Smart Light FUN!

[Skooterj]

I've had Feit Smart bulbs for a couple of years now. At first, the app was severely lacking, but through upgrades, the lights have been a real pleasure. I have 3 by my garage doors and 5 on my front porch, all set to come on at the time of Sunset locally, so they change daily. I then have the app turn them off at 1:00 AM, then the driveway one back on right before I leave for work, then back off at Sunrise. Awesome....

Until the power goes out while you and all your family are in Cancun, they fail to reconnect to the router, go into unpaired mode, flashing non-stop for 36 hours until one gets back home. My house looked like I was throwing the rave of the century when I pulled up. I wish I had taken the time to get a video clip, but I just rushed in and killed the switches.

I need some kind of contingency plan to kill the power to just those lights, they are on regular paddle switches. But no one makes Bronze smart paddle switches that match the rest of my switches. I thought about smart breakers, but they would kill other things I don't really want to kill. I need something small enough I can stuff it in the box behind the existing switches that I can trigger remotely. Help?

 

[CoogarXR]

Do they make 3-way bronze paddle switches that match? If so, install the 3-way switch that matches, and put a smart 3-way counterpart in the basement.

 

[justsam]

So what is it that makes them go into a flash mode?
Loss of AC power, if so what duration of outage makes it happen, once power is restored.
Loss of WAN, like a failure of your ISP?
Loss of Wireless LAN? e.g. No WiFi?
Does your router and WiFi network have battery back up?

I have no experience with Feit, but I do use some Leviton WiFi switches and they do not behave this way. I have no experience with Smart Bulbs but do not think I would want them to go into a flash mode unless I directed that behavior such as intrusion alarm.

 

[Skooterj]

One of them is already on a 3 way. And rewiring them would not be easy.

I have no idea why they went into flash mode this time. I have had power outages before, and they have always reconnected with the router after power was restored. Plus, they are all on switches that my wife sometimes turns off. I had 4 other bulb in my bedroom that we usually use the switch on and they always reconnect once the switch is turned back on. Those 4 lights had the switch off while I was in Cancun, and reconnected when I got home just fine. The only thing I can think of is the power flicked on-off-on-off-on real quick, as that action is how you reset the bulbs.

Thinking about getting either a Shelly or a Sonoff Mini and seeing if they really fit into the switch box like they claim.

I also rechecked my breaker box. It appears the front porch lights are on their own breaker, so a smart breaker there would only kill those. The driveway lights look like they share power with the rest of the garage, so killing that would kill my garage door openers, not ideal. But I can not find a smart breaker for sale anywhere. Eaton says there is one available, but no one seems to actually have it.

 

[Zeke]

For just the lights, how about a power back up like used for computers? They should have their own circuits. If not, forget it.

 

[infinkc]

they sell modules like these that go behind the light fixtures or if the wall box has enough room

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0919DWM29/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[CJ7VFR]

they sell modules like these that go behind the light fixtures or if the wall box has enough room

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0919DWM29/?tag=atomicindus08-20

These are Zigbee products. They will only work if you already have a Zigbee hub.

Jim