Really just putting my toes in teh water with all this. I set up a motion detector to trigger a zigbee light on motion and switch off when no motion is detected. This works great until .... someone forgets the light is automated and turns the switch (on or off) and the rule doesnt work after that.
I suppose I could remove the light switch and simply have the light permanently powered but that seems a bit extreme and I suspect I am missing soemthing simple in teh setup of the light (Linkind Tunable white)
Should I move all this onto Room lighting app rather than the siomple automation one? If so what settings do I need in the Al Modes piece of setup?
Sorry if this is all basic stuff but want to understand all the basics before trying some more complicated automations and getting myself into some sort of black hole
A very important question and an important one to understand as you design and build out your home automation. In all cases that I know of (subject to correction and learning on my part), if the power to the device (most often a light) is turned off you lose control of the device until the power is turned back on again. At the simplest level, when possible you should make the decision as to whether to automate the switch (or dimmer) or automate the bulb. I went exclusively with automating the switches/dimmers and I haven't used "smart" bulbs. As a result I do miss out on some capabilities.
I am interested in hearing how others address this situation.
I know this is pretty tacky, but I put duct tape over the switch for a month or 2 till the family gets use to not touching the switch. You can even write something on the tape if you wish.
As far as which app to use for your automations, I guess that depends on what you get use to using. I started out using Rule Machine with groups and scenes. It works well for me. If I tried using the Room Lighting app, now that would be a challenge.
I have no experience with this but I am wondering if you can write your rule so that when motion is active it first turns the switch (or dimmer) on and then sets the bulb as you want it? Hopefully someone else has tried this . . .
Swap out the switch for an innovelli or Zooz. They have a smart light option (keeps constant power to the bulb but still acts like a normal switch). In most cases I recommend as a rule of thumb for ceiling lights use smart switches (Lutron every time) and for the occasional table lamp a smart bulb with a Pico on the table next to it.
They make actual guards for switches. I got mine from Home Depot for $2 each. But Amazon has similar for both toggle and paddle style.
Removing the switches is problematic. That leaves you with having to remove the bulbs and using a separate fixture of you ever have to reset or replace the bulb.
I only use them where I specifically want bulbs and prefer not to use smart switches. In the case above, those are single switches that each run ceiling fans with lights. They were wired with a single power source, and I want the ability to control the fans by the chains when the lights are off. I know Inovelli makes switches for this. However, I am not wanting to disassemble all of the 8 ceiling fans I have to install all the components to make them work. Additionally, since there is no neutral, I would also have to install the bypass resistor in all the circuits. Easier and cheaper to install smart bulbs and leave the switches on.
