I have a laundry room with two ceiling lights and no neutral at the switches. One light is controlled by two switches and the other is controlled by one switch. The fixtures are circular fluorescent currently. I would like to replace them with LED lights. I also want them to primarily work from motion sensing. The options I am considering:
Replace with two “smart” LED light fixtures that work with Home Assistant. Get a motion sensor like the Shelly Motion 2. Put covers on the three light switches.
Replace with two “dumb” LED light fixtures. Put a Shelly 1 PM in each light fixture so I can control them from Home Assistant. Get a motion sensor like the Shelly Motion 2. Put covers on the three light switches.
Replace with two “dumb” LED light fixtures. Put in two “smart” light switches that do not need a neutral and can be controlled by Home Assistant (Maybe the Shelly Dimmer 2). Get a motion sensor like the Shelly Motion 2.
My current home has Lifx and Insteon for lights, switches, and outlets. I have some X10 outlets but I will be replacing them. So, I do not have Zigbee or Zwave in place. My preference is to stay with Wifi. I can’t imagine buying more Insteon.
I am leaning towards the second option above. Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.
Not sure what country you are based, I am US based. I am finding a number of reasonably priced lighting fixtures from the Tuya universe that can be converted to completely local control using the software only conversion (no need to open the device) tool tuya-cloudcutter. Many of the Hue fixtures are not available in the US market and are very expensive if they are. The Tuya products are good quality and much more cost effective (even with buying spares, which I recommend). I still needed to figure out how to wire the wall switches, I too have no neutral wiring. I find putting in (or leaving) a hard cut switch and covering it with either a custom 3D printed cover or one of the covers shown in second link below, gives a nice ‘b-plan’ to power cycle or operate fixtures (there are a number of ways to get these hacked Tuya devices to power on in different modes based on toggling the physical power). Then I used either or both voice control of lights or zigbee switches, you could probably do same with Insteon switch perhaps. Third link below is for a ceiling fixture that I am using in a location like I believe you are proposing. I converted these to local control by opening them and flashing, this before I learned how to operate the tuya-cloudcutter software. I believe these fixtures can be converted without opening using tuya-cloudcutter. Fourth link below is to a recent video demonstrating how to use tuya-cloudcutter. I have been very happy with my locally converted Tuya devices. Good hunting!
I think the correct term is that is controlled by two switches, so they are three way. The other light is controlled by a single switch. There is no interconnection between the lights.
You can control one light with two switches but for this setup to work you will have to have neutral wire on those switches. If you don’t call electrician to wire neutral wire. Setup is easy. One switch is master and this one physically control light. That mean it has neutral, live and light wire connected to it. The other switch is a dumb switch that has neutral and live wire connected to it. So this dumb switch has just power.
You can make light group with this two switches, automation to tun it on off etc.
The best thing is that in home assistant you can have switches that are different brand, using different communication protocol and this will work.
I have on stairs 3 switches, one si zigbee and two of them are wifi. And this is working without any problem.
Since you’re leaning towards second option and you have no neutral behind the switch.
You could use this method, installed on my bathroom switch and it works.
If you’re not using sonoff mini, like tuya then you’ll need to reverse the polarity