For many of us living in older homes, the dream of a seamless smart home can quickly become a frustrating reality. A common hurdle? The lack of a neutral wire in switch boxes. This seemingly small detail, often missing from homes built before modern electrical codes, makes finding a compatible smart switch a real headache. My own journey has been a series of trial and error, a quest for the perfect solution that balances automation with intuitive, real-world control.
The Smart Bulb Solution: A Flawed Start
My first attempt was the most straightforward: ditch the smart switch and go with smart bulbs. I installed them and then used switch guards to prevent anyone from accidentally turning off the power. This approach gave me remote control, but it was far from user-friendly. I configured the bulbs to turn on when power was restored, so a double-flip of the switch would activate them. But this was clunky, unintuitive, and didn't offer a simple way to turn them off from the wall. It was clear this wasn't the long-term answer.
Third Reality: A Step Closer (with Caveats)
Next, I discovered Third Reality's over-the-switch actuators. These clever devices physically flip the existing light switch, offering both local control and smart home integration. They were a significant improvement, finally bridging the gap between remote and real-world control. However, they had their own set of drawbacks: they ran on batteries, which needed periodic replacement, and the physical actuator made a noticeable click every time it operated.
Philips Hue: A Sleek but Still Imperfect Upgrade
Hoping to eliminate the noise, I moved on to a Philips Hue solution. This involved hardwiring the light fixture to be always on and using a Hue wall plate as a battery-powered Zigbee input device. The good news? It was silent and looked like a normal switch. The bad news? The battery life was even worse than the previous solution. Still, it had a couple of redeeming features: it included a second input that I repurposed for controlling smart blinds, and its clean design blended seamlessly with my home.
The Current Approach: Powering Up with Inovelli
My current setup tackles the problem from two angles, both of which eliminate the need for batteries or noisy actuators. For fixtures with ceiling fans, I've started reconfiguring the wiring of circuit to provide direct power to both the fixture and the switch box. This is an ideal pairing with Inovelli's fan/light controller, which can be installed in the switch box and manage both fan and light functions.
For standard light fixtures, I've begun installing switches that don't require a neutral wire. These are designed to work in older homes and provide the smart functionality I've been looking for.
My next step is to level up my entire system by waiting for the release of Inovelli's Smart Presence Dimmer. This device promises to combine local operation with a presence sensor, which could be a game-changer for automating lights.
Learnings
All of these iterations have been what seemed like the best solution short of rewiring my home. The technology for these solutions keeps improving and I seem to keep learning expensive lessons buying new solutions when they become available. This is largely why I haven't made the leap to purchase a robot mower yet. I think that is a pricey enough item that I should wait one or two more generations of improvements before trying to automate that.
