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Combine z-wave on/off switch with MiLight or Hue

RobertLijkendijkRobertLijkendijk Member
in Questions & Help
Hi there.

Will it be possible to combine a z-wave on/off switch (behind a wall mounted pulse switch) and a hue or milight bulb into "one" device in Homey? So you see one device in homey, for example: Light dinner table, and Homey sends the on / off command to the z-wave switch, and the "change colour" or "dimming" commands to the bulb itself?

I would like to start using Hue or Milight, but I want to be able to switch the lights by using Homey and/or the wall mounted switches as well. The problem with traditional wall mounted switches is you will remove the power from the light bulb when you switch it off, so I think you will need an extra module/device for this.

The reason for this is I want to be able to control the lights (with the wall mounted switches)  even when Homey is offline or I don't feel like talking to it (at night for example) and am not carrying my phone around....

Hope you guys can help me out with this.

Comments

  • MichaelMichael Member
    You probably want a hue remote control. This can control the hue light. A z-wave button can only control a z-wave dimmer. You need homey in between to link the two. 
  • RobertLijkendijkRobertLijkendijk Member
    edited January 2016
    I don't mean a Z-wave button (although Homey should be able to switch on/off a KaKu device with the press of a z-wave button), but a on/off switch like this:

    https://www.betaalbare-domotica.nl/modules/schakelaars/fibaro-schakelaar-2x1-5kw-v2.html
    https://www.elektroschakelmateriaal.nl/products/busch-jaeger-1413-0-0491-jeager-drukcontact-2x-maak-2020us-205-inbouw-94574
    http://www.elektrototaalmarkt.nl/abb-busch-jaeger/bedieningswip/1785-84-4142647/1751-0-2752/

    I would not like to mount a Hue or Milight remote control to my walls.

  • Fire69Fire69 Member
    edited January 2016
    @RobertLijkendijk, shouldn't be a problem at all. When you create a flow (when z-wave switch on, turn on hue) 
    I'm using that exact Fibaro now with another controller and 3 Hues so I'm positive Homey can do that too  :) 
  • MichaelMichael Member
    This doesn't work when Homey is offline as the poster asked. Although the Hue will switch on it doesn't go to the desired color. You also don't have the soft-start functionality.
    But if you assume Homey is online or you can live with a hue being turned on instantly at 100% (during night) it will work
    :smile: 
  • rob_houwelingrob_houweling Member
    It depends on the definition of online. Connected to the internet or to the local network.
    When homey is connected to the local network this should just work afaik. It doesn't need an internet connection to turn on hue lights.
  • RobertLijkendijkRobertLijkendijk Member
    Offline as in a system malfunction (Homey crashed, which hopefully is not gonna happen very often). It's not a problem you will not be able to switch to the desired color Michael, but it will be nice to switch on/off the lights without the need off homey or a smartphone (when you need to go to the toilet at night for example).
  • MichaelMichael Member
    RobertLijkendijk said:
    ...it will be nice to switch on/off the lights without the need off homey or a smartphone (when you need to go to the toilet at night for example).
    I understand your point. However I think you should be able to rely on your home automation. If you are going to design your system and spend a lot of money to assume it will fail at a certain point (at exactly the same time you need to go to the bathroom in the dark) it sounds like money not very well spend. (But that's my opinion of course and unrelated to your question :wink:)

    Maybe you can better spend your money on a Nest Protect on the ceiling. They provide a nice motion activated light during night. It works great. I bought one last week and I love it.
  • Fire69Fire69 Member
    edited January 2016
    Michael said:
    This doesn't work when Homey is offline as the poster asked. Although the Hue will switch on it doesn't go to the desired color. You also don't have the soft-start functionality.
    But if you assume Homey is online or you can live with a hue being turned on instantly at 100% (during night) it will work
    smile 
    I don't understand what you are trying to say here honestly? 
    You're right it won't work when Homey is offline (as in, not working correctly) but let's not assume that  ;)
    My Hues are not physically connected to the switch. When I push the button, a rule (flow here) is started that turns on the lights. If you'd like them to be at 50% and green, just insert that in the rule. 
  • RobertLijkendijkRobertLijkendijk Member
    But will Homey support it being displayed as one device, where the on / off goes to the z-wave module, and then the RGBW function goes to the bulb itself... So you actually control 2 physical devices from one device within Homey. hope that will be possible.
  • MichaelMichael Member
    Fire69 said:
    Michael said:
    This doesn't work when Homey is offline as the poster asked. Although the Hue will switch on it doesn't go to the desired color. You also don't have the soft-start functionality.
    But if you assume Homey is online or you can live with a hue being turned on instantly at 100% (during night) it will work
    smile 
    I don't understand what you are trying to say here honestly? 
    You're right it won't work when Homey is offline (as in, not working correctly) but let's not assume that  ;) 
    That was exactly what I was assuming :smile: because that was what the poster was asking for.

    I understand your setup and that will indeed work. However the poster wanted to have a solution when he had to pee at night when Homey just crashed. In that case it won't work, because Homey needs to receive the z-wave and control the Hue.
  • Fire69Fire69 Member
    True, but then you can assume that at a certain point your Nest Protect can crash or even a simple light bulb can burn out  ;)
  • RobertLijkendijkRobertLijkendijk Member
    edited January 2016
    You misunderstand Michael. The wiring scheme will be like the picture below. So the bulbs are physically connected to the z-wave module. The wall mounted pulse switch sends a short pulse to the z-wave module when pressed so it switches on or off. When a domotica controller sends a signal to the z-wave switch it will also switch on or off. This way you can use both the physical button as the domotica controller / app to switch the lights.

    It's not just for when I have to go to the bathroom at night, but to be able to switch on or off the lights when walking by the button.

    I want to be able to control the lights by using the traditional switch as well as by the domotica system. Not just for me but also for visitors, who see a light button and press it and expect the lights to go on.

  • Fire69Fire69 Member
    That will certainly work (I have lights connected that way also, but not Hues). 
    The problem when using that scheme is that your Hues will be 'offline' when switched off with the button. 
    You won't be able to control them with anything else then Homey (who needs to switch on the z-wave module) or again with the button. 
  • MichaelMichael Member
    It will work I guess. Because a Hue will go to 100% when you provide power. So if you switch on the z-wave switch it will provide power to the hue and turns it on at 100%. The solution of @Fire69 is better, but always needs the homey. 
  • AthomeyAthomey Member
    Also, when switching on the Hue, it will go 100% immediately, but not immediately be available in your zigbee network. It will also mess up your zigbee mesh routing for a while. (Which relies on steady transmitters/receivers on fixed places.)
  • RobertLijkendijkRobertLijkendijk Member
    Athomey said:
    Also, when switching on the Hue, it will go 100% immediately, but not immediately be available in your zigbee network. It will also mess up your zigbee mesh routing for a while. (Which relies on steady transmitters/receivers on fixed places.)

    That makes sense... Would there be a better way to combine wall mounted switches and Hue and Homey??
  • MichaelMichael Member
    Yes, but just not without something like homey in the middle.
    I can tell you what I did. I removed the traditional wall switches and connected the wires to each other. So the hue will always have 220V. 
    I then put a Hue remote at the original location of the traditional switch:
    http://gizmodo.com/you-can-now-dim-philips-hue-bulbs-from-a-wireless-remot-1725399801

    I did this for the same reason: I wanted to have a physical button that visitors (and my girlfriend) can understand. And this works. A big pro is that you can not only link a hue light, but also a scene to the remote.

    Whenever your Homey failed this solution will still work. But homey is also able to control it. 
  • Fire69Fire69 Member
    Except that this doesn't fit in with the design of your other switches, so out of the question for me.  :)

    You could use a Hue Tap and build it into switches from Eltako (if I remember correctly) or Busch-Jaeger.
    But that will cost you a fortune to install in your entire house...
  • rob_houwelingrob_houweling Member
    I did the exact same thing as @Michael with the hue dimmer.
    So far I have 4 hue bulbs in my living room and 3 other lamps which are controlled by an cheap kaku remote control. When I get my homey I plan to switch the kaku lights with the hue dimmer buttons as well. 4 bulbs is enough light for when homey is unexpectedly down.
  • mveckmveck Member
    I used the eq3 homematic remotes, since these allowed to be build into the original switch location. Actually still looking for a Zigbee remote which can be used instead. The philips switches just don’t match the other switch designs. 
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