I’m sure this was discussed before but I could not find any entries and it’s also kind of hard to search for it. I’m currently making my home smart. Starting small by adding lights which I can controll via the Lovelace interface but also connected Google Assistant.
I’m using the IKEA lightbulbs but without the hub. I connected them to my ZigBee network with the raspbee zigbee modul.
I’m quite happy with everything and it works like a charm. Now to the problem - which is sure not a new one: My girlfriend is not used to using the Lovelace UI or the voice control yet and turns off the lights using the build in wall switch. This basically disconects the smart lightbulb as the power supply is off. Making my smart home stupid again.
The only solution I can think of is having a ZigBee switch build in behind the official light switch and control everything over the ZigBee Switch.
Not sure where you are located but Phillips do a Zigbee switch that covers the old switch so you cannot turn the old switch off as it’s hidden underneath.
Here is a Link to the Amazon UK link but they sell them worldwide.
lol - could consider that but she somehow got a point there. Other use case - what do you do if you have guests over at your place and the use the build in wall switch. Somehow thats not “smart”.
I’m from Switzerland as well I use the Hue Dimmer Switch and put it next to the “dumb” switch. I “trained” my wife to only use the remotes and the “dumb” switch only if it fails (and it never failed in more than 2 yeara)
I wouldn’t recommend a smart switch and a smart bulb together, either one or the other. Otherwise you could run into issues to keep the state synced etc. and in addition that’s pretty expensive for making one light “smart”.
I agree with @Burningstone - you also really want to keep the Ikea lights powered to provide a ZigBee mesh, particularly if you’ve got battery operated devices. I’m currently using Flic buttons sitting above the switch. These work fine, but aren’t the prettiest and would be expensive for the whole house. I have on order some cheap 433MHz buttons in the hope that’s a workable option - you would have thought they’d have ones to cover just the toggle, but I can’t find any.
Also, I have a Philips remote, and the back is flush, so you couldn’t fit it over a wallplate if the toggle was still in place. Plus, (in Australia at least), they’re the same size as a wallplate, which has rounded edges, so it would look odd.
The easiest way to solve it is probably to just rewire the switch but there is a few downsides to it.
You route the live wire directly to the lamp that way it will always be on and the switch is useless.
1 depending on laws it could be illegal to do if you are not an electrician.
2 you will always have mains voltage to one light. You could see that as a safety issue.
I just bit the bullet and added smart inlays (like the one you linked to) behind every dumb switch in the apartment. It was a cost to add ~20 zwave (I used that instead of zigbee, but they are basically the same). Trying to teach every guest and inhabitant to not use the physical switches is impossible.
And as a bonus now, they all work as expected by everyone, and almost every light is now dimmable, and it does not matter if you use the wall switch, use the Ha-interface or an app, or just let the autimations do their job.
I use the Hue Dimmer Switch and put it next to the “dumb” switch. I “trained” my wife to only use the remotes and the “dumb” switch only if it fails (and it never failed in more than 2 yeara)