Sage-Tips

What do you do with the light switch when using smart bulbs?

Just plug a smart bulb into a lamp, pair the Hue dimmer with the bulb, then place the Hue dimmer switch wherever you like. However, if you do have an existing switch for the lights you’re controlling, there is a bit of a problem.

Do smart bulbs work with normal switches?

Unlike smart plugs, smart bulbs work only with light fixtures, and those fixtures need to be turned on at all times. If someone flips the switch, you won’t be able to access a smart bulb without an add-on like the Lutron Aurora dimmer, which works only with Philips Hue bulbs.

Do you have to leave light switch on Philips hue?

RELATED: How to Get the Most Out of Your Philips Hue Lights Because of that, you have to keep the light switch turned on at all times. If it’s just you who lives in your home (or maybe also a spouse), you know to keep the light switch turned on and not mess with it.

What is the best way to use smart bulbs?

An effective way to use smart lights is to group them together by room or zone. For instance, you can schedule all of the lights in your basement go dark after midnight. Or, after 1 a.m. make every light on the main level to dim to 20 percent brightness. You get the idea.

Are Smart Bulbs always on?

You see, smart LED bulbs use a small amount of power even when they’re not emitting light. This is called vampire power, or a ghost load. Essentially, smart LEDs are always switched on. The only way to switch them off is by disconnecting their power source completely.

Can you use a smart switch manually?

Yes, you can still turn your lights on and off, just as you always did, but these smart switches provide you with much greater control over your home’s lighting, as well as fans and hardwired appliances. Via an app on your smartphone, you can access your switches whenever you need, from wherever you are.

Is it bad to leave a light switch on?

As far as safety goes, it makes no difference. When you use the light switch you are physically interrupting the electric flow to the fixture, whereas a remote likely does this via an electrical signal sent to a receiver in the fixture or in the wall switch.

Can you use smart bulbs in ceiling lights?

Smart lights can be successfully used in most ceiling fans (assuming you can find bulbs that fit the smaller socket type), but if the ceiling fan acts as a dimmer then smart light bulbs probably might not work because the supplied power can vary up to 30\%.

Do smart bulbs use electricity when off?

As we mentioned above, smart bulbs are in a class of appliances that use electricity in standby mode: vampire devices. This means that smart bulbs use electricity even when they’re off. According to How-To-Geek, the average smart bulb only uses a few cents a month when in standby mode.

Do you need a light switch for smart bulbs?

Most experts recommend smart switches because they don’t have the usability problem of smart bulbs. However, the release of some recent smart switches that are able to work with smart bulbs means that you don’t have to choose one or the other. You can have both.

Can you put a smart switch on a multi bulb fixture?

Multi-bulb fixtures One of the better use cases for smart switches is in situations where a light fixture requires multiple light bulbs. Rather than replace each bulb with a smart bulb, you can just install one smart switch. For example, I have a light fixture above my bathroom vanity that requires 4 light bulbs.

Do I have to keep my smart bulb on all the time?

You have to keep the p hysical fixture switch “on,” then turn the light off via the app to maintain its intelligence. This “always on” necessity also means you can only use the app to get actual light from your smart bulb. No more wall switch. In other words, your smart bulb has to always be switched on, even if the bulb is “off.”

Do I need a switch for my smart bulb app?

You have to keep the p hysical fixture switch “on,” then turn the light off via the app to maintain its intelligence. This “always on” necessity also means you can only use the app to get actual light from your smart bulb. No more wall switch.

Do you need power to turn off LED lights?

Answer: You don’t. Ever. So-called “smart” LED bulbs can end up being a joke on their owners—if you happen to turn them off at the switch, they cease being smart at all. A smart bulb must always have power flowing to it to perform its smart functions.