo switches? One bulb great, but 5 bulbs each one uses a little energy even when off. I use "Smart" switches which can use a remote control or phone, tablet, PC and in the main I use either remote control or switch rarely use phone. Idea was to switch on lights before we arrived home, rare we ever use it.

 

[d000hg]

I've seen something like that, though it cost a bomb the one I looked at. But then 5 smart bulbs is going to be pricey too!

 

[ericmark]

I use the same hub for heating, sockets, and lights, so price of hub not an issue, find a simple remote control is main way to switch on, and switch off at wall, as while watching TV it gets dark and we switch on lights without leaving seat, but switch off as leaving room. I use Energenie, but there are many others, the big issue is if there is a neutral in the switch, there are loads of cheap switches if there is a neutral, but without neutral the more expensive like Energenie MiHome have to be used.

Note MiHome Energenie light switches do not need a hub if using a remote control, you can have up to three remote controls for one switch, and each remote has 4 channels, to set timers, or use with phone it needs a hub. And it does not need a neutral. But you should use dimmerable bulbs, and had problems with G9 bulbs and a 4 uf capacitor had to be added, E14 and BA22d bulbs not had a problem with, some GU10 bulbs have played up.

Step one is find if neutral at the switch, then wait for more answers as there are other switches.

 

[AndyPRK]

try a kinetic switch (no wires or batteries)

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Wiring_Accessories_Menu_Index/Quinetic/index.html?ad_position=1t1&source=adwords&ad_id=188651558391&placement=&kw=kinetic +switch&network=g&matchtype=b&ad_type=&product_id=&product_partition_id=&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9YKFrYjT5QIVF-DtCh2HwABgEAAYASAAEgLfePD_BwE

 

[ericmark]

try a kinetic switch (no wires or batteries)

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Wiring_Accessories_Menu_Index/Quinetic/index.html?ad_position=1t1&source=adwords&ad_id=188651558391&placement=&kw=kinetic +switch&network=g&matchtype=b&ad_type=&product_id=&product_partition_id=&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9YKFrYjT5QIVF-DtCh2HwABgEAAYASAAEgLfePD_BwE

That is same idea as MK Echo which I have already referred to. this switch also does the same but uses batteries. Lunvon, Think bee, SONOFF there is a huge list of remote switches. However I have only used Energenie myself, and there are some draw backs, at the moment the one in dinning room has been replaced with a standard switch because of an intermittent fault, and with electronic switch lost of power to light means it auto switches off, so can't trace the fault.

One need to know if neutral at switch, and two will you want any other smart devices? If for example using Honeywell EvoHome for heating it makes sense to use their light switch, that why I am using Energenie because I am using Nest and the two work together.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lunvon-Pro...ch&qid=1572961265&smid=A3EUZC2WRBLJFL&sr=8-14

 

[d000hg]

Oh we do use EvoHome. I didn't know they did switches too.
To be honest control via app is low on my list, if it's included then fine but I'd rather have a switch that works well than a fancy one that does 20 things badly