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Hi, I had my home entirely rewired 5 years ago had some outside lights added to the front of the house. I’d now like to add these into my SmartThings setup and have come across the Aeotec nano switch which appears to add smart control without needing to replace existing switch.

The photo below shows my existing 4 gang switch. From left to right:
1. 2 way control of a chandelier-style light at top of stairs
2. 2 way control of the downlights in my hall
3. Porch lights which are triggered by a PIR sensor
4. 1 way control of lights on front of house

Connections 1 and 2 go up to a 3 gang switch at the top of my stairs (2 of which control the candalier and the downlights in the hall, and the 3rd controls another run of downlights on my landing). The final end of that circuit is a single switch at the end of the landing.

I’d like to wire the Aeotect Nano into the 4th connectoin to control my outside lights. The Nano also needs a neutral connection and I suspect I’ll need to add a deeper backbox.

Can anyone help with the following questions:

1. Is the blue cable that runs into the junction box in the top right the neutral connection? I usually go from the cable colour but my electrician has added some brown tape onto the grey and black cables which I assume means they are live, hence wanting to double-check about the neutral!

2. The Nano will only make one of the circuits “smart”. Are there any other options that would let me gradually replace other switches around the house in time? I’d prefer to stay on SmartThings if possible as I’d like to avoid lots of different smart hubs around the house but would consider another option if necessary. I did come across the LightWave series but that appears to need it’s own hub and to replace all 3 switches on the circuit, which would end up costing around £600-700 and was outside my budget for some simple home automation.



How to add smart light capability to existing switch 56CF4CB3-4E26-420E-B4A3-2CD63236126A - EletriciansForums.net
 
Ok, you have a neutral there. It’s in the back of the box on the white connector.

Yes. Lightwave is expensive, but you can operate them from anywhere, as long as you have internet.

If you’re doing any work in that switch, be aware that the extreme left switch appears to may be on a different circuit.

You may need a deeper box, but it’s going to be tricky getting one in. There will be a wood “dwang” behind there.
 
Hi, thank you for such a quick reply.

It’s good to know I have a neutral connection - lots of articles online seem to say it‘s hit and miss whether houses have them on lighting circuits but I didn’t know how the circuit would work without one!

The far left circuit has a 2 way connection with another switch at the top of the stairs (which in turn has another 2 way connection to a switch at the end of the landing). When I looked into Lighwave, they said I’d need to replace all three switches which is what made it such an expensive job. Would you recommend any particular system?

Ok, you have a neutral there. It’s in the back of the box on the white connector.

Yes. Lightwave is expensive, but you can operate them from anywhere, as long as you have internet.

If you’re doing any work in that switch, be aware that the extreme left switch appears to may be on a different circuit.

You may need a deeper box, but it’s going to be tricky getting one in. There will be a wood “dwang” behind there.
 
I’ve got LightwaveRF, which is what you linked to, but there is another named litewave…. Confusing.

But you are right, it is expensive even for one 4 gang switch and the hub for internet link to outside the home.

I can’t give a recommendation, there’s so many to choose from nowadays.
 
You've got a neutral so you've got your pick of the bunch in terms of smart switches. There will be a 4 gang smart switch somewhere, if not buy 2 x 2 gang smart switches and stick a new back box in to screw them to. Sonoff are good for smart switches.

None of the smart switches you need to buy these days require a hub or anything (special bulb etc.) but the switch itself.
 
You've got a neutral so you've got your pick of the bunch in terms of smart switches. There will be a 4 gang smart switch somewhere, if not buy 2 x 2 gang smart switches and stick a new back box in to screw them to. Sonoff are good for smart switches.

None of the smart switches you need to buy these days require a hub or anything (special bulb etc.) but the switch itself.
Hi Dan,

Thanks for the suggestion. My main reason for wanting to move to smart switches is so i can setup routines for them to come on automatically, and also control them when I’m not at home.

Do the smart switches that work without a home support this? My understanding was they relied on wifi to control them from a phone, which would require me to be on the same network.

Thanks
Mark.
 
If you want to control the sockets away from home, you would need some gateway to your home broadband, then control it from anywhere with your phone on 4G

I don’t know if something like Alexa might have this gateway built in if you have the Alexa app on your phone.
 
I just use Google home alongside Sonoff WiFi smart sockets. Needs the ewelink app installing to provide the link. No gateway or hub needed.
 
Hi Dan,

Thanks for the suggestion. My main reason for wanting to move to smart switches is so i can setup routines for them to come on automatically, and also control them when I’m not at home.

Do the smart switches that work without a home support this? My understanding was they relied on wifi to control them from a phone, which would require me to be on the same network.

Thanks
Mark.

I'm assuming you meant without a 'hub' and not without a 'home'? haha A home definitely helps!

Yes, any smart switch (even without a hub) will work, even the switches that don't require neutral.

The process is:

1. Wire the new switch
2. Install an app on your phone (which app you'll need to install will be listed on some instructions with the switch, likely to be something like 'ewelink)
3. Connect/discover your new switch in the app
4. If you would like to link this up to alexa, follow the instructions on your alexa app on your phone

Even if you skip step 4, you still have the app on your mobile to control your lights remotely from outside of your home.

Your light switch 'talks to' a server elsewhere in the world, which your mobile also talks to (i.e. it acts as a bit of a gateway), it doesn't talk locally over the same network so the level of control you have is regardless of where you are and what network you're on.
 

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