Smart home behavior

[Saga]

Hi all.
We have a home that is wired with traditional light switches. These include both simple switches and two-way switches. We would like to automate the lights, while still providing backwards compatibility incase the automated system fails. What I am researching currently, and would like to ask is about the behavior of the automated light system. I understand that the light comes on when someone enters the room, but how will it behave if the traditional switch in ON, or OFF? How would this work for two, or even three-way switches?

Any helpful references or orientation is appreciated! Salvador

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hi all.
We have a home that is wired with traditional light switches. These include both simple switches and two-way switches. We would like to automate the lights, while still providing backwards compatibility incase the automated system fails. What I am researching currently, and would like to ask is about the behavior of the automated light system. I understand that the light comes on when someone enters the room, but how will it behave if the traditional switch in ON, or OFF? How would this work for two, or even three-way switches?

Any helpful references or orientation is appreciated! Salvador

How would anyone know without knowing what 'automated light system' means? If an automated light requires power from a switched circuit... any kind of switch... then that switch will need to allow power to flow to the light, either manually or automatically.

All I know is that I would not always want lights coming on automatically when I walk into a room. And I would not buy a house that a homeowner has reworked with automation. Maybe that's worth considering.

OE

 

[Tech9]

I understand that the light comes on when someone enters the room, but how will it behave if the traditional switch in ON, or OFF?

Perhaps something like this will work better for you:

This switch has Motion Detector with manual OFF - AUTO - ON selector.

Another option:

This one has Motion Detector with manual ON/OFF + built-in Dimmer.

 

[Crimliar]

My smart bulbs are set to turn on when power returns if they'd previously been turned off at the switch, so that gives you a degree of backwards compatibility (though in some instances you'd need to toggle the switch twice) and allows you to continue to use the original switches. But if left on they will turn off by themselves if the motion sensors don't detect any movement for a while. That works well for the kitchen and hallway, but if you want it in the living room, you need a presence sensor rather than just a motion sensor. Presence sensors are more expensive, and usually require a small continuous power supply, rather than the batteries that motion sensors are happy with.
Once you start getting fancy, you can set the lights to different levels depending on the time of day - no more need for night lights in the hall - or change the living room lights to a different mood when say you turn on the TV!
*The ultimate ridiculous routine here being that the first time my phone is detected downstairs in the morning, the kettle will automatically heat to 90C for my wake-up coffee!