I currently have a room that I’m planning it’s smart-ness, and wondering if I can accomplish what I want.
There are two 3-way switches, one pair of switches controls two recessed lights and a ceiling fan. The other pair controls one recessed light. We’ve talked about splitting the ceiling fan off to its own circuit, but that could get expensive.
The plan is to convert the switches at the top of the stairs (that we never use) to single gang, so they would turn on/off power to everything and remain on. Switches at the bottom of the stairs would be zigbee, with a line wire coming in and no switched power line going on. Then, zigbee recessed lights and some form of smart fan.
Theory being that switches at the top of the stairs carry power to the lights/fans 24/7 (unless we turn them off), then use HA with the zigbee switches to turn on/off lights via one switch and on/off ceiling fan with the other.
Having never used Zigbee switches before, was wondering if they HAVE to have a switched power line going out, or is hot/neutral enough to power them to communicate with HA?
Hot and neutral will power the smart switch, and the smart switch controls the power line going out to the lights. If someone switches off the ones at the top of the stairs, will the smart switches still have power to control the lights? If not, nothing will work downstairs until you turn the main power back on upstairs. I’ve taped switches in the ON position to prevent anyone from turning the circuit off when a smart switch or bulb is downstream.
I’ve used the Shelly 1 inside a 3-way switch. There’s wiring diagrams showing how to do it. Easiest way I found was to place it into whatever outlet had the hot wire going to the lights. You can control the lights from either existing switch as well as the with automations via the Shelly.
Valid concern that I’ve thought about. It’s only me and the wife in the house, and the FROG is very dark - so even guests flip the switches at the bottom of the stairs entering/leaving. The other thought I had was that if I had to reboot the lights/fan/smart switch (I’ve had to do that occasionally in other parts of the house), it would be nice to have a switch to do it rather than going to the breaker.
I’m not as familiar with Shelly, and my limited knowledge is that it basically turns a standard switch into a smart switch. Could it keep everything powered with existing wiring (assuming it’s on the line side, not the load side) and respond to the other switch and using HA turn on lights only or fan only?
I’ve used the Shelly 1 for single switches (lights and bath fans) for years and have never needed to reset one by power-cycling. Both single switches and 3-way switches work exactly the same when physically switching them - no one would even know it’s being used, but you now have the ability to control it with Home Assistant, and the Shelly also has built-in timers and options that continue to work even without HA.
I can’t find my wiring diagram for the 3-way setup I had (different house), but there are schematics out there that show how it’s done. You do need constant power and a neutral wire to the Shelly, and switched output from the Shelly needs to go directly to the light/fan. There are multiple ways to wire a 3-way which makes it confusing, so you first need to open each outlet (and possibly the light/fan fixture itself) to see exactly how everything is wired (which location has the power from the breaker, which location has the line from the light/fan). The Shelly itself may need to be installed in one of the switches or in the light/fan fixture depending on your situation. If you’re not comfortable working with mains power and confusing wiring, hiring an electrician is suggested.
I know this thread is from a year ago, but I couldn’t resist jumping in to chat about your smart room plans. So, you had a room with two 3-way switches controlling recessed lights and a ceiling fan, and you were wondering if you could achieve your desired setup without breaking the bank, right?
Now, if you’re new to Zigbee switches, it’s always helpful to do some research and gather more information. You might find it useful to check out this link https://recessedlightguy.com/ for insights on recessed lights and related topics.
With a smart setup like this, you’ll have the flexibility to control your lights and ceiling fan using your HA system. It’s all about convenience and creating the perfect ambiance in your room.