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[Solved] How to detect the position of a dumb wall switch? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works to c/homeassistant@lemmy.world

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My nightstand lights are connected to a surge protector plugged into a Zigbee smart plug plugged into a dumb wall outlet controlled by a single dumb wall switch.

I have the smart plug set to default=On, so the wall switch works fine, and I can also turn the lights off from my phone or via an automation. All good so far.

What I WANT is to be able to turn the lights ON without getting out of bed, and irrespective of the position of the switch.

I tried putting a second smart plug in the switch-controlled outlet and making an automation to toggle the surge protector's smart plug when the switch's empty smart plug powers off/on via the wall switch, but it looks like it's not simple to detect a Zigbee device "disappearing". I found some integrations that detect zigbee devices disappearing, but those seemed more for running health checks to detect and repair moved devices than for live detection.

Any suggestions?

Edit:

Looks like a relay behind the switch will be my best bet. Thank you all!

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[–] eddiereasoner@lemmus.org 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (14 children)

Assuming technically possible, this solution requires no other hardware:

Is it possible to make the smart plug default to the opposite of the last state? You could use the wall switch like a pushbutton (cut and restore power) and it would toggle, then maintain control from HASS. You might be able to save the last state of the smart plug, detect when it comes online after a power failure (theoretically), and set it to the opposite of the previous state in an automation.

[–] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago (13 children)

That's probably possible, but doesn't solve my problem. That said, some commentors found my explanation confusing.

When the switch is toggled ON, I want the lights to go ON.

When the switch is toggled OFF, I want the lights to go OFF.

Irrespective of the switch position, I want to be able to turn the lights ON or OFF with Home Assistant.

It sounds like a zigbee relay behind the switch will be the way to detect the switch position.

[–] eddiereasoner@lemmus.org 3 points 5 days ago

I don’t think a relay would work because it wouldn’t let you turn the lights off without getting up, and would make it so the switch won’t turn the lights off without turning of the relay from your phone.

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