Wireless light switches

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Thirsty

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Has anyone installed these?

Do they work as expected? Or any drawbacks?

Would you have recommendations?
 
Are you talking about remote controlled ones?
Like using a fob or suchlike to switch it?
 
I don't believe they need a remote, in fact it's more likely to get lost now that I think about it.

The mains overhead light switch is in an awkward spot & I was reading that you could add a wireless switch and that could be fixed anywhere.
 
I have replaced some light switches with zigbee switches. Challenge usually is that you might not have enough wiring where the switch is, as the zigbee switch might require constant power. Also requires some skills, or potentially even a registered electrician to do.

If you are only switching one (or very few) bulbs, replacing the bulb with a smart bulb plus switch could be the cheapest and easiest solution.

For example, Ikea Tradfri system.
www.ikea.com

Smart Lighting - Smart Light Bulbs - Wireless Lighting

Smart lighting and bulbs are a great and easy way of allowing you to control the ambiance of your home via a remote control or app. Browse our collection online today!
www.ikea.com www.ikea.com
 
@Thirsty I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to achieve. I think you are saying that the existing hard wired switch is awkward to get to and you want to control this remotely ?
There are myriad options available and if I had some more clarification on what you need, maybe I could offer some advice.

Remember, replacing hard wired switches with remote controlled ones generally require a neutral to be present at the old switch site. While a constant feed will always be there, usually there will NOT be a neutral. Whilst there are RC switches available that will operate without a neutral they are best suited for incandescent lamps.

Also any remote controller/switch will require power whether this is mains or battery depends on type.
 
Do you have a neutral wire at your light switches?

Edit - @SparkRite got there before me on the neutral. LightWaveRF switches work without a neutral, but support for that ecosystem has faded. I had it controlling lighting in my last place and finding LED lighting that dimmed even remotely well was problematic.
 
Hi folks, thanks for the posts.

I'm not sure what wires are in the light switch but I can unscrew it & check.

Should there be two or three wires? Blue / brown / green& yellow?
 
There can be any amount of wires, depending on 'loop-on's' and switch wires and maybe 'strappers' if two way switching is employed.

But minimum would be two.
You cannot go by colour alone, except for green/yellow ( but even then I have seen this used as a SW ), blue (usually neutral) often used as a SW if twin/earth PVC has been used to wire the switch.

Kill the power at the board, carefully remove switch and post a pic. and I'll see if I can offer guidance.
 
Will check at the wkend. Is there a trick to posting photos, I tried to do it before & couldn't get it to work
 
Hi Thirsty,
if it were me, I'd leave the switch alone, and focus on the light bulb itself. This means no messing around with switch wiring etc.

A quick google gave me this (as an example)

You can wall mount the switch/remote control, or remove it to use as a remote.

It's just an example, I'm sure there are a multitude of options.


Wireless Control with Included Dimmer Switch​

With the battery-powered dimmer switch, you can control up to 10 smart lights simultaneously. The switch which can be removed from its wall mount and used as a remote control allows you to dim and brighten your lights or cycle through four preset light recipes
 
Buddyboy said:
if it were me, I'd leave the switch alone, and focus on the light bulb itself. This means no messing around with switch wiring etc.
Click to expand...
Going down the bulb route is more expensive, but dimming does usually work more consistently. Another drawback is just when you're really comfortable on the sofa and you want to switch a light on, you realise someone has switched the original switch off and you have to get up.

As an alternative to Hue, the Ikea Tradfri range work well for less money.
 
Also, there are lots of affordable bulbs that don't require a hub (like Tradfri does). Lepro bulbs are about €10 and you can even get some in Dealz for €8. You can control them from your phone so you don't need an Alexa, Google Home, etc. and you can also automate them so that they come on after sunset and go off again when you retire for the evening.
 
Páid said:
Also, there are lots of affordable bulbs that don't require a hub (like Tradfri does). Lepro bulbs are about €10 and you can even get some in Dealz for €8. You can control them from your phone so you don't need an Alexa, Google Home, etc. and you can also automate them so that they come on after sunset and go off again when you retire for the evening.
Click to expand...
Tradfri doesn't require a hub for simple setups.
 
Buddyboy said:
Hi Thirsty,
if it were me, I'd leave the switch alone, and focus on the light bulb itself. This means no messing around with switch wiring etc.

A quick google gave me this (as an example)

You can wall mount the switch/remote control, or remove it to use as a remote.

It's just an example, I'm sure there are a multitude of options.


Wireless Control with Included Dimmer Switch​

With the battery-powered dimmer switch, you can control up to 10 smart lights simultaneously. The switch which can be removed from its wall mount and used as a remote control allows you to dim and brighten your lights or cycle through four preset light recipes
Click to expand...
FWIW I've replaced a bunch of the lightbulbs in our house with Philips Hue. Leaving cost aside for a minute, they're extremely reliable and it's really easy to put together bits and piece of the system to create some really convenient light setups in your house. For example in the bathroom two Hue spot light bulbs with a motion sensor allows the light to come on when you walk in and turn off a few minutes after you leave, same for the store room. Hue Lightstrips on top of wardrobes or under the bed creates a really nice indirect warm light in the bedroom that you can each have a remote control for (they can stick to the wall like a regular switch or be carried around) or you can use the app on your phone (right from the lock screen via the likes of Apple Home). The Lightstrips will also transform a kitchen if put up on top of the presses and above the counter top; warm indirect light when you're chilling out, bright light when you're cooking.

Some of the automations like lights coming on when you pull up outside, lights coming on when you're not home, they can be triggered if the smoke alarms go off as a visual warning, flicking on a light downstairs from bed if you're having a moment of paranoia about a prowler etc.

They're not cheap, though they do come up on special offer quite a bit, will last for a long time and can move home with you. Make sure you're buying the cheapest one you can get away with for the location you're putting it - eg. no need to have full red/green/blue colour options in a bathroom that will only ever be set to bright white!

You don't need to touch the existing lightswitch, although over time I've started putting blanking plates instead of mine for the reason Leo said above.
 
I got the garden wired up for multiple electrical sockets and outdoor lights, which were all Philips Hue, it works off zigbee as well, a kind of blutooth. You need a hub connected to your router, and while the router is a good distance away from the furthest away light, you only need a light every 10 meters or so, as the signal can bounce onto the next light. I can control the lights via the Philips Hue app, but as a backup, i also got a wireless switch, which can turn on, off and dim- all lights on the system. Might be an option if you want to have a few indoor lights set up together on one system, the wireless switch was very cheap, certainly less than €20, but you need the Philips hub and lights as well.
 
We have one Philips Hue light in our living room. It can work off an app or a small wireless switch that we've mounted just below the main one. The wireless switch has an adhesive mounting and needs a battery changed every so often.

TBH it has been a waste of time. Mrs NRC liked the idea of being able to dim and change tones but never actually used the feature.

You can get systems where all lighting is controlled centrally and can be controlled by an app. A friend got it done but said it's only for when you're doing full re-wiring or a new build.
 
@Thirsty
Here's something that may fulfil your requirements, no need for hub/router/WiFi, no batteries, no need for neutral at switch, hide in ceiling above light (ceiling rose), mount switch wherever you want and, very important, no remote to lose. All for less than £30.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acegoo-Wireless-Relocate-Appliances-Self-powered/dp/B0157MF2ZS/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=remote+light+switch&qid=1630754260&sr=8-5
 
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