Skip Navigation

What do you with physical light switches connected to automations?

I'm setting up with HA and zigbee smart bulbs. I've got a few automations already set up, such as turning on a bunch of lights in the morning and turning most of them off again at night.

All these lights still have physical switches. I don't want to take those switches out for lots of reasons, and putting smart switches there seems like overkill when the bulbs are already smart. What are people doing with their physical light switches to ensure that they don't get flipped?

Ideas I've had:

  • some kind of physical plastic covering that fits snugly around it. I'd probably do this if I had a 3d printer, but I don't. Maybe someone sells a thing like this? More just a reminder not to touch them.
  • Carefully paint the switches a different color (perhaps the HA color scheme?). Again, basically just a reminder. This especially makes sense with a few multi-switch plates where some of the connected lights are automated and some are intentionally left manual.
  • Entirely replace the plate with a smart switch? Besides incurring a nontrivial cost and being a bunch of work to install, this won't even help me with the aforementioned multiswitch plates. I don't want all my lights automated.

Other ideas?

32 comments
  • I went with momentary push-button switches connected to zigbee dimmers behind the wallplates. Cost more but it's much more sensible, particularly for double switch situations where you just parallel up the switches.

  • I have Decora style dumb switches on some fixtures.with smart bulbs, and just use white vinyl electrical tape to tape the edge of the rocker down. Keeps the family from turning stuff off by accident, for the most part.

    Low tech, but it works.

  • I plan to put guards on.
    However, I'm first treating it as a service problem (if someone in the house is using the physical switch, I haven't made it easy enough to use the controls, and more hardware may be required)

  • Switch guards to keep people from accidentally using them but that allow you to use them if you need.

  • Personally I prefer using smart switches, or smart relay modules in between the switch and bulb. However that’s maybe not best for you if you are already invested in smart bulbs.

    The “neatest” options would be to fit a switch cover over the switch, or remove the switch and replace with a blanking plate. A smart button can be fitted onto the cover or plate to provide the functionality of a switch, there are devices with multiple buttons and even rotary knobs.

    Depending on the style of light switch used in your country there may be commercially made switch covers available if you can’t 3D print them. There are also several 3D printing services online that can be fairly affordable, I’ve had decent service from Treatstock.

  • The only wifi bulbs I have are in lights that don't need manual interaction, eg. floor lamps, bedside lamps, desk lamps, etc. Fixed lights get a Shelly relay behind the switch, so I can get the best of both worlds.

32 comments