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?

  • LifeBandit666@feddit.ukEnglish
    2·
    8 months ago

    All you people spending money on switch covers. I rent this place so I’m not messing with the switches at all so I’ve just put a piece of white tape on the switches. Simple.

    99 percent of the time we don’t have visitors. So the tape is there to stop my kids switching. We’ve had a smart home since 2021 so they’ve got used to it and don’t use them anymore.

    Guests sometimes still do it but it’s rare and when it happens I just switch the light back on.

  • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
    1·
    8 months ago

    I make the switches smart, not the bulbs… Retains normal functionality, is cheaper and more reliable.

    • klangcola@reddthat.comEnglish
      0·
      8 months ago

      Cheaper? :O This is the super-deluxe splurge option compared to some cheap IKEA ZigBee bulbs

      Got any recommendations? ZigBee, Zwave, or something else?

      One nice thing about having the bulbs smart is changing the color temperature. Is there any way of doing that from the wall-switch? It’s kinda what’s been stopping me from upgrading from smart bulbs to smart switches

      • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        8 months ago

        Cheaper? :O This is the super-deluxe splurge option compared to some cheap IKEA ZigBee bulbs

        Depends how many bulbs are on each switch, in my home it is typically 4 to 1 at a minimum and the switch will outlive the bulbs. Color is about the only reason to use a smart bulb.

  • throw4w4y5@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    8 months ago

    leave the switches in the wall but bridge the cable so it stays on irrespective of the switch position. or join the cables behind it with some terminal block

    • IsoKiero@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      1·
      8 months ago

      And then you can’t easily cut power from the fixture if you need to replace the bulb or change the whole lamp altogether. I wouldn’t recommend doing this, especially if you don’t have a socket on the ceiling to remove the fixture.