Suggestions for Remote Control Light Switches

kbuhagiar · Jan 24, 2019

Hello folks,

I have three separate lighting zones in my garage, each controlled by its own single-pole toggle switch. I would like to add an additional switch to each zone but would rather not go through the trouble of converting all of the existing hard wiring for three-way switch operation.

Are there any 'smart switch' options out there for adding wireless remote-control switches to each of the circuits? I realize that this would entail replacing each of the existing single-pole switches with some sort of switch/receiver unit...is there anything out there that would allow this and also emulate a three-way switch function?

PS: Compatibility with Wemo smart switches would be a plus, as I already have a few of those installed in the house., but I want the new garage switches to be actual switches mounted on the wall, not just virtually controlled from an app.

Thanks in advance.

cybrdyke · Jan 24, 2019

So many choices...
Lutron, P&S, Leviton, Eaton, and dozens of others all do this. Lutron Maestro Wireless or Caseta will work. Eaton Anyplace switch & remote: http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/public/en/wiring_devices/products/lighting_controls/aspire_rf_wireless/anyplace.html
So many choices.....
CD

kbuhagiar · Jan 25, 2019

cybrdyke said:
So many choices...
Lutron, P&S, Leviton, Eaton, and dozens of others all do this. Lutron Maestro Wireless or Caseta will work. Eaton Anyplace switch & remote: http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/public/en/wiring_devices/products/lighting_controls/aspire_rf_wireless/anyplace.html
So many choices.....
CD

Thanks CD, I didn't realize there were so many to choose from, I only have experience with the Wemo smart switches.

Do you have a preference or recommendation?

cybrdyke · Jan 25, 2019

For a simple operation like yours, I prefer Eaton or Lutron Maestro. With Maestro, you can even add in a wireless motion sensor. If you think you're going to expand into something more complex, then Caseta is a good choice. Not sure of wemo compatibility with the others, but Lutron uses their own protocol, so you would likely need a bridge to add it to a larger system.
Be sure whichever you choose can handle the electrical load of your zones.

redheelerdog · Jan 27, 2019

Hi, I am using 3 Lutron Powpaks: RMJS-8T-DV-B

With Lutron Pico wireless switches: PJN-3BRL-GWH-L01

And Lutron Motion Sensor: LRF2-OWLB-P-WH

My shop has 3 - 20ft X 30ft bays, each bay has 3 UFO LED lights, each bay is controlled by a Powpak and switch with dimming capability.

Works good for my needs.

Lutron Powpak info here

The expensive part is the Powpak RMJS-8T-DV-B, I found some new on ebay for half the cost of Amazon, etc.

Specracer · Jan 27, 2019

Another supporter of Lutron. Replace the switches with Maestros, then add the appropriate Picos anywhere you want. Also very easily sourced on line, or even Home Depot.

AntonLargiader · Sep 28, 2019

I am about to dive into the Caseta pool, but I'm slightly scared off by the 30-foot range that is claimed. The garage is just about exactly 30 feet from the house, and I can probably position the hub in one corner of the house so that the switch in the garage is only a few feet farther away than that, but then a different switch on the house that I want to control will be nearly 40 feet away. You can use a dimmer (which I don't need) as a repeater but I feel like I'm thinking about workarounds before I've even started.

Honestly, 30 feet sounds really short for modern houses. Our house is actually pretty small and compact, but already I'm hitting this limit just trying to reach a very near outbuilding. Am I worried for nothing? Are you folks seeing ranges a lot better than 30 feet?

rlitman · Sep 29, 2019

I went with the Leviton WiFi switches. The make a simple switch (which I used in my garage) and dimmable versions (which I used in my basement).

The ones I have in plastic boxes all work great. I've got one switch that the metal box is between it and the pretty far away access-point that sometimes has issues.

AntonLargiader · Sep 29, 2019

Funny you should mention that; I bought a plastic box yesterday to replace the metal one in the garage for that same reason. I have two of those Levitons and have basically given up on them although I will try the garage one again in the plastic box. The one I had in the house seems to have gone bad internally.

I went ahead and bought two Wemo switches; one for the new porch and one to replace the bad one in the house. The latter I installed yesterday and it was problem-free. Working on the porch now.

As far as the Caseta range goes, right now I'm thinking I am going to commit to WiFi and if I have issues with that I'll beef up the WiFi, which is easier to do with new products constantly coming on the market. The Caseta limitation of 30' plus one repeater is unlikely to change. And I know it's not really exactly 30', but as much as I like the Lutron stuff I'm not going to roll the dice on that unless someone has some solid info.

dogdog · Sep 29, 2019

go with a wifi switch, but definitely don't go with Wemo, absolutely ***** and still ***** POS fockers, but I am stuck with them. I think there was this SOnOff switch that is pretty popular and good price/functionality... some members have them , and have seen a few post about them...

as far as remote as in a remote... I have the older Lutron ones and have no complain... just not remote enough as WIFI.

Garett · Sep 29, 2019

I also use Wemo switches, I control through the wemo app but I mostly use my samsung app on my phones. You want a dedicated remote?

AntonLargiader · Sep 29, 2019

dogdog said:
go with a wifi switch, but definitely don't go with Wemo, absolutely ***** and still ***** POS fockers, but I am stuck with them...

That's the way I feel about my Levitons now!! But we'll see what happens when I switch to plastic boxes. I loved, then hated, then loved, and now am ambivalent about them. The main thing is that these are convenience items, and if they keep deprogramming themselves then they fail 100% at that role.

What exactly don't you like about the Wemos?

Garett said:
I also use Wemo switches, I control through the wemo app but I mostly use my samsung app on my phones. You want a dedicated remote?

I don't want a remote thingy; just want it tied into Homekit and there really aren't that many basic switches that do that.

rlitman · Sep 29, 2019

dogdog said:
...I think there was this SOnOff switch that is pretty popular and good price/functionality... some members have them , and have seen a few post about them...

I have a few idead (sonoff) devices, but no actual light switches.
Relays (2 and 4-port), inline switches (one with a temperature sensor connected to my attic fan), outlet controls (a few which meter power usage), plus a few fan/light controllers.

Git · Sep 29, 2019

Before you commit to any one standard, you should really look to see what is available so you don't paint yourself into a corner so to speak.

I am a big Z-Wave fan. Each device you add to your system (not counting battery-powered devices) acts as a repeater. They don't require 'wifi' to operate, they work on their own 908.42 MHz frequency. And Z-Wave devices are not 'proprietary'. There are dozens of manufacturers out there and if it meets the Z Wave standard they all work together seamlessly

https://www.z-wave.com/

AntonLargiader · Sep 29, 2019

Thanks for the jog on Z-wave. I'm trying to keep everything I have within Homekit but it seems there is a bridge for that called Z-way. I gather one needs some RasPi experience but I have a friend who can help out there. Worth looking into. I already have a Trane thermostat that's on Nexia; should that be able to join any Z-wave system?

Git · Sep 29, 2019

AntonLargiader said:
Thanks for the jog on Z-wave. I'm trying to keep everything I have within Homekit but it seems there is a bridge for that called Z-way. I gather one needs some RasPi experience but I have a friend who can help out there. Worth looking into. I already have a Trane thermostat that's on Nexia; should that be able to join any Z-wave system?

Thats the problem. I never heard of Nexia, and there are dozens of competing standards out there that do not work with each other. WeMo, ZigBee, Insteon, and WiFi just to name a few

Any Z-Wave product will work with other Z-Wave devices and when I looked up Nexia it does appear to be a Z-Wave device:

https://www.z-wave.com/nexia-and-z-wave-all-in-one-app-for-hundreds-of-smart-home-solutions

AntonLargiader · Sep 30, 2019

It’s hard to label all of the parts of these things but let me clarify a bit of it. as far as I can tell,

Nexia is a for-profit remote smart home system that gives you remote (worldwide) access to your Z-wave devices. They seem to only use Z-wave devices and also this one thermostat that I have. This is explained in the link you found and also on the Nexia site.

Caseta uses Lutrons proprietary Clear Connect radio signal, with a bridge (hub) to internet. Remote access is handled through Lutron servers.

Z-wave devices speak Z-wave (radio) to a hub to internet and probably also to WiFi for local use, not sure.

Wemo and Leviton switches talk WiFi for local use.

Honeywell uses their proprietary RedLink radio signal with a hub to internet, and remote access is handled through Honeywell servers.

HomeKit (Apple) is kind of a system aggregator which uses Bluetooth and WiFi to connect to and integrate devices which are already talking to their manufacturers’ apps (Hue, Caseta, Leviton, Wemo, Honeywell, etc.). Remote access is I think handled through Apple.

My Trane stat talks WiFi to my router and then goes out into the internet to join my Nexia account and show up in my Nexia app. That happens through Nexia’s servers for free because I guess Trane has that deal with Nexia, although it would cost me a subscription fee to expand my Nexia account to other things. from the looks of things, it probably is NOT actually a z-wave device after all.

So all of these things really have several parts, and local access is not necessarily handled the same as remote access.

checkthisout · Sep 30, 2019

I use the Samsung Smarthings hub and Z-wave stuff.

Works good. You can use your phone, another switch, motion detection, door sensor, time of day etc to actuate the switch.

Gotta have internet out there though.

AntonLargiader · Sep 30, 2019

To refine my comments about Nexia, it seems that Trane has built a Z-wave bridge into some of their thermostats, and those thermostats (for the thermostat functionality) get free access to Nexia. Trane wins because they can sell Smart Wifi stats without keeping servers, and Nexia wins because now there are free Nexia Z-wave bridges in peoples' homes, and those people can add other devices and buy Nexia subscriptions.

It's unclear to me whether or not the stats are actually Z-wave devices that would show up in a non-Nexia system.

cybrdyke · Oct 1, 2019

AntonLargiader said:
I am about to dive into the Caseta pool, but I'm slightly scared off by the 30-foot range that is claimed. The garage is just about exactly 30 feet from the house, and I can probably position the hub in one corner of the house so that the switch in the garage is only a few feet farther away than that, but then a different switch on the house that I want to control will be nearly 40 feet away. You can use a dimmer (which I don't need) as a repeater but I feel like I'm thinking about workarounds before I've even started.

Honestly, 30 feet sounds really short for modern houses. Our house is actually pretty small and compact, but already I'm hitting this limit just trying to reach a very near outbuilding. Am I worried for nothing? Are you folks seeing ranges a lot better than 30 feet?

Here's the thing...
When Lutron says 30', they mean that they guarantee that it will work from 30' away, even with obstructions. We've used Caseta controls that work from waaaay over 100', and they work perfectly. Now, the more obstructions that you put in the way, the more the performance starts to decline. Everybody's product is the same in that regard. But Lutron isn't saying that their product only works at 30' max. That's just the distance that they know it will work, even with lots of obstructions.
Your typical modern houses dont have that many obstructions. Outside walls, however, are more obstructing than inside walls, however. So, if you want the control to work from inside your home to the lights in a detached garage, then that's two exterior walls and many feet in between (typically). That can be a problem.
CD
CD

AntonLargiader · Oct 1, 2019

Thanks for that upvote. If the Wemos don't turn out to be awesome (with upgraded WiFi if needed) then I will try the Caseta. We have a lot of the Maestro stuff in the house now, and I like it a lot, so I definitely have confidence in Lutron.

cybrdyke said:
Here's the thing...
When Lutron says 30', they mean that they guarantee that it will work from 30' away, even with obstructions. We've used Caseta controls that work from waaaay over 100', and they work perfectly. ...

Suggestions for Remote Control Light Switches

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