Smart light switches

[Rocket-Boy]

The local qualitel is fine but requires neutral. The sonoff also requires a neutral?


The light guard switches are for the switches I cannot replace with smart switches. For these I use smart light bulbs. Therefore need light guard switches.

Sonoff does require a neutral, they have a unit that doesnt require neutral but then its only single switch.
Either way I would suggest flashing with Tasmota which is fine on the Sonoff's, I dont know the Qualitel units but Im assuming they are just rebranded Tuya.

 

[hj2k_x]

Sonoff does require a neutral, they have a unit that doesnt require neutral but then its only single switch.
Either way I would suggest flashing with Tasmota which is fine on the Sonoff's, I dont know the Qualitel units but Im assuming they are just rebranded Tuya.

Adding a neutral shouldn't be too difficulty for an electrician, though? It's just running one more wire? Or so some light Googling would suggest...

 

[Rocket-Boy]

I just wish it was a physical button on the T1 and not a touch panel. It requires you to actually look at the panel to switch the light on.

Which is why I've gone with physical light switches and sonoff mini's instead.

I had wondered about that before I got the switches.
Now its second nature to just press the right area, the switches can also be illuminated at night if you set them that way.

 

[SAguy]

Adding a neutral shouldn't be too difficulty for an electrician, though? It's just running one more wire? Or so some light Googling would suggest...

You'll also find that often your neutral is passing through the inspection box above the switch on it's way to the light fixture

 

[hj2k_x]

You'll also find that often your neutral is passing through the inspection box above the switch on it's way to the light fixture

Which makes it easier to re-route to a sonoff switch?

 

[SAguy]

Which makes it easier to re-route to a sonoff switch?

yeah, you can just cut it in the inspection box and splice it down the conduit to the light switch.

disclaimer: If you know what you're doing. Electricity can kill you if you don't.

 

[The_Ogre]

Forgive me if this is a daft question but if the light is switched on at the switch and then you turn it off through the WiFi, and then turn it on again at the switch, is the switch in the "on" position, meaning you flick the switch "off" to turn the light on?

It's all software based. If the light is on, the software illuminates the button and vice versa. No matter if you've used Google Assistant, scenes, physically pressed the button or sent a command from the cloud to your house. So for example if you use a scene on your bedroom switch to turn on a light in the garage, the light in the garage will go on and the button on that switch will illuminate to inform you (which is redundant if you think about it )

 

[hj2k_x]

yeah, you can just cut it in the inspection box and splice it down the conduit to the light switch.

disclaimer: If you know what you're doing. Electricity can kill you if you don't.

Sweet. Yeah, I'm not going to mess around with anything. We have an electrician whom we trust. Just trying to assess level of difficulty and likely cost of installation if I supply all the Sonoff kit.

 

[AxField]

That would be the case yes, but I use the Veti 2 light switches..
They don't have a visible on/off position as they are momentary.
View attachment 922879

So far they are the only off the shelf momentary light switches I've found (and cheapest)

You could still use normal latching switches. You can set up Tasmota to toggle the light on state change of a latching switch. In other words, it doesn't follow the state of the switch, it toggles when the switch state changes. I only found this out after I replaced all my light switches with smart ones. I could've kept the original 'normal' switches and put Sonoff mini's behind the switches. Only issue with this is that the switch in 'On' state doesn't reflect the state of the light if you had changed the state of the light remotely. Simply changing the state of the switch will toggle the light of course. It's more an aesthetic niggle than a functional one. Anyway, something to consider before ripping out all the original light switches.

 

[SAguy]

You could still use normal latching switches. You can set up Tasmota to toggle the light on state change of a latching switch. In other words, it doesn't follow the state of the switch, it toggles when the switch state changes. I only found this out after I replaced all my light switches with smart ones. I could've kept the original 'normal' switches and put Sonoff mini's behind the switches. Only issue with this is that the switch in 'On' state doesn't reflect the state of the light if you had changed the state of the light remotely. Simply changing the state of the switch will toggle the light of course. It's more an aesthetic niggle than a functional one. Anyway, something to consider before ripping out all the original light switches.

Yeah, it would bug me endlessly if the light switch was the wrong way around. Definitely more an aesthetic thing though, would bug some people more than others.

 

[ShellySA]

They come in charcoal too. I have a post here somewhere in this thread on how I fitted a 3 gang into my wall.
Will give you an idea of what's required.
View attachment 922881
Edit: Not this thread sorry, another one. Will try find it.

These are fancy indeed,
Would imagine to have a decent click at the button

 

[SAguy]

These are fancy indeed,
Would imagine to have a decent click at the button

They cheap cheap... but have a satisfying click when used.

It's biggest upside is also a downside though... From looking at the switch you can't tell if the light is on or off.
So you could maybe leave a light on during the day in a brightly sunlit room if you weren't paying attention.

I have a plan for that though... just need to find the time.

 

[hj2k_x]

They cheap cheap... but have a satisfying click when used.

It's biggest upside is also a downside though... From looking at the switch you can't tell if the light is on or off.
So you could maybe leave a light on during the day in a brightly sunlit room if you weren't paying attention.

I have a plan for that though... just need to find the time.

Other than how many switches you actually need, is there anything else to look out for when shopping for these: https://www.takealot.com/sonoff-t0us-us-plug-wifi-touch-panel-switch-white-2-gang/PLID55397300? Assuming I can arrange a neutral wire with the help of an electrician...

 

[SAguy]

Other than how many switches you actually need, is there anything else to look out for when shopping for these: https://www.takealot.com/sonoff-t0us-us-plug-wifi-touch-panel-switch-white-2-gang/PLID55397300? Assuming I can arrange a neutral wire with the help of an electrician...

That's about it yeah as far as installation goes. First buy 1 and see how it fits into/onto your wall switch boxes, I had to have a little backplate 3d printed to make my install neater.

If you're comfortable wiring a plug onto some wire then you could also get a feel for how it works by plugging it into a normal wall socket and wiring a lamp into the switch. Instead of getting the sparky out, wiring everything and then realising you don't like the interface.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

Other than how many switches you actually need, is there anything else to look out for when shopping for these: https://www.takealot.com/sonoff-t0us-us-plug-wifi-touch-panel-switch-white-2-gang/PLID55397300? Assuming I can arrange a neutral wire with the help of an electrician...

Maybe get one and check that it covers the opening left by the old switch. The Sonoff's are slightly smaller than the old fashion light switches.
Other than that, nothing really. I bought mine from Banggood where they were nice and cheap. I also picked up a couple from Smartkit.
Where you may possibly need to get creative is if you have a 2way switch somewhere. I.e two switches that control a single light. There are things you can do about this if you flash them with Tasmota like utilizing long press actions etc.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

That's about it yeah as far as installation goes. First buy 1 and see how it fits into/onto your wall switch boxes, I had to have a little backplate 3d printed to make my install neater.

If you're comfortable wiring a plug onto some wire then you could also get a feel for how it works by plugging it into a normal wall socket and wiring a lamp into the switch. Instead of getting the sparky out, wiring everything and then realising you don't like the interface.

I must have been typing when you posted that, also had the same experience where some fitted fine and others I had to either print backplates or fill around the holes a bit.

 

[hj2k_x]

That's about it yeah as far as installation goes. First buy 1 and see how it fits into/onto your wall switch boxes, I had to have a little backplate 3d printed to make my install neater.

If you're comfortable wiring a plug onto some wire then you could also get a feel for how it works by plugging it into a normal wall socket and wiring a lamp into the switch. Instead of getting the sparky out, wiring everything and then realising you don't like the interface.

Great. I'm definitely going to give it a try. Thanks for the guidance.

 

[rph72]

That's about it yeah as far as installation goes. First buy 1 and see how it fits into/onto your wall switch boxes, I had to have a little backplate 3d printed to make my install neater.

Please share a pic of the backplate before and after installation. I need something similar for my 9 Qualitel switches.

 

[Saba'a]

Yeah, it's a smooth panel so you actually need to look at it to switch the light on. It's not something you'd ever think would bug you, but it worked on my nerves enough to change my lightswitches and how I want to proceed with smart light switches. I use normal switches now with Sonoff mini's, so end result is smart lights with normal light switches.


Yip, definitely convenient to have voice control. I can't imaging ONLY using voice control though. You'd need an Alexa/Google Home all over the house, or shout across the house to switch lights on... or have your phone on you all the time.

Majority of my lights are smart, and my usage pattern of switching on/off are:
20% automated scenes
20% voice control
60% manually switching lights on and off

Oh ok. Have google devices everywhere and in bedrooms use phones

 

[Saba'a]

Adding a neutral shouldn't be too difficulty for an electrician, though? It's just running one more wire? Or so some light Googling would suggest...

Yep if space in conduit and average cost seems R200 per point.

I'd need 10 points but worth it in long term.