Hi All. I'm thinking of getting a Hubitat, initially to set my lights all over the flat by time of day (if they are on they will change brightness, if not they will turn on at the required brightness when turned on). The question is, if (or someone) uses the normal light switches. Will the hardware kick in to set it to the required settings even if someone switches the light on or off? I don't wan't voice activated / motion sensors everywhere and I've just fitted some really nice switches all over the place.
It depends on what the drivers for the switches support. I have some Inovelli switches that have a "on level" child option. So if a modes changes in the home say to sleep the bedroom and other lights will only come on to 20% when setting the child value to 20%.
I also have been experimenting with using the "don't control the load" from the switch which when a button press is made at the switch I take that button event run it though rules on the hubitat and then send the command back for the right level. My only concern with this approach is if the hubitat is down lights don't come on. Below is the configurations I can see with the custom Inovelli drivers:
I was using the "default local level" option but this would but a lot of wear on the non volatile storage the switch. I don't know what the write cycle is for storage so then I switch to default local level child device.
Welcome, James!
If I understand correctly, you want to keep the same physical switches. That limits you to having smart bulbs.
Having a smart bulb change levels based on time of day is fairly straightforward.
Having a smart bulb turn on to a certain level based on time of day introduces a challenge. Presumably, the switch removed power to the bulb, so it first has to power on, the hub has to notice that it powered on, and then the hub checks time and changes level. This could introduce a short delay which may or may not be an issue. Worst case might be that you expect dim light, but the bulb first comes on bright and sets the proper level a second later.
Some bulbs have the ability to set their behavior when power is restored. That is usually limited to whether it turns on or stays off. It may not gain you much in terms of behavior.
So, if you are firm on keeping the physical switches, then it may limit options or performance.
Thank you Hatallica, that is very helpful. It will be a mixture as some rooms i can automate fully and never use the switches for and others not. A delay is not a massive issue. I think i'll invest in a hubitat hub and see where it goes. I've been doing a lot of research to find out the best system and this one seems to be the winner so far. How have you found it? James
I am about 2 years into my journey with Hubitat and have been delighted with the performance and support. The local control has been the biggest key (i.e. not cloud-based). The staff and community certainly help along the way.
