Total newbie help needed.
Existing Set up is non-smart 3 gang switch in hall controlling hall light, porch light and landing lights.
The landing light is “2-way” with the hall switch with a single gang on the landing to control the landing lights.
I want to replace the 3 gang with a smart switch (UK) - ideally SmartThings compatible. I think I would also need to make the landing 1 gang smart too?
Need help to identify UK switch options (no neutral) and any “plumbing” needed in SmartThings. I have reached a point of complete confusion after days of hunting and reading.
Any and all help / pointers / solutions gratefully received.
Unfortunately, your timing makes this more complicated than one would hope.
Smartthings is right now in the middle of a huge transition from one architecture (which was groovy-based) to a completely new architecture. And when I say in the middle, that’s exactly what I mean: not all of the features of the old architecture are yet enabled in the new architecture.
And very specifically, one of the things which is not yet enabled is multi gang zigbee or Z wave switches.
So there are some 3 gang switch models which have been very popular with the old architecture, but at the moment they all require custom code and there’s no way of knowing if or when they will work with the new architecture.
So…
Since I personally wouldn’t be investing in brand new switches right now if I didn’t have high confidence they would continue to work after a few months, I think the following are your best options
just wait. About a year from now we will know a great deal more about both matter support and how smartthings is going to handle multi gang switches in the new architecture. Either of those might come sooner, say in about six months, but no promises. But if you wait, you should have a lot more choices and an easier integration.
go with lightwave RF. This is a well-established home automation brand in the UK, and the manufacturer does provide their own smartthings integration. This is a cloud to cloud integration, so you don’t have to worry about what’s happening with the new architecture, you won’t need edge drivers for it. (That’s the new stuff that doesn’t support multi gang switches at this time.) They do have a triple gang option as well as some other forms. Standard UK style. They aren’t the least expensive option, but the least expensive options don’t work with the new architecture right now. Lightwave RF does not require a neutral wires for all installations, although then load and features may vary a bit. They recommend a “virtual two way” where one master switch tells another master switch what to do via the home automation network. This normally works quite well with this brand. They also have very good customer support.
you could try going with Aeotec in wall modules behind the switches, and they do have some models which don’t require neutrals, but I’m not sure you can get three in one switchbox. You might be able to do it with two modules, one which could handle two switches and then a third single, but that does start to get complicated. Well it’s true that This runs into the same issue of the new architecture not supporting multi gang switches, since Aeotec is now the hardware partner for smartthings in the UK I do feel that it is likely that their modules will be among the first to be available on the new architecture. But no guarantees, so there’s a definite risk in going this route. I just think it’s a bit less risky than some of the other brands.
You may get lots of suggestions about various inexpensive models that currently work with custom groovy code. The problem with all of these is not knowing when/if they will work with the new architecture. So that’s an entirely different kind of risk.
I know none of that is what you wanted to hear, it honestly is just a timing issue. A year ago or a year from now there would probably be several good options. I just don’t know what the options will be for the new architecture.
Yup, what @JDRoberts says. Right now in the middle of changing things over so best to just step back take a deep breath pop open a beer and/or diet coke and relax until they finish killing off things and replacing them.
Note
Bulbs grow in ground correct terminology is lamp but lamp just confuses most people
BUT, doing so will probably involve using WiFi bulbs and another app that connects to ST
You initially connect the bulbs to the other app and once done you connect that app to ST through cloud integration
A popular choice is using Tuya compatible bulbs and subsequent Tuya app, the bulbs MUST be listed as SmartThings compatible, we use 2 RGBW B22 wifi bulbs in side lamps in the front room and 2 RGBW wifi B22 bulbs in a bedroom, all controled with ST or Echo
Cloud integration has always been solid
The caveats, always leaving the switches on and no one switching them off and wifi signal strength
At the end of the day, if the ST integration and complexity becomes untenable, just use Echo routines or voice control to take care of the automations
Or and this depends on many things such as local power source and staircase construction, you could put an LED strip up the stairs, I had a strip hanging around which was annoying me, I wanted to use them somewhere… so I stuck them to the underside of the upright spindle carrier, controled by a zigbee inline switch and ST, we now rarely use the landing light
No question is too stupid to ask, trust me I’m guilty of many a stupid question
If you need any help at any point just throw it out there, hopefully you will be drawn into the world of finding answers to problems that probably don’t exist
@gcor71
I have in one location exactly the same 3-gang requirement as you with one of them being for a staircase. In fact it might even be slightly more complex as one is the hall, one the staircase and one an outdoor security light.
The outdoor light is not dimmable, this tends to rule out LightWaveRF as they only do dimmers and not switches.
As suggested by @JDRoberts I am leaning towards using micro modules. It would in theory be possible to then mix a switch, a single location dimmer and a dimmer for a staircase.
I plan to fit the micro modules above the ceiling roses and hence solve the space problem. For the staircase you would wire both switches/dimmers to the same micro module.
From a Smartthings point of view it currently seems Aeotec micro modules would be the best choice.
Whilst there maybe ways to avoid the need for neutrals at the switch I intend to do a full rewire at the same time and add neutrals. I would use momentary wall switches which look like standard switches.
About a year from now we will know a great deal more about both matter support and how smartthings is going to handle multi gang switches in the new architecture. Either of those might come sooner, say in about six months, but no promises. But if you wait, you should have a lot more choices and an easier integration.
