There are two main ways to make lighting smart: put the brains in the bulb, or put them in the wall switch. Both work with phones and voice assistants, but they behave very differently day to day, and one involves an electrician while the other doesn't.
Ring 0421 772 661 to talk about smart lighting in your home. We install smart switches and dimmers and check the wiring behind them.
Smart bulbs, such as those from Philips Hue or LIFX, screw or plug into an ordinary light socket and connect over Wi-Fi, Zigbee or Bluetooth, sometimes through a hub. Each bulb is controllable on its own, and many can change brightness, colour temperature and full colour.
Smart switches and dimmers replace the wall switch mechanism. The light fittings themselves stay ordinary, and the switch controls them from an app, a schedule or a voice assistant, while still working as a normal wall switch. Systems like Clipsal Wiser are built around this approach and can extend to other parts of the home.
The single biggest practical difference: with smart bulbs, someone flicking the wall switch off cuts power to the bulb and it goes offline. With smart switches, the wall switch is the smart device, so it always works as expected.
Smart bulbs. No wiring changes, and you take them with you when you move.
Smart bulbs and strips. Full colour control is their strength; most smart switches only dim.
Smart switches. One switch controls a whole bank of fittings rather than buying a smart globe for each one.
Smart switches. Everyone uses the wall switch normally and nothing goes offline.
Smart switches. Most modern downlights have built-in LEDs with no globe to replace.
A couple of smart bulbs in lamps is a low-commitment way to see if you'll use it.
Many smart switches need a neutral conductor at the switch to power their electronics. In a lot of older Inner West houses, light switches were wired with only the active and switched active, no neutral. Some smart dimmers are designed to work without a neutral; others won't. Check the product's installation requirements, and we'll check what's actually in your wall before you buy a houseful.
Wall boxes in older terraces and Federation homes can also be shallow or missing, and smart mechanisms are often deeper than a basic switch. Dimming LED fittings needs a compatible dimmer and fitting pairing, or you get flicker. Our smart home wiring guide covers planning in more depth, and dimmer buzzing explains the compatibility issue.
Plenty of homes use both: smart switches for the main ceiling lights in each room, and smart bulbs in lamps and feature pendants where colour or individual control is wanted. The key is not to put a smart bulb on a circuit controlled by a smart dimmer, as the two fight each other. Plan which device does the controlling for each light.
Smart bulbs are plug-and-play, so you can install them yourself. Replacing a wall switch or dimmer is licensed electrical work in NSW. We install the switches, test the circuit and make sure everything is protected and compliant.
No. The bulb loses power and goes offline until the switch is turned back on. That's the most common complaint about smart bulbs.
No. In NSW, replacing a hard-wired switch is licensed electrical work.
Often, but some need a neutral at the switch, which older wiring may not have. We check before you buy.
Only if the fittings take replaceable globes. Many modern downlights have integrated LEDs, which suit a smart switch instead.
We install and wire smart switches from mainstream ranges and can help set up bulbs. See our pages on Clipsal Wiser, Philips Hue and LIFX.
NSW Electrical Contractor Licence 332956C · Fully insured · Since 2016 · Based in Hurlstone Park
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