Options for splitting existing series of lights onto 2 switches - no new wiring

Devices & Integrations
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Hello everyone. I am new here and hopefully, this hasn’t been answered as I didn’t find anything in searches.

We have one of those “bonus” rooms above our garage, it’s currently one big room with 6 lights all on one switch. Attempting to get up to the wiring is nearly impossible.

I am looking for options such that I can use the existing switch if possible for the first 3 lights and then a wall mounted battery powered switch w/ some type of smart bulb. I may need to replace the existing switch and/or wire it so the lights always have power and have two new battery powered switches.

I have solid wifi but I would prefer something that wasn’t dependent on wifi if a solid solution exists.

Thank you.

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First off, you need to tell us where you are! Solutions will depend on local regulations and wiring codes…

2 Likes
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This forum is for people using the Samsung smartthings home automation platform. So to begin with we need to ask you three questions:

One) what version of Samsung smartthings hub are you using? (Different models have somewhat different features)

Two) what version of the Samsung mobile app are you using? (Again, different features)

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Three) And, as was mentioned, we need to know geographically where you live, just the country is enough.

OK, all of that said, by far the easiest way to do what you are asking is just to use smart lightbulbs with whatever controller is appropriate.

If you are using a Samsung smartthings hub, you will have a number of different choices as far as how you set this up and in the battery operated switches you can use.

If by chance you don’t have a smartthings hub (this is a very active forum and tends to come up near the top in Google searches on general home automation topics), you can also do it just with the Phillips hue bridge and switches which are compatible to it, but you will have many fewer choices than with the SmartThings platform.

Using smart bulbs will not require any re-wiring, and you will have the option to set up any combination of zones that you like.

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If you are unable to split the lights into two different circuits, electrically, you may have to run smart bulbs with buttons to turn on scenes.

But, if you are able to get a wire from the switch location to the first set of three, you could pull the first three out and connect the wires between them and just rewire the first three lights. Not knowing the construction, I cannot give better advice.

If you do not want to use smart bulbs, and do not having wiring access, you just have to cut holes and do patch work after you are finished.

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Thank you all. I’m located in the midwest of the US. I currently do not have any smartthings devices.