Here’s a weird one…
I need a switch that’s powered thru 230V mains, but that only controls wireless devices (bulbs), preferably Hue but as long as it links to SmartThings I’m ok.
I found this, but it controls local loads: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B07ZCLYSK7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_O5gEFbZP24069
I don’t know of any yet that match that requirement. The ones for the
US only came out in the last year, so hopefully the future will see more of these for the European market.
Meanwhile Europe is far ahead of the US in batteryfree kinetic energy Wall switches, most notably the “Friends of Hue” group. These are available from multiple brands. They require a hue bridge and do not work with SmartThings. However, since SmartThings can control the bulbs themselves via the hue bridge, the switches just become a parallel means of control. So they work well for many people, but I don’t know if they match your particular case.
The other alternative is to use one of the dual micros where the second “switch” is intended Only for scene control and then wire it so the first “switch” is not connected to the circuit. That way the micro sends a message to the hub and the hub sends a message to the bulbs.
Technically this can work, the problem is that it may not meet local safety code. For example, in England code requires that the main wall switch in a room control the current to the ceiling light. This is for safety reasons so that when that switch is OFF, the current is also off to the ceiling rose. You can have a secondary switch in the same room that is wired differently, but meeting code all gets pretty complicated.
(In the US, safety codes are very different, which is why in most places In the US you are allowed to wire a switch to bypass The actual lights, leaving them always on power. But again, that method is not allowed in England. I don’t know the details of the various EU countries, but at least some of them are similar to England in this regard. )
So you just need to check your own local safety codes first to see if you are required to have a working “off” switch for the current in each room.
You might be able to get around this requirement by using a dual gang switch, wiring the circuit to the first switch and then putting a child guard on it, and wiring the scene control to the second switch. That would give you a wall switch that controlled the bulbs without cutting the current whilst still possibly meeting a safety code requirement for an available off switch. But you would have to check local code requirements.
Here’s a typical switch guard:
As always, JD’s insight very helpful!!!
I’m looking into kinetic switches… thanks!!