What Wall Switch Options are there?

Decided to do it this way instead Finally - a cheap WIRELESS switch that dims! Xiaomi Switch Gen1

I love that!!

I’d be tempted to do the same and/or take the others off your hands. I only have 2 but want more… However my wife wants to keep the brushed chrome switches, so I am screwed

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You can hack the xiaomi door/window sensor to act like a real switch. Somewhere buried in the 3k post xiaomi monster thread there are photos…

Basically you need to remove the shell on the sensor and then solder wires where the reed switch is. Then wire it to your light switch INSTEAD of the mains.
You hard connect the live and switched live behind the switch.
Now you have a smart switch that reports on/off (we’ll open closed I think)

Of course messing with mains switches comes with all the usual warnings and disclaimers :slight_smile:

Def worth finding the photos in the xiaomi thread…

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Here are some links to the door/window sensor hacks:

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These are great! Might give it a go. Anyone know if there’s such a thing as a momentary light switch I could wire to it in the UK?

The only retractive/momentary switch I could find that look same as the rest of my fittings were these:

:frowning:

But with the door/window sensor hack you can use standard on off wall switch!!

Also you can get fake dimmer modules that just do on/off but no dim… useful for mixing dimmers and switches in multi gang plate

Wonder if they exist without the “press to exit” text. I’ll hunt around.

Do you know how these work? https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK4878P.html?ad_position=1o3&source=adwords&ad_id=45425533757&placement=&kw=&network=g&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=MKK4878P&product_partition_id=174055348627&test=finalurl_v2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqbGPruW71gIVJ7XtCh2kdA4BEAQYAyABEgLCC_D_BwE

With the window/door sensor… if it’s binary sensor is “on” for a long time, will it keep talking to the gateway to tell it it’s on and kill the battery? Or does it just send “on” and “off” once?

The sensor just sends notification when the door open or closes. Pretty sure neither state drains battery faster.

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I created a DIY option using Sonoff and rotary encoder to approximate the experience of a standard dimmer switch with a knob:

I made my own using blank wall plates and drilling them to fit these…

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-2A-36VDC-16mm-Car-Aluminum-Metal-Waterproof-Push-Button-Switch-Flat-Switches-/391359638996?var=&hash=item5b1eda2dd4

In my case they are then connected to the low voltage side of the guts of some cheap RF sockets mounted in the wall. Lights are controlled automatically but the button lets me turn them on/off manually and also put then ‘switch’ into program mode if I want to recode it.

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I’m thinking about buying some of these Xiaomi Aqara switches but I’m wondering if you can use the second button on the double switch as a trigger for automations? I just want to wire up the first button to a light and only use the status of the second button (like input 2 on Z-Wave relays)). Is this possible?

Mine aren’t wired, but the wireless version. It can be used for any automation you want. Each one (inc double switch press) has its own sensor.

Hi :wave: first post here.
I just received 2 “Xiaomi Aqara Light Control
Fire Wire and Zero Line Single Key Version / ZigBee Wireless” switches that has N L1 L2
My existing switch has a permanent live and a switch line.
How do I wire the switch? Also do I need the gateway ?

Zero line version also requires a neutral line. You can’t use it. There are also aqara switches without spare neutral line requirement. You can use those,
You need the xiaomi gateway for automations, as aqara switches are zigbee devices.

Crap, why they sell this to the UK? Now I have 2 useless
Switches. As far I know we have line, switch line and Earth at the switches. £35 wasted.

Neutral is NOT earth.

If you are lucky you may have neutral wiring in the back box for the switch - check to see if there is a termination that connects neutrals that is not connected to the switch itself. This is the way uk switches have started to be wired recently.

No no no no!!! Absolutely not

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