Light Switch - Neutral and Live Wires

Cornucopia

takman wrote: »

Maybe "advise" was the wrong word to use....

But as it's so cheap i don't want people to go out and order one after seeing mine and not realise they need a neutral wire and waste their money sending it back. So i always mention this requirement when people ask about it.

I think it might help address other FMs' concerns if you told us in what capacity you might be (not) "advising" or other people might be "seeing yours".

In the real world, if you (as an interior designer, say) show off your smart switches to a prospective client as "here's what you could have", I don't think anyone would expect that you were offering professional electrical advice on safety and suitability. On MSE, though, where no one knows who you are, and you don't know who they are, you can see why people commenting on Gas, Electrical and other safety-critical work like to be cautious in their advice.

Thanks for highlighting, though, that there might be a need for a properly thought out UK-specific smart switch.

woolythoughts

Or, you can buy energenie switches and link them into a mihome hub (the mi home hub costs £49).

I also fell foul of the neutral wire issue (1994 built house so assumed it was modern enough to have one).

REturned the 15 sonoff switches I'd ordered and baulked at the cost of lightwave ones. So I ordered the energenie ones which dont need a neutral wire.

The down side is that there can be a few second delay in the response due to the hub having to contact the website and receive instruction back. But they do work.

With 46 GU10's in the house I didnt want the expense of replacing all those bulbs with smart ones.

brightontraveller

takman wrote: »

Then that definitely would be bad advise as the "UK" model is just a claim made by sellers in the UK when they sell the EU model

Couldn’t not say what all third parties proclaim the manufacture /assembler / re-brand that you mention does sell T1 UK and T1 EU (How these differ you’d need to ask them?) Maybe start FCC ID advance search /Applicant Name: often better than direct contact but this is more USA. Its not a simple recommendation even for those specifically designed for UK wiring, currents, cable sizes there’s minimum/max loads, controlling LED,s size (depth )of enclosure, heat resistance, min/max operating temps , fireproof etc my point some tick all these boxes and are designed for uk market others simply make there way onto it yours as you describe meets the latter so recommendation is fool hardy /dangerous.

alexcheep

This thread has been really useful. I was considering purchasing the Sonoff light switches. Thanks for letting me know they dont work in the UK. The energenie look good but are so expensive in comparison.

If anyone else finds any neat solutions please let me know !

Alex

Cornucopia

alexcheep wrote: »

...Thanks for letting me know they dont work in the UK...

Not so much "don't work", but require further work and further knowledge than simply connecting them to the cable in a typical UK wall switch.

alexcheep

>Not so much "don't work", but require further work and further knowledge than simply connecting them to the cable in a typical UK wall switch.

Yes not a simple drop in solution most people probably expect !