[Official] Home Automation Thread

[bullfrog]

Thanks for the advice bro. Any recommendation which frequency to get for Z-wave? US or UK or Korea??

Difficult to say. I went with the USA frequency as i tend to buy lots of stuff from amazon. Also there seems to be more smartapps written for the USA server.
However, due to the power rating differences, not everything can work here.

Getting uk might seem better but shipping stuff from uk to sg is not cheap.

Korea seems to be the standard Singapore is working towards but that means you cannot buy the cheaper items from Amazon USA. Tough call.

Thankfully, zigbee is universal so just get zigbee products whenever possible.

 

[MaoZeDuo]

Just wondering about the burnt xiaomi wall switches... could the reason being china using 220V but here we use 230V?

 

[prawnyhead]

Is it possible to convert the fittings for PLC fluroscent downlights to smart lighting?

I don't think so right? All smart lights I see are screwed on one. LED I know is possible but not sure about smart lights

How about T5 lighting?

And for AC that are using multi split systems you can't use smart AC/centralised AC also right?

 

[CrumplerTM]

Hi has anyone experienced failure of Xiaomi Aqara wall switch both single and double switches (non-neutral)?

I have it installed for all of my light switches, and within 3 months, already 5 switches have failed to on, including 1 with burnt resistor that melted / burned the plastic housing.

Just wondering if it is just me or is it a common issue.

 

[CrumplerTM]

for those using xiaomi switch i have 2 burnt and based on xiaomi forum there are others with cases as well. they can cross sell their smoke alarm alr....

Just realized that I have the exact same issue. Most, almost 5 didnt burn, but refuse to on / off.

Any solution you have come across?

 

[Z_Dash]

for those using xiaomi switch i have 2 burnt and based on xiaomi forum there are others with cases as well. they can cross sell their smoke alarm alr....

The part of the burn is where the trandsformer is...

So far, I have 4 spoilt switches over the span of 1 year but none of the components were burnt when I open it up..

Hi has anyone experienced failure of Xiaomi Aqara wall switch both single and double switches (non-neutral)?

I have it installed for all of my light switches, and within 3 months, already 5 switches have failed to on, including 1 with burnt resistor that melted / burned the plastic housing.

Just wondering if it is just me or is it a common issue.

Just wondering about the burnt xiaomi wall switches... could the reason being china using 220V but here we use 230V?

I got a feeling its the non-neutral models that there is some loop function within circuit that transformer is trying to dissipate the heat but fails.

Anyone ran neutral wire and has also burnt aqara switch?
From my deduction neutral type may not have such issue.

 

[Z_Dash]

Also one thing that i'm wondering.
We have fire safety insurance covering our home.

If touch wood aqara burns down our home.
Will our insurance be voided since it doesn't have "Spring safety test" labels?

 

[proton91]

Hi guys, I opened up my light switch and it looks like this.

Currently about to start renovation. Does this mean neutral wiring is there already?

 

[CrumplerTM]

Hi guys, I opened up my light switch and it looks like this.

Currently about to start renovation. Does this mean neutral wiring is there already?

Looks like ground (connected to the switch housing) and live (brown) wires. Is it a 2-gang switch? Neutral wire is blue in color.

 

[bullfrog]

Hi guys, I opened up my light switch and it looks like this.

Currently about to start renovation. Does this mean neutral wiring is there already?

I see only live and ground. No neutral.

Tell your electrician to run neutral to all ur light switch points. I'm about to do my reno and the electrician quoted me 60 bucks each switch point.

I'm now considering to buy the xiaomi aqara with neutral since nobody has experienced any burnt switches with those so far.

 

[MaoZeDuo]

Mine quoted $40... after reno still can pull?

I see only live and ground. No neutral.

Tell your electrician to run neutral to all ur light switch points. I'm about to do my reno and the electrician quoted me 60 bucks each switch point.

I'm now considering to buy the xiaomi aqara with neutral since nobody has experienced any burnt switches with those so far.

 

[proton91]

Looks like ground (connected to the switch housing) and live (brown) wires. Is it a 2-gang switch? Neutral wire is blue in color.

No its a single switch. One button to on one light. There's some marking on the switch if it helps to decipher.. It's a hager brand switch.

 

[proton91]

Mine quoted $40... after reno still can pull?

I guess best to do during reno.. Cause there might be some hacking needed to bring the neutral wire to the switches..

 

[proton91]

I see only live and ground. No neutral.

Tell your electrician to run neutral to all ur light switch points. I'm about to do my reno and the electrician quoted me 60 bucks each switch point.

I'm now considering to buy the xiaomi aqara with neutral since nobody has experienced any burnt switches with those so far.

I know there's the aqara with no neutral required. What is the difference between these two?

 

[bullfrog]

I know there's the aqara with no neutral required. What is the difference between these two?

The difference between both versions was supposed to be only the max load. The non neutral can only handle up to 800W. The one with neutral can go higher i think 2500w. Guess thats why the neutral switch isn't having the problems the non neutral version has

 

[CrumplerTM]

I know there's the aqara with no neutral required. What is the difference between these two?

Actually smart switch requires electricity to remain connected and ready to turn the lights on. So you can imagine it having to draw power to remain connected and yet keep the light circuit open to keep the lights off. How exactly it is done is clear in the following website.

https://www.vesternet.com/blog/why-smart-switches-cant-be-used-without-neutral/

That is why there is a lower limit to the power the light can be connected to the switch.

3W energy saving lamps / 5W LED lights / 16W fluorescent lamps

Anyway now knowing that live wire only smart switch have to resort to such method, I prefer to use the neutral version.

The Xiaomi Live wire only switch face issue such as flickering of low powered LED lights even in off state, and as shown here a few switches spoiled within a short period of time.

Not sure if neutral switches have a better reliability, or is due to low in SG as the light switches in BTO and HDB is live wire only.

 

[AsusEpoxy]

Hi has anyone experienced failure of Xiaomi Aqara wall switch both single and double switches (non-neutral)?

I have it installed for all of my light switches, and within 3 months, already 5 switches have failed to on, including 1 with burnt resistor that melted / burned the plastic housing.

Just wondering if it is just me or is it a common issue.

I've installed since mid feb and so far so good. Will be monitoring mine...

The problem is, Xiaomi due to its brand presence has sold so many of such switches and in the grand scheme of things, the number are cases are actually small.

The switches are the same, I just wonder what other variables are at play here.

 

[Inediblebulk]

I got a feeling its the non-neutral models that there is some loop function within circuit that transformer is trying to dissipate the heat but fails.

Anyone ran neutral wire and has also burnt aqara switch?
From my deduction neutral type may not have such issue.

Or simply they didn't sell enough neutral switches so you don't see users reporting their failures.

 

[MaoZeDuo]

Current is constantly on... perhaps?

One of my 2 gang is connected to a fan cum light and the other to Phillips hue strip... when i hit the fan switch... my Philips strip will flick once... this happens every time both switches are left off for awhile... anyone experience the same?

I've installed since mid feb and so far so good. Will be monitoring mine...

The problem is, Xiaomi due to its brand presence has sold so many of such switches and in the grand scheme of things, the number are cases are actually small.

The switches are the same, I just wonder what other variables are at play here.

 

[AsusEpoxy]

Current is constantly on... perhaps?

One of my 2 gang is connected to a fan cum light and the other to Phillips hue strip... when i hit the fan switch... my Philips strip will flick once... this happens every time both switches are left off for awhile... anyone experience the same?

the variables here are the different electrical fittings connected ( lights/ fans etc).

We all know that when something is switched on, it will peak/surge 1st and then go down to its rated sustained load. Could it be because the non neutral has a rather low max load rating (800w)?