Hi, I’m looking for a solution to control (eg on/off, dim, etc) lights at home for an upcoming reno project at HK. Most dealers here are selling Control4 based solutions which is bloody expensive. Given I only want to control my lights, view IP Cam feed, etc I figure the Smart Things Hub would work just fine (let me know if I’m wrong on this). However I am unable to find any compatible switches / wall dimmers listed that works with 220V AC. Any one knows if 1) SmartThings is available (officially) here in HK? 2) Which brand / line of 220 V AC switches / dimmer are available that’d work with Smart Things?
So far SmartThings is only officially available in the US and the UK. And maybe Canada, which uses the US version.
This introduces an immediate problem, as Zwave operates on different frequencies in different geographical regions, and the frequency for Hong Kong is different from that of both the US and the UK.
In some countries it is illegal to use a zwave frequency not specify for that region, as it might interfere with the band reserve for ambulance communications or something else of public interest.
So the first thing you need to do is find out if either the UK or the US zwave frequency is legal to use where you are. (In part because of these legal restrictions, the zwave frequency is set at the time of manufacture, and cannot be changed afterwards. ) if only one is legal, that tells you which model of the hub you need to get.
Selecting Light Controls
The biggest issue with switches is usually the question of whether a neutral wire is available at the switchbox. Most home automation switches, although not all, use the neutral wire to power the home automation radio in the switch so that it will be able to hear the next “on” command from the network even though this switch appears to be off. However, while it is pretty common to have a neutral wire at the switchbox in the US, the same is not true in other countries. So you will see a lot of discussion in the UK category over " two wire" (no neutral) and “three wire” (with a neutral) switch box setups.
As far as specific options , see the UK lighting FAQ for discussion of the various standard options for 220v.
Zigbee Profiles
With regard to zigbee, it is important to note that there are a number of different zigbee “profiles” and they do not all communicate with each other.
Smartthings uses the “zigbee home automation” (ZHA) 1.2 profile. Devices which are also actually certified for that profile are the ones That have the best chance of working with SmartThings. Zigbee devices are very popular in China, but many use a proprietary form which will only work with that brand, and others use zigbee green power or other profiles which will not work with smart things. This also happens in the US. For example, control4 uses a proprietary encoding which does not work with SmartThings. Often these devices will pair to smart things as a “thing” but then cannot be controlled or lose connection every few hours and have to be rejoined to the network. You can find much discussion of this in the forum under threads dedicated to some of the inexpensive Chinese brands like Xioami.
(The smartthings hub is one white plastic box that includes both a Z wave controller and a zigbee Coordinator. )
Hi thanks for the info. So … best thing to do is wait for a version that’d work in China (mainland & HK). Is this on the roadmap for SmartThings?
I’m in Singapore & I’m using the UK hub, of course UK version of Z-Wave switch. It should be fine for you to use the UK version.
Hi can you let me know which model of switch are you using? I need dimmer switch as well that can be controlled / dimmed from more than one locations. Same for regular on / off switches.
Aeon Labs’s switches & dimmers work ok with 220v.
I’m using them for a year in Asia without any problem
Tam Tat I looked at the following site’s product listing but it appears most are saying they will be available sometime in 2016. Is this the company you are using? Where did you buy it?
I bought all of them from amazon.com
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Okay aside from Aeon do we have any other brands that also make products for 220V except Control 4 which is bloody expensive?
I tried searching online but most if not all I found are 120V.
Other 220v switch
I also use some Philips Hue bulbs:
Hue color
Hue white
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-455295-White-Equivalent-Single/dp/B01C5C9ZLK/ref=pd_sim_60_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=21zm%2BiBQ8cL&dpSrc=sims&preST=AC_UL160_SR160%2C160&refRID=0HMETN9BAYERPVTDAQBJ
(they are 110v in spec, but I’ve used them for few months with 220v withour any problem)
That’s all I’ve found so far.
If you find out something else, please share
@titusc
More people on the same boat 
Check it out
Hi @tamttt , I live in Vietnam, too , and of course on the same boat. As you said above, if you use Aeon Labs’s dimmers working with 220v, could you let me know what kind of hub are you using? I’m going to buy a Eu smartthings hub which uses Eu z-wave (864,) and some Aeon labs’ dimmers which also use Eu z-wave (864,) and support 220v? Is that okay? Pls let me know which Hub and which Aeon Labs dimmers you are using. That should be very nice of you if you give me its model number . I’m now just like a boat bloating on the ocean without a compass 
As has been said in this thread already, if you are going to use EU frequency zwave devices, you need a UK hub.
You probably realise this but just thought I would mention it.
I am on the same boat in HK. I have US smartthings hub. I picked US version simply because there are there are soooo many products that fit US frequency. However, for such simple electric on/off operation (maybe status update with hub) I couldn’t find any.
In my opinion, instead of using wall switches and dimmers ( these are not working with 220v yet), you should use Philips Hue lights bulbs and brigde or osram lightify ( which are available in UK store and definitely work with 220v and ST hub).
I am constantly trying to find wall switches. Because in a household where my wife prefers the traditional switches and not as tech savvy, one cannot always use an app or voice to activate the light. Also in my case, we have lots of decorative lights where the lighting is fluorescent tubes etc or LED, we are unable to change the lighting element.
The schneider electric 1-gang ulti switch (zigbee) is the best product that I have to be completely reliable and doesn’t require a neutral.
It is nice that you found a wall switch fit your case,in my case, using the
Philips bulbs which require me to set the switch turning on all the time
but I still can turn on or off the bulbs using the switches and they
connect to the bridge instantly after turning on.
Also, you can use Aeotec nano or micro switch or dimmer which function as a
wall switch and you dont have to change the original wall switches of you
house because replacing those switches may affect your house interior
design.