Control zigbee lights with oldfahsioned dumb lightswitches

Hardware
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1

Hi everyone,
I’m new here, so please go easy on me :sweat_smile:
I am helping my father convert to a smart home, and I am stuck on the light switches.
I have a few requrements, and hope you have some ideas to solve them. I already found some answers, but not exactly what i was looking for.

In the new light fixtures we want to put fancy zigbee GU10 bulbs with ‘white ambiance’ and RGB. I want to retain wall switches to easily turn them on or off. For this I need a device that:

  • Is mains powered (I live in the Netherlands so 230V)
  • Takes a pulse switch signal and sends it to HA (preferably zigbee)

This can control the lights seperate from automations, and keep my dads girlfriend satisfied. (Wife Approval Factor it is commonly called I believe)

I tried looking online but only found zigbee switches WITH a relay, but i don’t need one.
Anyone got any ideas?
(Hope i provided enough information, if not let me know)

2

I would rather install a zigbee in-wall dimmer, keep the dumb GU10 bulbs (or switch them out with warm-dim, non-smart ones) and use the existing switch on the wall. If it’s a simple on/off switch you can use a spring to make it dimmable. I use these, probably not available in Netherlands but you might find something similar: Namron 4512700 control via MQTT | Zigbee2MQTT

Easier on the wallet if you don’t need color bulbs. Personally I’ve never missed color, as long as the color temperature follows the dim level I am happy.
Or you could go for something similar to the on-wall one: Namron 1402767 control via MQTT | Zigbee2MQTT

3

Hi,

if you want to physically switch the smart bulb off using another zigbee device, try something like that:

SONOFF ZBMINIL2 - https://amzn.eu/d/9putRor

It does not even require a neutral line and is really small so it should fit behind your existing switch.

There might be other brands doing the same. I use two of them to remotely switch off outdoor lights which are motion triggered (in case of wind/rain they often trigger, so i just switch them off)

Hope this helps

Dan

4

Thank you Dan,

I also found the sonoff modules, (already use them for some stuff), and I start to think that is the only way to go if i want them to be mains powered.
I found a kind of device that does what i want, but its battery powered, and a no go for something in the wall.

5

If wifi or Bluetooth is an option you could check the shelly plus i4. It integrates well into HA.

To guarantee the WAF I guess the whole thing has to work even in case HA is down. So you will have to use some hybrid solution:

  • triggers on the physical “old school” switch - actually providing the WAF
  • in parallel accepts switch commands from HA

Both, the sonoff and the shelly would do the job. I use the shelly in combination with an old school switch (Jung 532-4U) to control covers.

6

Since you’re using zigbee for the bulbs, just put in some zigbee buttons, and use those to turn the lights on/off. I left my wall switches alone, and just toggle lights with motion sensors, and buttons. 1 push for white, 2 pushes for color, hold to turn off, for example.

7

There’s aqara T1/T2 which does includes decoupled feature so you can detach the button to send button triggers and leave the gu10 powered