simplest solution

  • Thread starter Thread starter EddieM
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EddieM

Ok, I'll be totally honest here, I have absolutely no interest in home automation, but my partner would like to be able to turn a light on remotely, just 1 light. The time of return to home is variable, so a timer doesn't really suit.

Any solutions?

Best one I can think of is get an LED bulb and leave it permanently on. Or maybe a night time sensor.
 
Someone said they had an led light linked to their wifi and they could control it via their mobile phone.
Hung on i'll find it
 
Don't think so, it says it's compatible, but it can be controlled via the app from anywhere in the world.
 
Hive do a lightbulb which is app controlled

You do know that your missus won't stop at one bulb especially when she starts looking into every else you can control with an app?

I'm with you though , nowt wrong with a good old fashioned switch!
 
sircerebus666 said:
Hive do a lightbulb which is app controlled

You do know that your missus won't stop at one bulb especially when she starts looking into every else you can control with an app?

I'm with you though , nowt wrong with a good old fashioned switch!
Click to expand...

No, neither of us are subscribed to this home automation thing, we feel were still capable of flipping switches.
 
These little jobbies https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product...b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1 are very handy, I've got one for doing exactly the same job- switch the floodlights on outside when I get home late at night. They're all 2 way volt free relays so can be an end of a 2 way switching scenario, the card connects to your home wifi, you control it from the Android/Ios app from anywhere where you've got data. App is free, not brilliant but it isn't rubbish either.
 
I have 5 wifi light switches, one has been fitted into two different rooms (moved house) all same make MiHome Energenie they don't need a neutral and can have up to three remote controls, and if you also get a hub can work timed or with PC, Tablet, or Smart Phone, however not been fully successfully.

With single 12W BA22d LED light bulbs all three rooms set up that way worked A1.
With 5W E14 (SES) x 5 and x 8 every so often it will fail, remove power and switch back on and it will work for another few months without problem, they are non dimmable E14 and should use dimmable so that could be problem, but in the main works well.
With 3 x 5W GU10 bulbs started to flicker, swapped bulb with other GU10 and worked OK after that, note flickered again.
With 5 x 3W G9 bulbs would not switch off, had to add a 4 uf capacitor and even then some times we get the lights flickering.

The Energenie MiHome will work with geofencing so it auto turns one when your near to home, never tried setting it up to do that, and a host of IFTTT functions like switching one with poor weather forecast again never tried it, first one I was really impressed with using a 12 W LED hence why bought another 4, however in hind sight better using a table or standard lamp plugged in to a socket, as with sockets there is a neutral so they work A1 with any load.

There are wifi light switches that use a neutral, and I would guess they would work better, but there is no neutral at switches in my house. Also my system needs a hub, some work without a hub.
 
I have taken two switches out of service, and found some really large G9 LED bulbs which will not allow the defuser to be fitted, but don't flicker, I added Nest Mini's 5 of them, they do what we bought them for, they give us music and radio and very handy if I want to know how to spell a word, where I live no FM radio reception. They have made the record player and CD player redundant. Also no need to raise my voice to talk to wife in another room, hay google broadcast and what I say in the main is repeated in other rooms, however dinners ready some times gets changed to come and get it.

However as to working smart switches it is like a mischievous little boy, when I want it to stop playing music I will say hay google turn off, 9 times out of 10 it works, but some times it will say turning off five switches and all the lights go off, but hay google turn the lights on gets a I don't know how to do that yet.

We added an extension lead into which are plugged in the cabinet lights, that works well, we never used the cabinet lights before too much trouble to turn on, now working on a remote control we actually use them.
 
Shelly 1 in ceiling rose or shelly 1 no neutral in the switch. Keep your switch and existing lamp too...
 
I use four wireless switches at home. I single remote control, with 4x on buttons, 4x off buttons, then 4x 13amp plug in adaptors for the appliances. One operates my main router in the loft, another the outside lights, another my printers in my print room/little office, to save me going up there every time I need to print something, with one spare unit. I keep the remote in the living room, but it has enough range to work anywhere in the house or the garden.
 
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