A relay... that also has a hardwired switch?

Devices & Integrations Connected Things
1

I’m thinking of ways that I can connect my gas fireplace.

Right now there is a physical switch that when turn on lights up the fireplace. When you turn off, it shuts off the gas and turns it off. Looking at the wiring and it appears to be a pretty straight forward setup: The switch is connected to a couple of contacts in the base of the fireplace. It would be a pretty easy process to simply insert a z-wave relay (such as the http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006U1O978/ref=cm_sw_su_dp) to take over this process. It does NOT appear that this is main line voltage at.

But here’s the problem… I don’t want to eliminate the switch as an option. I’d still like the switch to be able to turn on or off the fireplace… which means I need the switch to turn on or off the relay. So what I need is a z-wave relay that electronically opens or closes a circuit but also allows for an external switch to open or close the electronic circuit.

Does such an animal exist?

2

Can you use a normal in-wall Z-Wave switch?

3

Not really… not for this area. The fireplace has a black metal “shield” around it and the switch is a small on/off switch mounted on the shield. Probably about a centimeter tall and half that wide. Putting a large white switch here would involve a lot of metal cutting and would look quite out of place.

Plus it isn’t house current running on this switch so doubt there’s enough to power up the switch.

Plus plus it’s simple on/off… there’s no neutral here. I could get access to a neutral, but I don’t know how it would effect things running a small current though the switch out to a regular neutral.

I’m pretty sure that I’m going to have to replace the on/off switch with a momentary push button on the side of the fireplace, and I’m okay with that. I’m sure I can find a small enough one to fit that area. But a regular in-wall switch isn’t going to work here.

4

You should post a pic of what it looks like because now I’m curious :stuck_out_tongue:

5

Maybe get an aeon micro switch and use it as a 3 way switch? You can hide it behind the old switch as well.

6

The aeon micro is a good idea, however I doubt the existing switch is an spdt, and without that it won’t work in a three way.
The existing switch could be connected to the aeon in toggle mode, then run a 120v relay (or an ssr) off the aeon to control the fireplace, the aeon still needs 120v ac to run though.

If this fireplace has a fan in it, then it would have 120 going to it somewhere…