Advises for my new home - First step : Switches

[Misterdim]

Hi there,

I'm new here but not on domotic. I've done lots of things at home (home made solutions).

Good news (for me), I'll build my new house (construction will start by july). As a consequence, got a white paper for domotic. Will start from scratch (my constructor will certainly impose me some things but if I come with my solution ).

So for my first post, I'll ask you for your experience about switches. What I need :

• mechanical switches (not tactile)

• push switched (don't know how to explain)... Not classic switches (up = closed / down = opened) but switch you "push" with spring

• dimmable command

• switches that will be principally used "classically" (i.e. use the mechanical switch most of time) but want to poll their status and to be able to command them wirelessly to integrate to scenario (home assistant, ...)

• classic look (no futuristic design)

I found out the TKBHOME TZ35S / TZ35D which seems to be quite good for me.

The only interrogation is about my 2nd point ... is it "push" ... On the user manual, they mention "on" and "off".. That's why I'm not sure. I really want the button to always look the same (push = light on... push = light off... not up = toggle light... down... toggle light...)...

Spoiler: show

To be honest, this MUST HAVE request is due to my wife who suffer from "obsessive-compulsive disorder"... In other words... for her... A switch MUST be up when light on... and MUST be down when light off... in my current flat, I put modules to adapt my actual switches (when my current switch change state, it toggle the light)... BUT I eventually can not use wireless command (via phone or whatever) as lighting up via mobil phone will not "mecanically" toggle the switch... so my wife is upset by the fact the switch is not in the position it should be... Don't laugh at it... it is a real handicap for her (and for us too)... When we move to ou new house, the "change" will be the occasion to try to get rid of some of her habits (switches are only one of her multiple "rules" of life)... But it will be help if the switch are physically "neutral" no "on" and "off" position distinction.

So my questions for people who own these switches :

• MUST HAVE : Is it only "push" and not "toggle"

• How dim process is handled on physical switches (maintain pushed and released when dim value is reached ?)

• Can you confirm the ability to "poll" the status (to know remotely if light is on and the dim value)

• Is it "reliable"

• What are pit and falls about this products

• Perharps there is an alternative to this product

• It will pilot multiple led spots on the ceil (optionnaly several zones... but that is wiring... deals with scenario... my job )

Thanks in advance to whom will read this message and help me. As starting from "scratch", I'll try to do a kind of blog / reportage to give my experience... if I got enough time because people tell me building house (even if I'll only deal with little things like domotic, finishing...) is a full day activity.

And forgive me if my english is not so good... I try to do my best but except reading english usermanual or tech site, I barely not speaking / writing english.

Cheers.
Misterdim

[pvm]

Did you check the Fibaro Z-Wave dimmers? I'm using those behind 'classical' switches (which are in my opinion required as fallback (and for WAF) and offcourse to prevent powering off like with Philips HUE (+ HUE like) solutions). The Fibaro modules support pulse and conventional on/off switches, I use GIRA E2 series.

[Misterdim]

Hello,

Tank you for your reply, I thought about that. I actually got such thing (not fibaro but RFXCom as older)... so I naturally took this option into account.

I tought this solution was a good solution to « modernize «  existing installation. As I was starting on a « white board «  I thought il would be the occasion of.

But I’ll take this into account. It opens le wide range of switch choices

Thanks !!!

[wvries]

One way to get (and keep) full control of what you can do with all the switches and lights, is to have all of them not run to a central box (in Netherlands called Centraal doos, where you normally hang your lightfixture) but to have them all run to 1 central location on a floor. for example, all switches, electrical sockets etc on the ground floor run to the central energy closet, where you then can connect whatever to whatever.
Downside of this is, that your central energy closet probably needs to be a little bit bigger than normal and you need probably twicw as much conduits and wiring to get this done.
But after, you can take whatever switch and either change it or put any other control between it, in the central energy closet.

when building from scratch, you now have to opportunity to do so.

[Misterdim]

Thank you for sharing !!!... So excited to start from scratch ...