For those using sonoff smart switches, where do you install them? In the wall plug? On the wall next to the plug? On the appliance? At the db board?

Mine are all installed inline to the appliance I want to switch.

Its basically a ESP8266 with a 10A relay on, so put it wherever you have WiFi coverage.

OK, but where is it physically? On the appliance?

I have not done switches specifically, but I have used them for switching lights and they generally fit nicely in the wall. I would like to be able to switch wall switches, but the Sonoff Basic is not rated high enough (only 10A) to be safely installed into the wall for a 16A rated wall socket. You and I might remember not to overload the socket, but the other occupants of the dwelling will not remember.

btw, for lights, I recommend, Sonoff Touch T1 (1 - 3 gang) and the Tasmota software, pair them with Home Assistant and they make life so much easier.

On 2019/07/11 at 9:45 AM, DeepBass9 said:

For those using sonoff smart switches, where do you install them? In the wall plug? On the wall next to the plug? On the appliance? At the db board?

Installing these switches is a problem, what I have done is when I upgraded my DB board, I installed a three row DB and the bottom row of DB was going to be spare for sonoffs and pilot lights etc.

But I quickly realized my new board was going to be to small when I started the install, because I’ve split the DB in two for critical and non essential power. I then realized I’m going to need the bottom row for more breakers. So I have cut a square in the back of the DB tray at the bottom din rail and made a cavity behind in the brick wall. 

Now the sonoff and my inverter keypad power supply is lying in this cavity and there is actually space for more “stuff” if it comes to that. 

My sonoff’s switches my 2 x change over contactors for critical and non essential and my wifi is just above the DB in the attic very at very close range.

This I think is now my new standard when installing DB’s 🤫😁

 

So on this topic, what are the thoughts of installing them in light fittings and then leaving the switch on?

Also while it is handy i do have some concerns, maybe someone can advise?  Say you put it onto a bedroom light, great now you can turn the light on or off in bed from your phone etc, but if you want to pop into the roof to grab something out of a draw etc you need to have your phone on you and actually activate it?

What I did for mine is.

Main bedroom added a 3 gang sonoff wall touch. Bedside lamps each on their own sonoff basics.

3ch wall touch, 1st channel turn bathroom light on and off.2nd channel is fan. 3rd channel through node-red I turn both bedside lamps on.

On the bedside lamps I use the sonoff basic button to turn it on and off. Coded node-red to turn off 3rd channel of the wall touch off if both bedside lamp is turn off.

On the bedside lamp's sonoff basic switch I programmed the long press and double tap to turn the fan on and off. So anyone can turn the fan off/on while in bed.

Results : You can use the sonoff wall switch as normal on the wall to turn on bathroom light/bedside lamps/fan. While in the bed using the basics connected to the bedside lamps I can turn the lights/ fan on and off. Never need to use phone for anything. Adding these stuff must be user friendly continue to use as normal. Then added the custom commands to alexa to either turn on/off the lights/fan.

Edited August 21, 20196 yr by Luminous

1 hour ago, Dex_ said:

So on this topic, what are the thoughts of installing them in light fittings and then leaving the switch on?

Also while it is handy i do have some concerns, maybe someone can advise?  Say you put it onto a bedroom light, great now you can turn the light on or off in bed from your phone etc, but if you want to pop into the roof to grab something out of a draw etc you need to have your phone on you and actually activate it?

What I did was to install Sonoff  R F on my light circuits in the DB board . Before we go to bed we switch on some lights  for the night . We use a remote to control  if we want to switch lights .

Just be aware that the Sonoff WiFi switches, although rated at 10A/16A (depending on model), are not really suitable for routine switching of heavy loads such as Geysers, Pool pumps, Heaters etc.  There are many reports of these units burning out internally, sometimes causing the enclosure to melt.  E.g. https://support.itead.cc/support/discussions/topics/11000012976

Use the Sonoff to switch a beefy solid state relay... No burn marks.

19 hours ago, NigelL said:

Just be aware that the Sonoff WiFi switches, although rated at 10A/16A (depending on model), are not really suitable for routine switching of heavy loads such as Geysers, Pool pumps, Heaters etc.  There are many reports of these units burning out internally, sometimes causing the enclosure to melt.  E.g. https://support.itead.cc/support/discussions/topics/11000012976

is there a model suited to this?

20 hours ago, Chris Louw said:

What I did was to install Sonoff  R F on my light circuits in the DB board . Before we go to bed we switch on some lights  for the night . We use a remote to control  if we want to switch lights .

doesn't this become a bit frustrating? 

20 hours ago, Luminous said:

What I did for mine is.

Main bedroom added a 3 gang sonoff wall touch. Bedside lamps each on their own sonoff basics.

3ch wall touch, 1st channel turn bathroom light on and off.2nd channel is fan. 3rd channel through node-red I turn both bedside lamps on.

On the bedside lamps I use the sonoff basic button to turn it on and off. Coded node-red to turn off 3rd channel of the wall touch off if both bedside lamp is turn off.

On the bedside lamp's sonoff basic switch I programmed the long press and double tap to turn the fan on and off. So anyone can turn the fan off/on while in bed.

Results : You can use the sonoff wall switch as normal on the wall to turn on bathroom light/bedside lamps/fan. While in the bed using the basics connected to the bedside lamps I can turn the lights/ fan on and off. Never need to use phone for anything. Adding these stuff must be user friendly continue to use as normal. Then added the custom commands to alexa to either turn on/off the lights/fan.

this sounds quite awesome, the big thing here though was that you had a neutral in your light switch  I was more referring to when the installing it in the light fitting and leaving the switch on. your way makes me want to pull a new cable though

20 hours ago, Luminous said:

Main bedroom added a 3 gang sonoff wall touch.

That's something I've been wondering about. Which ones fit the South African style wall boxes? I see US and EU ones for sale... but I have no idea what will fit our local setups.

22 minutes ago, plonkster said:

That's something I've been wondering about. Which ones fit the South African style wall boxes? I see US and EU ones for sale... but I have no idea what will fit our local setups.

Same here, I have also been looking but not sure

1 hour ago, Dex_ said:

this sounds quite awesome, the big thing here though was that you had a neutral in your light switch  I was more referring to when the installing it in the light fitting and leaving the switch on. your way makes me want to pull a new cable though

If you are in a normal house with the wires in the roof it would be quite easy as you can just run a neutral wire back from the light fitting to the switch.

If you don't want to do that you can use some of the RF wall switches that don't need a neutral. But the problem with that is that you don't know what is the current state of the button.

Sonoff actually in the last week released a sonoff wall switch that you don't need the neutral wire.

59 minutes ago, plonkster said:

That's something I've been wondering about. Which ones fit the South African style wall boxes? I see US and EU ones for sale... but I have no idea what will fit our local setups.

 

35 minutes ago, PaBz0r said:

Same here, I have also been looking but not sure

 

I went with the Sonoff T1 US switch as this range fit in the normal SA wall box

Edited August 22, 20196 yr by Luminous

1 hour ago, Dex_ said:

doesn't this become a bit frustrating? 

No it is for our safety as well . If there is an incident we have a remote ready to switch lights as we like and don't have to struggle in the dark , we can see what is in a room before entering .  Remote like our keys on bedside table

 

22 minutes ago, Chris Louw said:

we can see what is in a room before entering

This is an excellent point!

There is one reason I've so-far not bothered with these switches, and that is because generally the lights go inversely with the curtains. When the lights go off, the curtains are opened. I have to walk through the entire house anyway to open/close the curtains, might as well throw the switch while I walk by!

When I go to bed I have 4 lights I need to switch off, guest toilet (next to kids room), two floor lamps, and the kitchen. In the morning, those four are the first to come on again. That is also the safety-critical area. So for me it makes sense to convert these... and leave the rest... cause I still have curtains to pull! 🙂

1 hour ago, Luminous said:

Sonoff actually in the last week released a sonoff wall switch that you don't need the neutral wire.

Is it a specific model nr?

3 hours ago, Chris Louw said:

No it is for our safety as well . If there is an incident we have a remote ready to switch lights as we like and don't have to struggle in the dark , we can see what is in a room before entering .  Remote like our keys on bedside table

 

personally I feel if you are worried about someone suprising you in a room of your house thus leaving lights on then your alarm system isn't on point, also unless they had inside info, leaving the lights on gives them an advantage.

 

Anyway if it works for you that is great.

Another option for controlling lights is to use "Z-Wave" based modules - they're small enough to easily fit inside the light-switch wall box. See https://qubino.com/products/flush-2-relays/#takecontrol .

Pros: You can link lights into groups and do all sorts of funky automations based on other inputs - such as turning on/off according to schedule, sun angle above the horizon, state of your alarm etc.

Cons: These units need a Neutral wire, a Z-Wave Gateway (dongle) and some form of Home Automation software (e.g. Home Assistant running on a RPi).  They are still quite expensive locally, however I imported a couple from Europe at roughly 40% of the cost from the local suppliers. 

The security is in place . Beams , sensors , burglerbars , 2 Safety gates to get to the bedroom , 2 Rhodesian ridgebacks in bedroom . Battery's backup for days . The point is keep the lights off . They can bring their own light if they want to enter . I will surprise them when lights go on and and off they won't know witch room to go to . 

3 hours ago, plonkster said:

There is one reason I've so-far not bothered with these switches, and that is because generally the lights go inversely with the curtains. When the lights go off, the curtains are opened. I have to walk through the entire house anyway to open/close the curtains, might as well throw the switch while I walk by!

 

So automate that as well, motorised curtains and wifi switches! I can just imagine if you hit a panic button you can get the curtains to randomly open and close, lights to come etc.