Using smart relays in your home

There are so many things you need to know before buying a smart relay.

This is what I cover:
00:00 - Intro
00:35- What are smart light relays?
01:17- How do smart relays work?
02:05 - Using smart relays with existing light switches
04:51 - When to use smart relays
05:27 - Downsides of smart relays
06:19 - Smart Relay features
07:28 - My recommended smart relays

[_lufix_]

Not many have the opportunity to build an smart home from scratch. But if you have a hard time finding information about that. At least that’s how I feel. There are many products to “make something smart” or to retrofit smart home, prolly because there is a bigger market for that. But the topic of building an smart home from scratch is not that “mainstream”. For example there is not that much info on Bus System like KNX and so on. I’m grateful for any source / product for building an smart home from scratch.

[ReaperSilently]

Good video! I'm an learned electrician, so yeah, DON'T mess with something you don't know! besides that, I love the shelly's too, I actually use the 2PM one as a single relay to turn on 2 different light sources independantly: For example, in the bathroom I only turn on the furniture light when brushing teeth, washing hands, etc, it's even motion activated with a Aqara sensor (you gotta love HA), or when we take a shower, I go with voice command to turn on the main lights. In the office I'm using it to turn on two LED panels independantly from each other (mine or my wifes), so that when one person is here, not all lights are on, only the one you need. I've also installed the 4PM (DIN rail), to turn on different circuits in my garden, so we can have light at the place where we are, and not all around + at night, when someone would try to break in, there is an automation that turns on all off the lights when motion is detected on one of the cameras.

Keep up the good work and nicely explained!

[AnthonyRose]

Another couple of awesome benefits of smart relays: you can make your light switches do anything you want. Shellys, for example have a "detached" mode which turns that switch into an interface button that you can program to do whatever you want! Set a scene, turn off a different light, or fire an automation. On top of that, these relays can be wired into a 3-way (or 2-way if you're not american) circuit if you know what you're doing. I managed to do that for my main floor lights via access to the attic. I have a few shelly dimmers up there in junction boxes that are successfully controlled from a switch on either side of the room. It's great!

[mercedesce]

Another great video, thanks.
i put a smart relay on the extractor fan spur from my bathroom light.
when guests would come to stay, they would switch on the main bathroom light, sending the loud extractor fan running. so i use a relay and a home assistant routine to disabale the extractor fan between 11pm and 7am so as not to wake evryone up or panic the guest who feels instant remorse (we've all done it)

[GiorgioOlivariuk]

First ever smart home videos I actually found useful! Great content, super clearly explained and relatable. Thanks you so much for your dedication!

[michalbl]

There are Xiaomi smart ceiling lights in most places of my home and wireless switches, so I don't need a lot of relays. But in few places, where I left "traditional" lights, I use Sonoff zigbee and WiFi switches and even Moes Dimmer. Of course, I use Home Assistant instead of their "default" ecosystems

And I replaced traditional two-positional wall switches with non-fixing switches (in some switches you just need to insert small spring inside to make the button return after pushing)

[zyghom]

I recently deployed 20 switches (Sonoff of course) in the house in UK - after thinking too much how to deal with lack of the N in the switch box on the wall, I realised that all lamps in my house have all the necessary wires ... on the ceiling, where the lamp is connected. So now all my switches became smart ones ;-)

[selphine]

In your "Don't buy the wrong smart light switch" you mention at "8:30" that you use Zigbee as the protocol for your switches. This video kinda recommends Shelly which is connected via wifi.
Reading about Shelly it sounds great - and it even support power monitoring. What would you recommend as the Zigbee alternative?

[anthonydyer]

You touched upon power consumption in your video a little. I’ve had PIR sensor switches installed about 11 years ago in my house. Recently I got a thermal camera for different reasons but discovered all my sensor switches emitting heat. I took one off the wall and measured it. 1 watt of consumption regardless of when switch relay was energised or not! I’ve got 14 PIR switches in my house, so it adds up to having 3x 4W 860lm light bulbs being switched on all the time.

It’s a lot, and it demonstrates that while home automation makes life a bit easier, it comes at a cost of having an increased baseload.

Now the more I look into it, the more I realise that the problem is the inherent inefficiency with AC-DC switched mode power supplies when load -> 0. They all consume power when there’s zero load! It’s something that manufacturers haven’t addressed properly yet, but I wander if they could be a bit more clever with their designs to eliminate this zero load drain.

[KLRCAT]

I'm in the middle of doing some major system design for a venue. Basically the goal is to have a tablet mounted to the wall that controls everything in the room; lights, projector, roller blinds, sound system etc.

To achieve this I'm planning on using a few simple things;
- 1st is Home Assistant (which will be controlling things like smart plugs and switches)
- 2nd is a raspberry pi running Bitfocus Companion (which will control both Home Assistant and everything else)
- 3rd is a Tablet securely mounted to the wall, running "Full Kiosk Browser" with the Companion buttons on it for control.

The main thing is getting all the right relay types for all the lights (I am wanting to keep all the switches that are there), then once I've fully mapped everything out I can get a qualified electrician to install it for me. In the main hall there are about 7 switches for the lights (I don't think any of them are dimmable)

[hussain]

Just found your channel and I’m amazed by your content! Keep up the good work❤.

[Midnight_priest]

I know this is an older video, but the animation was awesome. Oh yeah the stuff about relay was pretty ok too 😂.

[Middollo]

Amasing video! Thank you so much. Exactly what i needed.

[chrislambe]

Philips have some CR10 dimmable 25 and 36 degree cone CRI 97. I have a boat load installed with shelly dimmers. Real nice in Switzerland with neutrals everywhere and light switches being instantly convertible into NC or NO push buttons.

[jeromewelch]

Since you mentioned the diagrams, I noticed that you had your blue neutral wire, illustrated to the center of the lamp in your brown hot wire on the shell of the lamp socket. That's backwards if we're talking illustrations... Awesome illustration ...

[daphlavor]

In the USA we have Phillips hue set up, which required their own hub, it worked well through their app. That was until our hub became unresponsive and now I have to manually turn them on to the color I want. I am however interested in a relay to control outdoor lighting so we can turn on entryway lighting., via an app. So I’ll be looking into the home assistant option, thanks for your insight.

[AlvTellez]

Thanks for another great video! Relays are such a great way to smartify a house and still keep it friendly to people that might not be familiar with smart homes in general. I wish I knew about these back when I used to live with my parents that had a chandelier with 12 x E12 Candle type light bulbs that were incredibly expensive to replace with Hue/other mdoels.

[mrxmry]

5:58 if you don't even know what a neutral wire is or why it's important, you shouldn't be messing with electricity, period.
my father was an electrician, so i probably know more about electrical installations than the average joe, but i know there is still stuff that i don't know.

[thebatu]

How’s your family dealing with the switch position doesn’t indicate on/off like it used to? Or are they just cool with it

[karloshagen]

Great video. Most houses I work on don’t have the neutral at the switch which is a shame. Still chasing the “perfect” solution