Since SWMBO is now bedbound for a good portion of the day, control of lights is an issue.
I've already started looking, but to save time, does anyone know of any
*adapters* for light fittings that can be controlled via the infamous "app" ?I know you can get "smart" bulbs, but I'd rather convert existing fittings than fit something where the lifetime limit is based on *2* functions.
Alternatively are there smart bulbs where the bulb bit can be replaced when it fails ?
if you just want on/off, there are smart relays you can put behind a switch or above a ceiling rose, there are smart dimmers available too, if that's required.
I think you're looking for a non-existent tree to bark up.
If you don't mind your on/off commands travelling half way round the world and back to take effect, try these ...
The way to go is to put them under voice control with Alexa (or other PA) that way you can command lights on and off at will without any hassle. My disabled brother in law has them.
Ours are Wemo but I expect there is something better than that by now.
I wouldn't be too worried about their reliability unless you intend to put them into situations where the bulb will cook itself. Adapters have a nasty habit of leaving the bulb hanging down out of the light fitting.
Tight glass globes are the worst for killing LED bulbs.
Not that I know of. None of mine have failed in the 6 years we've had them. They occassionally latch up and require their base station rebooted but nothing more serious than that. Setting them up can be a bit tedious but you can configure them to come on at certain times of day and go off automatically as well as under voice command.
Thanks for the quick replies.
Looks like it's going to have to be a smart bulb then. At least the cost isn't too bad.
Ideally voice control would be the way forward - especially given how almost every "smart" device seems to need it's own app. I find it confusing enough, so gawd knows how the Mrs. could cope.
Theo
Missed the bayonet part - could you not just replace the fitting to fit an E27 bulb?
Theo
I am sorry to hear that. You may find an Alexa (or Google equivalent) to control the lights works for her. You can even change the keyword so it responds to "jethro". If you can wait till the next offers day sometimes you get a free bulb...
No. as others have said there are adaptors for wall sockets so you can control side lights or downlighters.
I don't know of any. Personally I use the Phillips Hue Bluetooth enabled range. I got them because I couldn't find a reliable bulb/wall dimmer combination and the Phillips Hue solved that, but yes at a price. If bed bound you SWMBO may appreciate being able to have the lights on dim if she needs and is able to get up at night.
Its nice to be able to say "alexa set the lights to 10%" and wake up gently rather than have everything glaring.
Dave
Thats the advantage of Alexa. Once the various apps are linked she will control everything. In this room I have a mix of Phillips Hue and Tapo smart socket switches on the lights . Saying "Alexa turn the lights on" brings both on...
You can also set up groups so "Alexa turn on dave's lights" does not wake my swmbo...
Dave (you may have to tell Alexa the switch is controlling a light but its simple)
For table lamps, I tend to use Smart plug in adaptors. For main lights, Smart switches, although many need a live and neutral at the switch so check. Others come with a capacitor which you fit in the ceiling rose. There are others.
Check the app, or more exactly the ‘family’. I prefer the ones which are Tuya compatible but only because I started with them.
Add either an Alexa or a Google equivalent and you can have voice control. You and other things which may assist you wife - routines to make lights come on or other things happen etc at certain times, triggered by events, ……
Ours monitors the opening and closing of garage door, turns the internal light on/off, announces the door is open / has closed ( useful if you’ve forgotten to press the button etc). Another routine announces when people are detected on the drive or in the porch.
If you buy bulbs, I’ve not had much joy with the IKEA ones with Amazon devices.
Plenty of “smart light bulb sockets” on Amazon. No doubt from elsewhere too.
Tim
Oops. Just spotted that smart bayonet fittings (as opposed to ES) are much rarer beasts.
Tim
The plug in bulb adaptors also tend to make the bulb poke out of the shade, if it will still fit. They are useful in some applications and, like changing the switch or using a Smart Plug, probably work out cheaper as you can use dumb bulbs as they bulbs fail.
You could go hybrid and have the odd table lamp plugged in at the wall under voice control. Smart mains sockets are much easier to find.
Expect setting the app up to be a PITA but once it is done it should be fine. One annoyance with mine is that although you can program it to come on at dusk if you select that sensible option you cannot set a fixed off time - it remains on until dawn.
Hence it is necessary to seasonally adjust them from time to time.
It isn't with the Philips Hue bluetooth bulbs.
You can with the Philips Hue system.
Not with the Philips Hue system.
I have found most IoT stuff to be at the very least fickle about what it will work with and for how long it will continue to work without power cycling the master controller or wanting to security update all its nodes firmware. YMMV. Typically the first thing it demands to do it upgrade all the nodes it can see to the latest and greatest versions.
We have both iToys, PCs and Android in the house. It seldom refuses to talk to all of them at the same time unless the controller crashes.
Hazard of being an early adopter. The Wemo isn't the best now but it was one of the first. Before that we had a weird powerline RF based system that was US in origin and only briefly available in the UK - it never took off at all. It was still very useful for turning lights on and off for someone with very limited mobility.
My memory is playing tricks it was actually invented by Pico Electronics in Scotland but later adopted and took off in the USA as X10.
I gave up on a TP Link one which needed another app to tell them where to find the first app etc, needless to say it kept losing its way. Brian
Never ever had to do that with the Philips Hue base and we get very few mains failures so that doesn't happen auto and I have had it for years now.
It does indeed.
Never had that either with mains failures.
So do I.
I have never had the controller crash, ever.
I did too, the X10 system.
That's what I used before the Philips Hue system.
Well, yes, it is a bit of a solution in need of a problem. I've not had a smart bulb fail yet.
I've got one set linked to an Ikea array of dimmable/whiteness adjustable bulbs. They operate via one of the big rubbery pucks which has a magnetic wall mount. That works well and makes for very easy control of ambient lighting around the house.
Another few set to wirelessly repsond to Alexa commands. That's a gimmick for me, but would work well for your use I'd have thought - if you have an Alexa, Siri etc.
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