Home Automation - Smart Downlights (Google Home)

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nztomas

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#310594 4-Nov-2023 14:46

Hello!

Sorry for asking a question which has been already asked for million times but I still couldn't find relevant and actual info about it.

We are renovating (rebuilding) house and would like to get smart downlights everywhere. I went into the GU10 route first and ordered 10 fittings + 4 tasmota flashed lights. When they came in they look really tiny so I'm probably going to sue them only in some parts of our house.

I checked the internet (and this forum) for what alternative we could use and I'm bit confused. My must have are:

- must work with Google Home (via HomeAssistant is fine)
- reasonably strong so we can use them in every place)
- reasonable price
- not going through 3rd party cloud (work locally)

I need to tell my electrician what kind / size of cutout we are gonna have in like 2-3 days before gib stopper comes. Can some please point me into right direction and simply tell me "buy this and it will just work :)" ?

(I have IT background so I'm not worried much about running some PI + Docker and make things work but I woudl really appreciate something what I setup once and then forgot - plus would be great to not have thousands of different hardware / gateways in place).

Really appreciate any help, TIA!!!

CrunchiePotatoes

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#3155754 4-Nov-2023 15:09

I would always recommend going the smart switch/relay route.

This way your can buy regularly priced downlights, and have switches that all work as expected, with all the benifits of automation

I have some lights hooked up to shelly relays and they have been solid. No issues.

nztomas

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#3155805 4-Nov-2023 15:26

Can I do colours too going via this route (or at least dimming / cold / warm colour etc)?

CrunchiePotatoes: I would always recommend going the smart switch/relay route.

This way your can buy regularly priced downlights, and have switches that all work as expected, with all the benifits of automation

I have some lights hooked up to shelly relays and they have been solid. No issues.

timmmay

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#3155864 4-Nov-2023 16:28

One of the thing to take into account is that technology changes quite rapidly, you might end up with lights that can only be controlled by a technology which is modern now but in 10 years has disappeared. I wonder if regular lights are a better idea for most of the house. The lights should all work using switches on the wall as well as using any smart technologies, otherwise it will be frustrating and the resale value of the house may be impacted.

I am looking to put smart down lights in my office, but for me the main requirement is home assistant integration. I've only just started the research, but 90 mm cutouts seem to be most common. I wouldn't put smart lights throughout my house, I wouldn't want to have to pull out my phone will go to a tablet or something just to turn a light on.

Home assistant has some kind of a founding document which talks about automation and that houses should work with or without it. I will see if I can find it later.

timmmay

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#3155870 4-Nov-2023 17:07

Here's the home assistant article I was talking about - link.

Chippo

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#3156284 5-Nov-2023 17:24

I also went through this process recently - for the third time.

You're actually weighing at least 3 options

Smart Bulbs in Lamps
Smart Lights / Bulbs built in
Smart Switches

When I was renting, I put lamps everywhere. I loved that solution, and it left the main lights manual. Very low concequence if an automation doesn't run or a bulb disconnects.

In our current house, I have mostly lamps and just 1-2 Philips Hue downlights indoors. With Hue ourdoor lights.

I decided the Family Acceptance Factor of putting smart downlights everywhere is awful. Even if I trained the family, as soon as you have a guest, they accidentally turn off a switch anyway.

So, I have put Smart Switches throughout the new house. Specifically PDL's wiser switches. We move in, in December - so I'll know pretty soon if that was a good choice.

I work for a global Data Protection Software company - But my opinions are my own.

CrunchiePotatoes

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#3156287 5-Nov-2023 17:32

nztomas:

Can I do colours too going via this route (or at least dimming / cold / warm colour etc)?

CrunchiePotatoes: I would always recommend going the smart switch/relay route.

This way your can buy regularly priced downlights, and have switches that all work as expected, with all the benifits of automation

I have some lights hooked up to shelly relays and they have been solid. No issues.

Can buy smart switches with dimming functions (just buy regular dimmable down-lights). Not sure I've seen anything do color/cold/warm just from a switch.

If that is really important to you - I would seriously consider still using some form of smart switch, but in a mode where it never actually cuts power to the bulb, just issues the smart command to turn on/off - this way family/guests can just use switches as they expect.

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gregmcc

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#3156290 5-Nov-2023 17:39

I went down the Philips Hue rabbit hole, yes expensive but zero problems.

Up side is, if philips don't have the lamp style you want there are plenty of "hue compatible" lights/lamps available.

There are also a selection of other devices available, when the bathroom light (hue) is turned on. the fan also turns on (hue compatible relay), plus side is a simple 'hey google turn bathroom fan on for 10 mins' works independent of the hue light switch.

richms

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#3156670 6-Nov-2023 13:27

My kmart + bunnings tuya downlights and bunnings tuya smart switch (with the relay going nowhére so I just have them as buttons) and using the automations to make the button control the lights is working fine, as well as having the tuya aliexpress zigbee/bluetooth gateway and the stick on tuya switches to control things, again thru the automations.

People say that the cloud automations are slow, but I do not have any problems with the speed at all, and there has only been one total outage of the tuya platform that I can recall. All other outages have been their integration with alexa. I dont know how the google home integration works because I dont really use my google speakers since they are so slow to do anything.

Richard rich.ms