Smart light switch question

[KrizzyB]

I have seen this fancy android smart screen that can be installed in the wall like a light switch and I was wondering how hard it would be to wire it up?

My house has a standard lighting circuit, no neutral. The device (pictured below) requires a live and neutral. It does not operate as a traditional "switch", it is basically a mini-tablet that would use software to control the lights via a smart home hub.

Would this device work if it was just wired up to the cables in the light switch box? I know it would mean that the ceiling light would always be live, but this is desirable since it needs to have power to be able to be triggered by a smart home hub anyway. Or would that not work?

Failing this, how hard is it to get neutrals installed in the lighting circuit? I live in a 1950s era house with brick walls throughout so cable chasing is a messy job.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[ProDave]

So what will switch the light once you have removed the switch and fitted this panel?

Assuming the switch drop is connected to the light fitting (loop at light) then it is simple to convert the former switch drop to a L&N feed at the light fitting but first you have to work out what will turn the light on in place of the switch and where you will mount that.

Personally I see this as a "solution looking for a problem" How can fiddling with a touch screen panel to turn a light on and off be easier than just flicking a switch?

 

[KrizzyB]

So what will switch the light once you have removed the switch and fitted this panel?

Assuming the switch drop is connected to the light fitting (loop at light) then it is simple to convert the former switch drop to a L&N feed at the light fitting but first you have to work out what will turn the light on in place of the switch and where you will mount that.

Personally I see this as a "solution looking for a problem" How can fiddling with a touch screen panel to turn a light on and off be easier than just flicking a switch?

I already have a Phillips Hue Dimmer fitted to the wall, which is a battery powered Zigbee switch that triggers multiple lights in the room. The wires behind the switch are connected together with a little choc box, so the power to the ceiling light is always live. This allows the battery powered switch to trigger the ceiling light by pressing the correct button, or the light can be turned on with Alexa.

I understand this is complex, however I want a smart home set up that allows me to control lights remotely, by voice command, as well as in the room. The touch panel allows me to not only turn on and off multiple lights, but allows me to set colours, moods, and display other data like temperature and humidity.

I just need to know if I can power it without having to tear my house apart.

 

[ProDave]

Unscrew the cover from your ceiling rose and post a picture of the wiring inside it.

 

[BorisJ]

I already have a Phillips Hue Dimmer fitted to the wall, which is a battery powered Zigbee switch that triggers multiple lights in the room. The wires behind the switch are connected together with a little choc box, so the power to the ceiling light is always live. This allows the battery powered switch to trigger the ceiling light by pressing the correct button, or the light can be turned on with Alexa.

I understand this is complex, however I want a smart home set up that allows me to control lights remotely, by voice command, as well as in the room. The touch panel allows me to not only turn on and off multiple lights, but allows me to set colours, moods, and display other data like temperature and humidity.

I just need to know if I can power it without having to tear my house apart.

Great, until your internet goes down, then you can’t control anything.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I have seen this fancy android smart screen that can be installed in the wall like a light switch and I was wondering how hard it would be to wire it up?

My house has a standard lighting circuit, no neutral. The device (pictured below) requires a live and neutral. It does not operate as a traditional "switch", it is basically a mini-tablet that would use software to control the lights via a smart home hub.

Would this device work if it was just wired up to the cables in the light switch box? I know it would mean that the ceiling light would always be live, but this is desirable since it needs to have power to be able to be triggered by a smart home hub anyway. Or would that not work?

Failing this, how hard is it to get neutrals installed in the lighting circuit? I live in a 1950s era house with brick walls throughout so cable chasing is a messy job.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

If the manufactures instructions say it needs a neutral, then I would think it needs a neutral to work correctly.

 

[KrizzyB]

Unscrew the cover from your ceiling rose and post a picture of the wiring inside it.

Attached

 

[KrizzyB]

Great, until your internet goes down, then you can’t control anything.

In an amateur set up maybe, but I have built my own system using a Raspberry Pi server. So if the internet goes down everything still works.

 

[ProDave]

Attached

How competent do you feel?

That blue wire on the far left with brown tape on it. Move that to the right hand set of terminals with the other blue wires.

That will give you L and N at the switch. N.B. DO NOT connect a switch to it now, and remove the terminal block shorting it presently.

The far left brown wire that goes to the light will now not be powered, that needs to move over into the centre set of terminals with all the brown wires.

But what actually switches the light, don't tell me you are using "smart lights" i.e. lights with a wifi switch built in? That sounds like another bad idea, when the light fails you have to scrap the whole thing and program the replacement.

 

[johnb2713]

How competent do you feel?

That blue wire on the far left with brown tape on it. Move that to the right hand set of terminals with the other blue wires.

That will give you L and N at the switch. N.B. DO NOT connect a switch to it now, and remove the terminal block shorting it presently.

The far left brown wire that goes to the light will now not be powered, that needs to move over into the centre set of terminals with all the brown wires.

What a great reply, explicit and absolutely spot on.

Dont forget to switch the power off first before moving the wires.

 

[ProDave]

What a great reply, explicit and absolutely spot on.

Dont forget to switch the power off first before moving the wires.

And one more thing, keep that photo safe so if you ever want to put it back to working with a normal switch you can put it back exactly as in the photo.

 

[KrizzyB]

And one more thing, keep that photo safe so if you ever want to put it back to working with a normal switch you can put it back exactly as in the photo.

So just to clarify so I know i am doing the right thing, is the diagram below correct as to what you have asked me to do?

 

[johnb2713]

The brown wire at the left hand side would also need moving to join the other brown wires too.

 

[KrizzyB]

The brown wire at the left hand side would also need moving to join the other brown wires too.

Ah of course! Otherwise the lamp would not have a circuit

Thank you very much guys! You have been amazingly helpful.