Is there such a thing as an automatic light switch?

Ergates

FrankFalcon said:

Hi all

I’m not sure if there’s such a thing as the device I am imagining. 

I am looking for a light switch for my home that looks and acts like a normal on/off light switch 99% of the time. However, the other 1%, when I go on holiday, I want to be able to switch the lounge/bedroom lights on at various, random times. I guess I’m imagining a light switch that has some clever electronics built into it. I’ve done a bit of googling and there’s a device called ‘switchbot’, but quite frankly it is bulky and a bit silly. I know I could always have a table lamp on a manual timer but I’m paranoid about this for my own reasons. Also, I want to control the main ceiling light, not a lamp. 

Any ideas guys? I’m not asking you to do the work for me. If anyone knows a product or has an idea, a web link will suffice. 

Thanks all. 

A cheaper and simpler option - plug some lamps into timer switches set to go on-off at set times.  You can get them for £5.

It's not random, but burglars aren't going to be monitoring your house for several days and noting down what times lights go on and off.

outtatune

I've not personally used them, but have a look at these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tapo-Monitoring-Required-Tapo-P110-dp-B0B82ZQZS8/dp/B0B82ZQZS8/ref=dp_ob_title_hi

I've got other TP-Link stuff that works just fine

They're not much more expensive than a  4 pack of manual timer switches.

RumRat

Seems to me the OP just needs two Tapo smart bulbs to meet all his requirements. I use them everywhere, no need for switches or plugs (although I also have those for things other than lighting). 
Anything else would seem to be an over complication...
Tapo L520E | Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, Daylight & Dimmable | Tapo
Various deals on Amazon etc.

Newcad

Just a general note here for @marcia and anyone else who has encountered it -

When posting a link to Amazon and similar you can ignore everything from the "ref" onwards.
(Everything after 'ref' is just tracking information about how you navigated to that page).

So the very long (12 lines worth) link that Marcia posted above becomes simply:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hive-Smart-Light-Bulb-Tuneable/dp/B0CFFN4HXZ/
which goes to exactly the same page.

Exodi

RumRat said:

Seems to me the OP just needs two Tapo smart bulbs to meet all his requirements. I use them everywhere, no need for switches or plugs (although I also have those for things other than lighting). 
Anything else would seem to be an over complication...
Tapo L520E | Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, Daylight & Dimmable | Tapo
Various deals on Amazon etc.

I've been down that rabbit hole and I do not recommend smart bulbs except for various specific applications.

The problem with just using smart bulbs is they have their own on/off status, in addition to the on/off status dictated by the power supply from the physical switch.

This means that if you switch the bulb off using an app, you can no longer switch the bulb on with the physical light switch.

Likewise if you switch the bulb off using the light switch, you can no longer switch the bulb on remotely.

You can prevent this by combining smart bulbs with smart switches, but at that point what's the point of the bulbs? A smart switch lets you use the physical switch or remotely at whim. It could even be cheaper as you only need one switch for potentially many bulbs.

The only real benefits I can see for using only light switches is to control specific lights individually, or to change the colour if you had RGB lights... or as a bodge way to control a light with a permanent live feed I guess?

Appreciate you said about over complication (though I'd suggest one smart switch is no more complicated than replacing several bulbs, but appreciate that some people are uneasy with the idea of changing a light switch), so again as you touch upon, a smart plug with a lamp plugged into it. Cheap, easy to set up on SmartLife, jobs a gooden.

Plus you can re-purpose them, we use one on our fan in the summer to switch it on without leaving the sofa (and switch it off in the bedroom when we're asleep) and then switch it to the Christmas Tree in the winter!

Exodi

Newcad said:

Just a general note here for @marcia and anyone else who has encountered it -

When posting a link to Amazon and similar you can ignore everything from the "ref" onwards.
(Everything after 'ref' is just tracking information about how you navigated to that page).

So the very long (12 lines worth) link that Marcia posted above becomes simply:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hive-Smart-Light-Bulb-Tuneable/dp/B0CFFN4HXZ/
which goes to exactly the same page.

You can go a step further and create links using just the ASIN (the B0CFFN4HXZ part) and amazon.co.uk/dp/

E.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CFFN4HXZ

MyRealNameToo

RumRat said:

Seems to me the OP just needs two Tapo smart bulbs to meet all his requirements. I use them everywhere, no need for switches or plugs (although I also have those for things other than lighting). 
Anything else would seem to be an over complication...
Tapo L520E | Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, Daylight & Dimmable | Tapo
Various deals on Amazon etc.

The main problem is if when walking out the house they flip the light switch off as they have done for the last 45 years the bulb is now unpowered and nothing they can do about it remotely. 

RumRat

Exodi said:

RumRat said:

Seems to me the OP just needs two Tapo smart bulbs to meet all his requirements. I use them everywhere, no need for switches or plugs (although I also have those for things other than lighting). 
Anything else would seem to be an over complication...
Tapo L520E | Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, Daylight & Dimmable | Tapo
Various deals on Amazon etc.

I've been down that rabbit hole and I do not recommend smart bulbs except for various specific applications.

The problem with just using smart bulbs is they have their own on/off status, in addition to the on/off status dictated by the power supply from the physical switch.

This means that if you switch the bulb off using an app, you can no longer switch the bulb on with the physical light switch.

Likewise if you switch the bulb off using the light switch, you can no longer switch the bulb on remotely.

You can prevent this by combining smart bulbs with smart switches, but at that point what's the point of the bulbs? A smart switch lets you use the physical switch or remotely at whim. It could even be cheaper as you only need one switch for potentially many bulbs.

The only real benefits I can see for using only light switches is to control specific lights individually, or to change the colour if you had RGB lights... or as a bodge way to control a light with a permanent live feed I guess?

Appreciate you said about over complication (though I'd suggest one smart switch is no more complicated than replacing several bulbs, but appreciate that some people are uneasy with the idea of changing a light switch), so again as you touch upon, a smart plug with a lamp plugged into it. Cheap, easy to set up on SmartLife, jobs a gooden.

Plus you can re-purpose them, we use one on our fan in the summer to switch it on without leaving the sofa (and switch it off in the bedroom when we're asleep) and then switch it to the Christmas Tree in the winter!

MyRealNameToo said:

RumRat said:

Seems to me the OP just needs two Tapo smart bulbs to meet all his requirements. I use them everywhere, no need for switches or plugs (although I also have those for things other than lighting). 
Anything else would seem to be an over complication...
Tapo L520E | Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, Daylight & Dimmable | Tapo
Various deals on Amazon etc.

The main problem is if when walking out the house they flip the light switch off as they have done for the last 45 years the bulb is now unpowered and nothing they can do about it remotely. 

I don't disagree...Other than to say, I haven't used a light switch in at least two years....Each to their own, so if someone thinks they can't handle it, they can always give it all a miss...😉🙄

MyRealNameToo

RumRat said:

Exodi said:

RumRat said:

Seems to me the OP just needs two Tapo smart bulbs to meet all his requirements. I use them everywhere, no need for switches or plugs (although I also have those for things other than lighting). 
Anything else would seem to be an over complication...
Tapo L520E | Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, Daylight & Dimmable | Tapo
Various deals on Amazon etc.

I've been down that rabbit hole and I do not recommend smart bulbs except for various specific applications.

The problem with just using smart bulbs is they have their own on/off status, in addition to the on/off status dictated by the power supply from the physical switch.

This means that if you switch the bulb off using an app, you can no longer switch the bulb on with the physical light switch.

Likewise if you switch the bulb off using the light switch, you can no longer switch the bulb on remotely.

You can prevent this by combining smart bulbs with smart switches, but at that point what's the point of the bulbs? A smart switch lets you use the physical switch or remotely at whim. It could even be cheaper as you only need one switch for potentially many bulbs.

The only real benefits I can see for using only light switches is to control specific lights individually, or to change the colour if you had RGB lights... or as a bodge way to control a light with a permanent live feed I guess?

Appreciate you said about over complication (though I'd suggest one smart switch is no more complicated than replacing several bulbs, but appreciate that some people are uneasy with the idea of changing a light switch), so again as you touch upon, a smart plug with a lamp plugged into it. Cheap, easy to set up on SmartLife, jobs a gooden.

Plus you can re-purpose them, we use one on our fan in the summer to switch it on without leaving the sofa (and switch it off in the bedroom when we're asleep) and then switch it to the Christmas Tree in the winter!

MyRealNameToo said:

RumRat said:

Seems to me the OP just needs two Tapo smart bulbs to meet all his requirements. I use them everywhere, no need for switches or plugs (although I also have those for things other than lighting). 
Anything else would seem to be an over complication...
Tapo L520E | Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, Daylight & Dimmable | Tapo
Various deals on Amazon etc.

The main problem is if when walking out the house they flip the light switch off as they have done for the last 45 years the bulb is now unpowered and nothing they can do about it remotely. 

I don't disagree...Other than to say, I haven't used a light switch in at least two years....Each to their own, so if someone thinks they can't handle it, they can always give it all a miss...😉🙄

Yeah, I know my wife who despite not needing to touch light switches or fan controls still does on occasions (but then also gets annoyed when she can't turn the fan on from the bed because she turned it off using the controls rather than the smart plug earlier)

Ergates

Exodi said:

RumRat said:

Seems to me the OP just needs two Tapo smart bulbs to meet all his requirements. I use them everywhere, no need for switches or plugs (although I also have those for things other than lighting). 
Anything else would seem to be an over complication...
Tapo L520E | Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb, Daylight & Dimmable | Tapo
Various deals on Amazon etc.

I've been down that rabbit hole and I do not recommend smart bulbs except for various specific applications.

The problem with just using smart bulbs is they have their own on/off status, in addition to the on/off status dictated by the power supply from the physical switch.

This means that if you switch the bulb off using an app, you can no longer switch the bulb on with the physical light switch.

Likewise if you switch the bulb off using the light switch, you can no longer switch the bulb on remotely.

You can prevent this by combining smart bulbs with smart switches, but at that point what's the point of the bulbs? A smart switch lets you use the physical switch or remotely at whim. It could even be cheaper as you only need one switch for potentially many bulbs.

The only real benefits I can see for using only light switches is to control specific lights individually, or to change the colour if you had RGB lights... or as a bodge way to control a light with a permanent live feed I guess?

Appreciate you said about over complication (though I'd suggest one smart switch is no more complicated than replacing several bulbs, but appreciate that some people are uneasy with the idea of changing a light switch), so again as you touch upon, a smart plug with a lamp plugged into it. Cheap, easy to set up on SmartLife, jobs a gooden.

Plus you can re-purpose them, we use one on our fan in the summer to switch it on without leaving the sofa (and switch it off in the bedroom when we're asleep) and then switch it to the Christmas Tree in the winter!

Hence my suggestion of 2 cheap timer switches and some lamps.   

Cheap
Easy to set up
Works.