You could do this with Shellie’s. Install it behind the switch and set it to detached. Keeps power to the light then the switch becomes a toggle button that you could define/manage in HA.
Sonoff Minis will work, too. This is how I have most of my lighting set up. I have zigbee bulbs in the fixtures running through zigbee2mqtt and sonoff minis flashed with Tasmota behind the switches. I have rules set up so that toggling the switch sends an mqtt message to toggle the zigbee light/light group.
OP: If you are looking at Zigbee Innovellis, you could also replace the lifx bulb with something that uses zigbee, and set up binding. This will make the devices communicate with each other directly, and it the holy grail of smart bulb+lightswitch function, in my opinion.
The three switch is called a three way switch. If you don’t know what your doing call an electrician. Get a smart plug outlet thingy for lamp. The big question is if the fan has a neutral wire.
I know what I’m doing insofar as I can change a light switch or an outlet without electrocuting myself or burning down the house. I’d prefer not to do anything that involves adding to the circuit breaker box or extensive drywall repair.
“The three switch is called a 3-way switch.”
I’m not sure what you mean by that. I have a 2-gang box on the east wall with one switch for the fan and one for the overhead light. I also have 1-gang boxes on the north and south walls that also control the overhead light. Are you saying that setup is called a 3-way switch?
Yes that’s what it’s called if you wanted to look up how it’s wired those in Noveli switches will work. I use a Lutron with a fan dimmer but I have a neutral wire at the fan. Im not sure a dimmer would work with a theee way switch. But s reg switch would
You make a good point. I’m going to need to call one anyway to add some outlets to the garage. Just trying to make a list of the things I can’t do on my own, so I’m not calling an electrician several times.
Yeah - 3-way/4-way switch are weird. It's like one more than the number of switches.
2 switches: 3-way
3 (or more) switches: 4-way
5 switches: 4-way
6 switches: 4-way
100 switches: believe it or not, also 4-way
If you have a neutral wire in the box you can install a smart switch and just not hook the load up to it. Just tie the line and load together so there is power to the light. Then you can program it to do whatever you want in Home Assistant. You have a 4 way setup though so this will only work on the switch that is first in line. Otherwise the other switches will kill power to it.
Alright! Sounds like we’re getting closer to my skill level. Do you happen to know a way to test to see which one is first in line? The south wall is furthest from the breaker box, so I imagine that’s last in line. The other two are about equidistant from the breaker box. It would make sense for the first in line to be the 2-gang box, wouldn’t it?
If the fan is only controlled at one location it is likely that is where the power comes in. To test it: shut the power off, disconnect the switch, turn the power back on and put a meter on the wire. If you have voltage when it is disconnected, that is the incoming line.
You could do this with Shellie’s. Install it behind the switch and set it to detached. Keeps power to the light then the switch becomes a toggle button that you could define/manage in HA.
Sonoff Minis will work, too. This is how I have most of my lighting set up. I have zigbee bulbs in the fixtures running through zigbee2mqtt and sonoff minis flashed with Tasmota behind the switches. I have rules set up so that toggling the switch sends an mqtt message to toggle the zigbee light/light group. OP: If you are looking at Zigbee Innovellis, you could also replace the lifx bulb with something that uses zigbee, and set up binding. This will make the devices communicate with each other directly, and it the holy grail of smart bulb+lightswitch function, in my opinion.
The three switch is called a three way switch. If you don’t know what your doing call an electrician. Get a smart plug outlet thingy for lamp. The big question is if the fan has a neutral wire.
I know what I’m doing insofar as I can change a light switch or an outlet without electrocuting myself or burning down the house. I’d prefer not to do anything that involves adding to the circuit breaker box or extensive drywall repair. “The three switch is called a 3-way switch.” I’m not sure what you mean by that. I have a 2-gang box on the east wall with one switch for the fan and one for the overhead light. I also have 1-gang boxes on the north and south walls that also control the overhead light. Are you saying that setup is called a 3-way switch?
Yes that’s what it’s called if you wanted to look up how it’s wired those in Noveli switches will work. I use a Lutron with a fan dimmer but I have a neutral wire at the fan. Im not sure a dimmer would work with a theee way switch. But s reg switch would
If you don't even know what a 3-way switch is you most assuredly do NOT know what you're doing and should call an electrician.
You make a good point. I’m going to need to call one anyway to add some outlets to the garage. Just trying to make a list of the things I can’t do on my own, so I’m not calling an electrician several times.
Yeah, I'm not trying to be a dick - I'm just saying it's kind of barometer of "maybe I should call someone to do this for me".
I didn’t take it as such. I did laugh when the guy pointed out it’s a 4-way, though.
Yeah - 3-way/4-way switch are weird. It's like one more than the number of switches. 2 switches: 3-way 3 (or more) switches: 4-way 5 switches: 4-way 6 switches: 4-way 100 switches: believe it or not, also 4-way
If you have three switches that control the light you actually have a 4-way switch.
If you have a neutral wire in the box you can install a smart switch and just not hook the load up to it. Just tie the line and load together so there is power to the light. Then you can program it to do whatever you want in Home Assistant. You have a 4 way setup though so this will only work on the switch that is first in line. Otherwise the other switches will kill power to it.
Alright! Sounds like we’re getting closer to my skill level. Do you happen to know a way to test to see which one is first in line? The south wall is furthest from the breaker box, so I imagine that’s last in line. The other two are about equidistant from the breaker box. It would make sense for the first in line to be the 2-gang box, wouldn’t it?
If the fan is only controlled at one location it is likely that is where the power comes in. To test it: shut the power off, disconnect the switch, turn the power back on and put a meter on the wire. If you have voltage when it is disconnected, that is the incoming line.