Smart light switch

All electrical lighting questions in here please. Including outside lighting and light switch / dimmer questions.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
Soho
Newly registered Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:03 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 0

Smart light switch

Post by Soho »

I’ve decided to change our dining room light switch to a smart WiFi (Alexa operated) light switch. My problem is that my current switch is a single gang 1 way socket with just two red wires in the back. One wire goes to com and the other goes to 1 way. Unfortunately the switch that has arrived has 3 terminals which are a N in, L in and an L out. Is this possible to wire or not and if it is possible how on earth do I wire it?
Attachments
90D552BD-4734-4AD0-AB71-5D900C3A60C2.jpeg
90D552BD-4734-4AD0-AB71-5D900C3A60C2.jpeg (392.53 KiB) Viewed 1442 times
F9EE16E5-34A7-40EC-9E7E-16BF928C70AA.jpeg
F9EE16E5-34A7-40EC-9E7E-16BF928C70AA.jpeg (264.72 KiB) Viewed 1442 times
User avatar
etaf
Senior Member
Posts: 960
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 10:27 am
Location: West Sussex, on coast
Has thanked: 38 times
Been thanked: 152 times

Smart light switch

Post by etaf »

that switch is looking for a Neutral, and so will NOT work with the wiring you currently have available.
you maybe able to get a smart switch now which only needs the live wire to work

This is not a recommendation as never used
BUT just an example of a smart switch , which does NOT need a neutral
https://wifi-smart-home.co.uk/smart-wi- ... oogle-home
These users thanked the author etaf for the post:
Soho (Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:25 pm)
Rating: 7.14%
Simple DIYer
Wayne
User avatar
ericmark
Senior Member
Posts: 4276
Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 2:43 am
Location: Mid Wales
Has thanked: 118 times
Been thanked: 783 times

Smart light switch

Post by ericmark »

I know my Energenie switches don't need a neutral, and I think lightwave also work without a neutral, however there is a problem, a little power goes through the bulb all the time to work the switch, with a BA22d light bulb designed for dimming the neutral less switches work OK, but with the smaller bulbs like the G9 bulb there is not enough current through the bulbs when off to work the switch, so they tend to flash when switched off, to stop this you have to fit a 4 uf capacitor in the lamp, if there is enough room for it, also some bulbs can develop a shimmer or fast pulsing not a clue why or how to stop it, other than swapping bulbs, had it in my bedroom and swapped the GU10 bulbs with kitchen and it stopped it.

As to controlling have you seen the Santander Bank advert and Stan, it would be funny if it was not true, we have Nest Mini to listen to radio, in theory it can switch lights on/off as well, in practice if I say hello google turn off radio 4, it will some times reply turning off 5 switches and the lights go out, so I will say hello google turn lights back on, and it says I don't know how to do that yet, it is like having the grand children in the house, and with the grand children they have worked out how to set timers, so after they have left and we have gone to bed, the darn radio switches on.

I like the remote control that comes with Energenie hardly ever use the phone, I can go to bed, pick up remote and turn off lights. Also turn them back on again, easier than wiring up two way lighting. As to setting the lights to auto come on when temperature drops to 17 degs C, why would I want to? Having the wall thermostat auto turn down heating when we leave the house and auto turn it back up before we return great, but hardly need the TRV heads to also have geofencing, although they have, as if boiler not running they will not heat the house.

The problem is lights, sockets, and central heating TRV valves all use the same hub, so what ever system you go for, it needs to do it all, be it Hive, EvoHome, Nest, Energenie, Lightwave or any other set of smart devices, you have to look at all the devices not just one. At around £50 for the hub, you don't want a bank of hubs you just want one, so you have to consider heating, cooling, lighting, and entertainment all together.
User avatar
Soho
Newly registered Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:03 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 0

Smart light switch

Post by Soho »

Thought I’d just update my findings. I decided to wire it up just to see what would happen and it resulted in the lights flashing (pulsing). So definitely no good and there was also no wireless signal from the switch. Guess I’ll be selling them and buying some that don’t require a neutral.
User avatar
Someone-Else
Senior Member
Posts: 14709
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:03 pm
Has thanked: 47 times
Been thanked: 2590 times

Smart light switch

Post by Someone-Else »

I am not surprised they didn't work, you had already been told that, but I have to say thanks, it's because of you we wrote This page so you can be happy knowing that indirectly you have helped others. :-)

Also as the link points out, you could use philips hue lamps.
Above are my opinions Below is my signature.

Would you hit a nail with a shoe because you don't have a hammer? of course not, then why work on anything electrical without a means of testing Click Here to buy a "tester" just because it works, does NOT mean it is safe.

:mrgreen: If gloom had a voice, it would be me.

:idea1: Click Here for a video how to add/change pictures


Inept people use the QUOTE BUTTON instead of the QUICK REPLY section :-)
Post Reply

Return to “Lighting”