UK Switches & Sockets - rewire urgent advice needed :-)

Is there a dimmable ZigBee switch solution that can be added to the lighting circuit away from the physical switch?

I'm edging towards using smart lamps now rather than trying to make the switches smart as I'm pretty much out of time with the plasters back on site in the next couple of days. I missed the fact that the in-line/ceiling solution took the physical switch out of action :roll_eyes:

Yeah the pucks can you just need to fit them in the fitting or in a box in the ceiling. Loads of options around you just need to find out what you want so you know what your looking for.

I wouldn't unless you need to, smart lamps are great, I have one in each room. They're just not as simple as they should be, you still then need a smart switch to control them and then there is the issue (which I came across again the other day) with a power cut. When they come back on they turn ON and at 3 in the morning when your 300 miles away and the wife is savage because she can't turn them off! In that case the power was off for so long that I told the hub to shut down, but the UPS was still going. So when the power came back on the hub was OFF needing to be unplugged and plugged back in.

There are some local switches which allow a direct connection bypassing the hub when required, it's just not simple yet and I'm still working on it.

If you are interested in US size controls (wireless Picos) with in-line dimmers you might check out Lutron RA2 Select

I’d still look to be swapping them out. I’d hate to get further down the line and not have the setup I want, or have to compromise based on backbox being the wrong size (that are under £2 each)

I didn’t have the benefit of doing mine at the first fix stage. I had to carefully remove existing 25mm deep boxes in rooms that were decorated, stitch drill and chase to fit the deeper boxes, before patching, touching up and painting. You can get spacers to add between the switch and wall but they’ll spoil the look.

Try and get it right first time so that you’ll be able to select the kit that you want without issues. Deep boxes and neutrals at switches.

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Thanks @johnwill1 & @BorrisTheCat

Finally settled on changing the back boxes to 47mm with dry line/plastic where possible. Will have plastic front plates for switches so hopefully we'll be ok with the metal back boxes where they're needed. Hopefully a final question on the back box front - ideally I'd put 2 pucks in a single gang 47mm box to give control of 3 lighting circuits from 3 switches. These circuits are all single-way. I'm assuming the alternative if can't fit both pucks in would be to put one in the switch and one in the ceiling rose to control one of the lights that way.

Just trying to tot up how many pucks I'll need :smiley:

I'll likely be back with you in a few days to check how we might best manage the 2-way controls that we're planning (or were planning when we had dumb switches in mind).

Thanks again for all your help.

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This may depend on the switches that you use. Standard switches - 1 gang, 2 gang, 3 gang work with a single gang backbox, 4 gang uses a double box. I'm not sure regarding the Scolmore grid switches that @BorrisTheCat recommended, but with the MK grid switches only 1 and 2 gang switches use a single box. A double box is required for 3 or 4 switches. That would be the first thing you need to confirm, as you'll want grid switches. They allow you to have standard toggle, 1 way retractive, and 2 way retractive centre off - all in the same switch plate. You might struggle getting two modules in a single box anyway. Neat wiring termination is important, as although you have the extra depth, the cables usually enter the backbox top centre and once stripped are best routed around the edge of the box to leave the centre space free for your module to sit (it's a pain if the wiring enters through the rear of the box as you're stealing depth that the module(s) need space for)

Just to confuse matters a little more.... With dimmer modules you generally need 1 module per load/light. However, if you have lights that won't be dimmed or are non dimmable, switch modules are available in both single and double configurations. So if you had two separate lights, that would be switched from the same location and didn't require dimming, you could use one double module there.

So I'd first check if the 3 gang switch you intend to use (that will connect into the modules behind) needs a single or double box. Again, this is just my preference, but my organised mind (yeah right) would prefer all modules to be behind the switches. I had an issue with some bedroom lights that used two way and intermediate switching, where the existing wiring didn't have both the permanent line and switched line connection in the same location as needed. I was going to make an exception for that one room and put the module behind the fitting but my OCD (or me just being a fanny) prevented it and I ended up modifying the wiring to get the module behind the switch.

Well, the switches still are dumb switches. The dumb switch whether standard or retractive connects to the switch input on the module behind. That module in turn connects to the supply and light to do the switching. As Steven said in a previous message, the benefit is that there's no need to have both a smart switch and a smart bulb and switch them using the hub. With the modules you have the best of both worlds - full manual control at the switch when you want or if the hub is offline and the ability to automate your lights using the hub and various rules. This was key for me and my automation - if anything happens to me, my wife can pull one plug out the wall and go manual. That convenience should not be understated.

Multi way switching will be easy enough to configure. If standard on/off toggle switches are connected to the modules (not recommended as no dimming), the switch wiring is much like that for standard 2 way wiring, except that the switches are connected to the module. Where retractable switches are used, as all switches return to an off position, the switches can simply be connected in parallel so that any switch closes the connection to the module. If standard 1 way retractive switches are used, such as I have, just a twin cable is needed between the switches (Line and S1 on the module). If 2 way retractive, centre off switches are used as Steven mentioned (better for dim up/ dim down without multiple presses), a 3 core cable is needed between the switches (Line, S1 and S2 on the module)

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For this get them to wire like a standard 2 way, that's 3 cores and earth. It will give you common, up and down so no issues.

Yeah I doubt your get two pucks in a single box so I would pick the biggest light and install the 2nd one there. Then again 3 core down.

You can get 3 on a single :+1:t2:.

100% couldn't agree more it's all I plan for now.

As above this is the other reason I wire conventual, 3 core for two way gives options for different switch types or future additions. Importantly though it gives a option to strip out and convert back. It's a win win

Only odd but is I try to ensure a live and neutral at all points. I have also been wiring a room isolation switch as well. That way I knock of that and can safely isolate the room. Power cuts for example.

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I could see that being quite handy. Often you'll see posts in fault finding telling users to 'air gap' the battery etc. Unfortunately when you want to power down one module for anything, you generally switch off the lighting circuit. For me that means 6 or 7 lighting modules and several curtain modules all power down and up together. An isolation switch would solve that.

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Hi

Back with another set of queries.....

Being a Yorkshireman I was contemplating using the MoesGo Dimmer rather than Vesternet or Fibaro 2 as the 2-gang option would be helpful for me. The community compatability pages dangled the carrot that these may work as TUYA dimmers are working for others but on further digging it's not looking promising! Is there a 2-gang dimmer module available in the UK that anyone has working with HE?

I've also been having a hunt for the 2-gang switch modules that I can use to control a bathroom light and bathroom extractor fan. The MoesGo Switch would be an option but again I can't see anything on HE compatability. The Versternet 2-channel switch appears to be a safer alternative. Does anyone know whether the Moes Switch Module is HE compatible?

Planning to use Click MiniGrid light switch components and was hoping to use the 3-way momentary module but on further research it looks like a 2-way momentary module would be the only option. Not a big issue but for the dimmers I was hoping to be able to push up to turn the lights on/brighten and down to turn the lights off/dim.

Anything I'm missing or alternatives I should consider?

Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

Looks like the manufacturer sunricher, badged. Take a look, I managed to buy direct, if your buying a bit even with the extra work to buy in USD and transfers etc it was much cheaper.

Just when I thought I'd worked this out I'm thrown again with a few issues that I can't get my head around.

I was hoping to be able to control a bathroom extractor fan using a CLICK SMART+ 2 X 100W 2 GANG SMART SWITCHING RECEIVER CSP042. Switch 1 would control a series of ceiling spots and Switch 2 the extractor fan. However, the fan needs to have an Isolator Switch to comply with building regulations which means that to my mind there are 2 live feeds that would come to the module. 1 permanent live for the lights and 1 switched live from the Isolator Switch. Is there a solution to make this configuration work?

In another bathroom, I was hoping to use a ZBMINI installed in a recess in-line from the bathroom fan switch to the fan but again this has the Isolator Switch as described above which I think means only a switched live would be going to the fan switch then on to the module. Again can anyone explain a way this could be configured?

The 'final' thing that is confusing me is whether a 2-way switch setup is possible using this 2-gang dimmer module. The scenario being controlling a hall ceiling light and outdoor lights using Switch 1 and Switch 2 of the 2 gang module (1-way retractive physical switches). 2 core cable is then available to run to a second switch at the other end of the hall for 2-way control of the ceiling light. I can't quite fathom how this would be wired back into Switch 1 and/or the module if that makes sense!

Sorry if these are daft questions but I'm scratching my head as to how to make this all work :thinking:

Yes it does but no this is not correct. You could do it two ways but the way to make most sense is to feed this device as normal then take a 3 core (triple) and earth from the device via the isolator then to the fan. This will then include the permanent the switch line from the device neutral and earth. This is no different than using a standard switch.

You have it back to front in your mind. The isolator is just that, not a separate feed, it's a switch inline before the fan to isolate all cores.

Again your thinking of it to complicated, your sparks should be able to work this out, if not you need to look for a new one because they are not qualified.

Yes this sometimes (no idea why throw's sparks) it's because it's back to front, you just parallel up the switches. None of them are permanently making so they are all connected to the phase and trigger switch line. When any of them are momentary triggered the light toggles.
Although you only require a 2 core and earth (T&E) you should still wire conventionally. So in this set-up from the "puck" you would wire a triple in and out to each secondary switch position. This is so it can be converted back or if the technology changes you have the extra core.

No draft questions if your not a electrician, my concern is have you asked your electrician? It's not standard however for a electrician it should be easy to work out, if they can't they they don't understand electrical theory and they are just following what they remember rather than understanding why things are done in a way.

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Thanks as ever Steven :smiley:

Ongoing discussion with my electrician and I'm happy he's able to work it out - I guess I'm just trying to help him work it out a bit quicker :grimacing:

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