To begin with, you need to know how many watts your circuit requires. Now that we know what we’re looking at, let’s talk features. Some of them give you the ability to set a timer, and others don’t. They typically offer app control, sometimes motion detection, night lights, and other similar “extras”. We’ve reviewed smart switches in the past, and there are some good ones on the market. Note that this is not the same as a smart switch. This is the type of switch we’re looking at today. With an automated light switch, you can typically set a separate schedule for weekends, or even a 7-day schedule. A single, 24-hour dial only lets you set a single schedule. And much like a mechanical plug-in timer, they allow you to turn your lights on and off on a schedule. Much like a mechanical bathroom timer, they take the place of a wall light switch. However, there aren’t a lot of other useful applications for them.ĭigital timer switches are simply the next evolution of this technology. They’re often used to control bathroom fans, and also infrared lamps in hotels. Turn a dial, and the switch will activate, typically for anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. Similarly, mechanical bathroom timers have been around for a long time. As the dial turned, the pins would flip the switch on and off. Typically, they worked by inserting sets of pins into a rotating dial. They were particularly popular with frequent travelers, since they could be used to turn a few lamps on and off while you were away. These were timers that could be plugged into a power outlet, and used to power various devices. If you remember the dark, prehistoric decade of the 1990s, (when dinosaurs roamed the Earth) you’ve probably seen mechanical timers. But first, here’s a quick overview of your options, and what you should keep in mind while you’re deciding. We’ll be giving you an in-depth review of three of the top models that money can buy. Whatever your reasons, an automated light switch timer is one solution to this problem. Or maybe you just want the convenience of lights at times when you know you’re going to be home. Maybe you get up at the same time every day and don’t like fumbling in the dark every morning. Maybe you want to deter burglars while you’re out of town. So if you were looking for a switch that works with smartthings, this particular model is not that.Sometimes, you want a switch in your house to turn on or off automatically. And it does not appear that the Wi-Fi models are compatible with smartthings, although Eaton’s models mostly are. Oddly, Eaton is not providing an app for its Wi-Fi switches: they tell you to use the Alexa app. I didn’t look to see for sure, but normally in those set ups you only get on/off from the accessory, not dimming, so you will want to check into that to be sure. It’s unusual in a good way in that it appears from the manual that you can use any existing dumb accessory switch as long as you follow the wiring diagram exactly. The model that you linked to is a Wi-Fi master switch that uses a traveler wire to communicate with an accessory switch in a three-way set up. If you don’t have a smartthings hub and you want to use the switch with a smartthings account, it will have to have a cloud to cloud Integration or be using Wi-Fi. So… we will need a few more details as far as what you’re asking.ĭo you have a smartthings hub, and if so, which model? But almost all of them will require that you replace both switches on the three-way, the master and the accessory.Īnd quite a few brands offer optional switch covers in ivory. Most zwave switches, some zigbee switches, and a few WiFi switches can be set up in a three-way configuration which will work even if other parts of the Home Automation system are not working. I’m not quite clear on what you’re asking.
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