Smart Switches for lights

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Hi folks,

I'm installing smart Switches in the living room where they will control the led downlights separately over the dining table and living area.

My question is:
- Whether the Smart Switches are installed to the existing light switch or the always on feed?

At first, I thought Id install it to the switched feed so I can isolate the power to them when we are away or at night but then didn't want to go through the hassle or always having to switch one off or having to connect to WiFi each time..

Sorry new to Smart Switches so wanted advice.

Thanks in advance
 
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Are you fitting smart switches that can work with out the neutral wire, or are you adding a neutral wire? There aren't many than can work with dimming LEDs and no N wire.
 
The smart switches I'm using don't require earth..

Typo corrected, thanks to EFL
 
Last edited:
I have smart switches, smart relays, and smart light bulbs, each has there place. The smart switch comes in two versions with and without neutral, the latter some times causes problems with flashing when off and a shimmer when on, the flashing when off is cured by a load capacitor load-capacitor.jpg the shimmer when on by selecting bulbs, the smaller the bulb more likely the problems the G9 G9-comp.jpg shown the large bulb has a smoothing capacitor inside nearly as big as the small bulb, the problem is I have a collection of G9 bulbs tried before I found some which worked.

Using a smart relay DSC_6061.jpg is one way to switch where no neutral at the switch so both switch and smart controller can both control light. Also allows one to split the control in my case 1, 4, or 5 bulbs lit.

However the easy method must be the smart bulb, main thing any fault easy to change, no wiring, and no matching bulb to switch, nearly every smart switch has a list of bulbs that are claimed to work, I say claimed as the G9 listed as working OK did not.

Clearly with multi-bulbs in a chandelier smart bulbs are expensive, smart switches are cheaper, and the smart switch and relay allows both control with smart device and the switch, but in the main I now use smart bulbs, not worth the hassle finding out what bulbs will work with the switch and swapping switch when it fails, of the 5 smart switches I bought only 2 still in use.
 
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That's very useful, cheers..

This is what I'm going to use:
IMG_20220214_120056.jpg

3 downlights to one switch over the dining area and 6 over the living area with another switch on.

Just want to check whether to wire it from the existing on and off switch? I'm suspecting when I switch it on, both dining and living rooms ones would come on (unless the switch remembers it need to start with the off state)
 
I have some very similar looking Switches from Sonoff.
Can't see what make yours are.

They are wired between the Feed to the Lamp and the Lamp.
The Standard Wall Switches are left on.

Three in the Kitchen. More elsewhere.
Some Feeds power more than one Lamp. Some are individually powered from Separate Switches.
All Wall Switches left on.
The Lamps are switched on via Alexa Voice Command 'Turn on Cabinet One' to just switch One Lamp on or 'Turn on Kitchen Lights' to turn on the whole Kitchen Group.

I am not an Electrician.
If you hide them in the Ceiling or Wall, you may need to put them into Enclosures.
 
Thanks @mcprinter .. if you ever turn off the switch on wall, when you turn on, do all lights come on or does it remember the last position?

If the answer to that is yes, I can wire them to the existing switch, if not then best to wire them to unswitched feed
 
Well spotted @EFLImpudence

It's a typo.. I meant Earth..

The point about Neutral confused matters..

I just needed to understand the behaviour of a smart switch when powered thorough an existing light switch.
 
Well spotted @EFLImpudence ... It's a typo.. I meant Earth.. The point about Neutral confused matters.. I just needed to understand the behaviour of a smart switch when powered thorough an existing light switch.
The point is that most 'existing light switches' do not have a neutral available and, if that's the case with yours, then you cannot use a 'smart' switch like you have unless you run additional cabling to the switch to provide a neutral.

Kind Regards, John
 
Ah ok, I will be using the Neutral fronm the existing light circuit.

I have 2 options:
1- Use the switch live and neutral from the existing circuit (this would mean the power to the smart switches could be isolated e.g at night or when going on holiday)

2- Use the feed cable which is always on live and neutral from the existing circuit (this would mean the smart switches will always be powered)
 
Thanks @mcprinter .. if you ever turn off the switch on wall, when you turn on, do all lights come on or does it remember the last position?

If the answer to that is yes, I can wire them to the existing switch, if not then best to wire them to unswitched feed

Just tested mine :)
2 Cabinet Lights on the same Wall Switch with 2 different Wi-Fi Switches..
Switch one Cabinet off via Alexa
Turn off Wall Switch (this cuts Power to both Wi-Fi Switches). Both Lights off (obviously!)
Wall Switch back on. Both Lights off.

As John W says, you are unlikely to have a Neutral at the Wall Switch.
Mine are connected to the Neutral and Switched Live that were previously connected to the Light.
 
Thanks @mcprinter .. this is super useful..

This means the switches don't remember the last sort of command, because:
1- before switching off the wall switch you had one cabinet off (via Alexa) and the other one was on.
2- upon switching on the wall switch you had both smart switches off..

Effectively, if the smart switch stored the last position, one was off one on.
 
It means my Sonoff Wi-Fi Switches defaulted to off when power to them was turned off and back on within about 30 Secs.
Can't confirm what would happen if they were left off for a longer period of Days/Weeks.

Other Switches may behave differently. I think our Hue Bulbs Switch on when powered down then up.

I have 6 of the Sonoff and no problems other than the Sonoff (or Ewelink) Server went down meaning none of them worked for a few Hours.
 
My smart bulbs default on, my smart sockets, light switches, and relay default off.
The relay I used DSC_6058.jpg DSC_6060.jpg DSC_6061.jpg DSC_6062.jpg Landing-light-relay-instructions1.jpg Landing-light-relay-instructions2.jpg has an extra low voltage connection for the switch, so still mounted with the lamp, but the light switch still works it does not matter if switch is off or on it looks for change of state so works like a two way switch with the phone app.

I connected it to test, but need special ladder to fit it so waiting for my son to install the light for me. At 70 not good on ladders.

I found the remote controls Remote control.jpg work well, have one at side of bed, but the phone it is a real pain starting the app and waiting for it to work, seems faster on wife's phone, we have one remote control from a Lidi three spot light lighting bar Lidi-remote.jpg that will work with the zigbee lights, however not sold alone, and not found any simple remote controls on internet, they tend to do a lot more, like this Lampandremote.jpg and not really suitable for use in the dark.
 

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