Controlling virtual switch based off of dumb wall switch

#1

I am looking to find a way to turn off a virtual switch in the event that a dumb light switch gets turned off and turns off my smart bulbs. I basically have three lights setup on a virtual switch so that when the virtual switch turns on it it turns on the lights and i can see it on my actiontiles. I am wanting however to make it turn off the virtual switch in the event that the light switch turns off.

#2

Generally speaking, if a device gets it’s power cut, it will be unable to report any changes to the hub.
(like expecting my wife to send me a text after her phone dies)

Using software, the only (sloppy) solution would be to periodically ping to see if the device is online…

For what it’s worth, I would encourage you to teach the family to leave the switch in the on position. My logic is, whenever the wall switch is off, that room is no longer “smart”.

I often have to encourage my clients to break the old habit of manually turning off the dumb wall switches if there is a smart device attached. (this is my favorite method to kick that habit, but a well placed piece of duct tape can also do the trick) Usually after a week or two, everyone is onboard.

For the record, it makes the transition easier if there is some easy way for the family to control the lights without opening apps etc. (Alexa, Smart Button, ActionTiles, Motion Sensors, etc)

#3

The only two “solutions” I can think of are:

  1. Get a smart switch and replace the dumb one with it. Then it can report that it’s been turned off and you can even turn it back on remotely.
  2. Get either a blank switch replacement cover (which is put in place of a switch to fill the hole that the toggle used to go through) or a blank plate cover, cap the neutral and ground wires and short the two switch wires, and put the cover back over the now, non-switch. Or get one of those gadgets that screws into the switch cover that locks the switch on.
    #2 is less expensive. You should be able to find the parts needed at just about any hardware store or online if you wish. With the switch-lock, you don’t even have to do any re-wiring.
#5

Thank you for the reply. I hate when people turn off the switch, we have tablets throughout the house and Alexa devices in every room. I have replaced pretty much every switch in the house with either a smart switch or a blank cover with a st button attached to it. I am new to the whole webcore world so figured I would give it a shot. My wife hates the SmartThings buttons, but likes a way to manually turn off the lights. The bulbs are rbg hue lights so didn’t want to just throw a smart switch on it. Thanks for the help

#6

My wife also prefers physical switches, so I’ve replaced a number of them with physical smart-switches.
In your case, since the lights are smart themselves, you could get the best of both worlds by shorting the load and line wires from the switch and, to provide a physical control, wire in a smart switch with just the neutral and line connected, which you then programatically tie to the smart-lights.

#7

I know you are probably trying to not add another device but perhaps you could use a light sensor (maybe a four way sensor to give it other purpose and switch based on the light level?