Smart light bulbs with Fibaro dimmer 2

(Daan) #1

Hi guys, I am renovating my house and now have multiple groups of Ikea (smart) Tradfri light bulbs integrated in the ceiling. Because everything in the house is stripped I can decide where and how I want to do the switches and wiring.

With the smart light bulbs I have full control over every single bulb through my hub (Homey). However I also want to have control (mostly for visitors) through ‘normal’ (momentary) switches. I bought some Fibaro 2 dimmers for this. However If I directly connect the dimmer 2 on the light bulbs I have 2 dimmers in a row (the fibaro dimmer and the dimmer inside every light bulb), which I’ve been told will not work well.

So the plan was to wire the lights ‘always on’ and then make use of double momentary switches with a Fibaro Dimmer 2 and assign both switches through the hub with different groups of light bulbs and several dim levels associated to 1x click/2x click/3x click (or just use the dimmer function of the momentary pulse switches that communicate through the hub with the associated light bulbs).

Would this be possible? Note: the switches won’t be connected to any light bulbs physically. I would then use the Fibaro bypass instead of the light bulb that would normally be connected.

I’ve already checked out multiple threads, including the following one, but cannot find a specific answer to my question. FAQ: Philips Hue and Other Smart Bulbs - What sort of light switches to use with them? (Long FAQ)

Hope you guys can help!

(Robin) #2

This is a SmartThings forum, not Homey… but it’s intresting to know the Fibaros and Fibaro Scenes work nicely with Homey.

You don’t need the bypass, that’s only to allow for certain loads… just connect the Fibaro to live and neutral, leaving switch live disconnected. Hard wire the bulb to permenant live.

Whatever you do, as you’ve already ascertained, don’t control the smart bulbs directly in series with the Fibaro!

(Robin) #3
(Daan) #4

Thanks a lot for the quick reply Robin! I already read your quoted text before I started this topic and it made me think to wire all light groups to a main panel with simple switches that is hidden in a closet somewhere (this is already partly done in the current situation). Here I will then have the ‘fish keys’ to be able to turn off all the lights (for safety reasons). They will however of course be turned on by default.

Then the only thing that I need to know is whether it is possible to use both S1 and S2 on the dimmer 2 to send the scene IDs in the setup you mentioned (with a double pulse switch in front of it). Also when I bought the dimmers I was told that if I don’t connect any lights to the dimmer I would always need the Fibaro bypass module. But in your mentioned setup, without connecting the switch to live this indeed doesn’t seem needed then?

Thanks again for the interesting advice.

(Robin) #5

You don’t need the bypass AFIK but then I’ve only ever used S2 in this configuration… I guess it’s possible the device will throw up a load fault when S1 is turned on, but the only way to kow for sure is for you to do a bit of bench testing.

Bench testing is also important for you to decide if you can live with the delay between switch and action… which could be several seconds in a worst case scenario, usually 1-2 seconds. Compared to the regular instant response from a switch it would certainly drive me crazy!!

You’ll also be loosing the failsafe of dumb operation if the hub / internet goes down… Your bulbs will be uncontrollable in this event.

I’m not sure if the ikea bulbs are capable of zwave 5 association but one option could be direct association between fibaro and bulbs, giving an instant response.

Personally I’d loose the smart bulbs and use the Fibaros as they are intended.

(Borristhecat) #6

As @RobinWinbourne said

I’m currently experiencing this at the moment so as I’m doing the same as you @Daang (currently rewiring and doing up my home). I’m having a mix of both smart lamps (where I really need or want them) and smart switches that way I get the local processing that’s needed in most rooms but with the extras of smart lamps. I’m doing this by for example in a bedroom my centre light is a smart lamp but my down lights around the room are dum LEDs straight off the fibaros dimmers switch line then the S2 input will control the smart lamp.

I do have other areas with only RGBW controllers and smart lamps but for these areas I’m using the fibaro Universal sensor as these have 2 input contacts. I then use CoRE to trigger the lights and these are cheap and have been working perfectly untill you lose internet :frowning:. They need a 12v to them though but as you can also have temp sensors connected to them I double them up as house thermostats. I’ve been testing a new DH for these and it brilliant

(Daan) #7

Thanks guys for the input! In the end I’ve decided to use Fibaro dimmers where dumb light are present. I can then still use S2 for a group of smart lights. Where there are only smart lights I use a WallMote Quad to be able to control them.

When I’ve got it all setup I’ll try to post my findings here. Especially the possible delay from Wallmote to the smart lights.