Replacing every light in the house with a smart bulb can quickly become expensive. One easy way to add intelligence to the lights in a room is with a smart light switch. Once installed, you’ll be able to remotely control your lights, automate activation, or use voice assistants from Google, Apple, and Amazon as if you had full smart lights. Here’s how it all works.
What does a smart light switch do?
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The smart light switch replaces the existing light switch. When you connect it to your home wireless network, you can turn that switch off and on remotely or via voice assistants. Your bulbs don’t need to be smart lights, they just need to be lights connected to that switch.
Smart light switches come with smartphone apps that provide setup, scheduling, dimming, and control options. Apps usually include geofencing, which uses your phone’s location data to automatically activate lights. The specific features of the app vary by brand, but they’ll usually have the same kinds of features you’d see on smart bulb apps.
It’s worth noting that some smart light manufacturers offer light switches specifically designed to work with their smart bulbs. Be sure to double-check the package requirements before purchasing a smart light switch, or you may be stuck with a switch that only works with smart bulbs.
Should you get smart light bulbs instead of smart switches?
There are many benefits to upgrading to smart lights. Although there is an additional cost compared to a smart light switch, installation is easier and switching to LED from older bulbs can save you money on your electricity bill. Smart bulbs also enable a whole range of colors in the home that you can’t enjoy in any other way.
However, a smart light switch offers the convenience of automation, remote control, and voice activation that smart bulbs also enjoy. Smart light switches are also usually cheaper than smart bulbs. Even then, smart bulbs may not be a viable option if the lights are far out of wireless range. Switches can also control outlets, so these smart switches can potentially enable automation for a wide range of devices.
In addition to enabling other devices, smart switches sometimes have useful extras like motion sensors, lights, speakers, microphones, and built-in voice assistants. This can make switches very useful in their own right.
What are the best smart light switches?
There are many great smart light switch options available. We’re big fans of the Lutron Caseta since it’s packed with features and doesn’t require a neutral wire, making it an option for some older buildings. The Lutron Caseta plays well with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri. It also has geofencing and scheduling functions, which should cover all your bases.
Often enough smart switches are made by manufacturers that also make a host of other smart home devices. Keep this in mind when choosing a smart light switch, as a common brand can make interoperability easier.
How much do smart light switches cost?
Smart light switches are quite affordable. It is possible to find a perfectly working one for $10. Some of the fancier models include features like built-in Alexa and reach closer to the $100 range.
You can expect some moderate electricity savings from adding intelligence to your lights because they won’t be on longer than necessary, but the real energy savings come when you replace your old light bulbs with LEDs.
Can you make a smart light switch?
Products like the Switchmate attach to an existing light switch and mechanically activate it.
Better to make the light switch smart by replacing it entirely. Full replacements have less mechanical wear, have a simpler appearance and offer excellent functionality with dimming.
When replacing, ensure that there is enough room for the wireless transmitters in the box it is mounted on. You’ll also need to find out if you have a neutral wire to it as this can affect which smart light switches are compatible. You will also need to know if the switch is single-pole or double-pole (ie multiple switches are connected to the same light).
It’s important to consider installing multiple smart light switches from the same brand, so you can group all the lights in your home and control them on the same app.
Need an electrician to install a smart light switch?
You don’t need an electrician to install a smart light switch. If you’re nervous about getting it right, an electrician can certainly do it, but it’s a fairly simple operation.
One of the bigger challenges can be fitting a wireless relay into an existing fixture box. This relay allows your smart light switch to communicate with other devices in your home. If you need to remove a box or cut a larger hole to make room for additional equipment in the wall, it can turn a small job into a much bigger one.
How to connect a smart light switch?
You should check the instructions that come with the smart light switch you buy for details, but generally you’ll follow a few of the same steps.
- Turn off the power to the light switch on the breaker panel.
- Remove the existing light switch, including the ground, live wires, neutral wires, and load wires.
- Reconnect the ground wires, live wire, neutral wire, and load wire to the new smart light switch.
- Snap the new light switch into place.
- Turn the power back on at the switch.
- Go through the instructions for setting up a smart light switch.
You’ll probably need to check if the outlet has Wi-Fi coverage or if another wireless hub (required for some models) is in range. Some smart switches will rely on Bluetooth, so your phone will need to be close to work with it. Read more details on how to install a smart light switch.
Now that you’re all set with the basics of smart switches, hopefully you can pick one you like and add some intelligence to your home lighting setup. Smart light switches are a good, low-cost alternative to upgrading your home’s entire set of light bulbs while still offering the same features.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn