Home Automation

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Home automation is the residential extension of building automation.

It is automation of the home, housework or household activity.

Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), appliances, security locks of gates and doors and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security.

Warning: Working with electricity can result in injury, property damage, or even death if it is not done properly. Please keep this in mind while assisting others. If you are not sure about what you are doing, hire a licensed professional.

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Smart switch that doesn’t actually switch the power? (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by Walmeister55@alien.top to c/homeautomation@selfhosted.forum

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Sorry if this is a common question, but I’ve tried to research it on my own to no avail.

I have quite a few new smart light bulbs that I use with Alexa. (I use Amazon because my Sonos stuff and clock already had it.) While I love the convience of being able to use my voice or phone, I still find myself habitually using the switches when I walk into and out of a room.

Instead of just 3D printing some switch covers to keep them forever on, I was hoping there would be a smart switch that could trigger an Alexa routine to toggle the lights’ power. Maybe through VoiceMonkey as I use that on my StreamDeck.

The real issue is, I don’t want the switch to stop sending power to the outlet. I want the light to be where the control happens. That way the lights are always responding and ready to go at a moment’s notice rather than needing to reconnect before being able to change brightness/color. Is there any smart switch that does this, or do I need to try to DIY a button near my dumb switch?

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[–] TheOtherPete@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Wouldn't it be an trivial task to rewire the wires going to the current switch so that power is always supplied to the load, regardless of the switch position?

[–] tmillernc@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

This absolutely would work if you don’t have a switch that can be configured to disable the relay. As others have said, there are several of these on the market now.

[–] Walmeister55@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, and I could probably do that myself, except sometimes I find it more convenient (like when I’m on the phone walking around) or just habitual to hit a switch to turn on the lights.

If I were to rewire it, I’d just put a blank face plate on instead of the switch.

AFAIK most of the smart switches are momentary buttons, not actual switches, that activate/switch the relay when the button is pressed or told to through some wireless signal.