Need Advice on a Wiring Project (UK)

[JDRoberts]

You can’t trick it.

Remember that your goal at each step is not just to turn a particular switch on. It is to maintain the fire and electrical safety of your entire home while turning that switch on. So don’t even start thinking about trying to trick switches.

There are multiple options available. They are covered in the UK lighting FAQ.

VFAQ: Lighting Control Options for UK SmartThings

There are many forum discussions of possible lighting control options for the UK. Before we get too theoretical, I just wanted to do a quick recap of the options that are available right now for those in the UK. 1) Choose one of the inside-the-wall micro relays from the official compatibility list and have it installed on the circuit where there is a third wire. Even if there isn’t a third wire in the switchbox itself, there’s still one on the circuit somewhere. It may be at the ceiling fitting, it may be somewhere else in the wall, but it is there. https://www.smartthings.com/uk/compatible-products [image] If you want to add a new faceplate to create a push button “momentary switch,” you can modify many switches to work with the in wall relay. Plastic button front plates are quite…

They fall into the following major categories:

One) there is a neutral on the circuit somewhere, it’s just not necessarily at the switchbox. So you can use an in wall relay. That works just fine. You may need an electrician’s help to figure out exactly where to put it, but it will work.

2. you can use smart bulbs, and use alternatives to load-controlling wall switches. Motion sensors, handheld remote, battery-operated switches, voice, there are quite a few options.

3. you can use one of the switch options that does work with two wire, such as lightwave RF or Lutron, and then either just have that as a separate system, not combined with smart things. Or use one of the bridging options. The problem with the bridging options is that they tend introduce lag. So it just comes down to particular use case. For lights that are outdoors, or more commonly used with a non-switch controller like those from category two, this might be all you need.

Four) you can continue to ask SmartThings to come up with a better integration with lightwave RF or Lutron. Personally, I’d really like to see Lutron integration. It would solve a lot of problems for a lot of people in both geographic regions. But obviously it’s not up to me.

So for right now, there are options that exist that are both safe to implement and will meet many use cases. It just depends on each household’s specific needs.