Thanks Ian. Just discovered Shelly. I will be fitting a few of these (plus the e27 smart bulbs above my external garage doors) .... as I will have 50mm boarded insulated walls the back boxes will be sunk deeply to allow the retrofit. Nice vblog.
Should've used a 2 gang retractive switch (one for light and one for fan), and a Shelly Dimmer 2 instead of the Shelly 1 would've been a nicer option (with disable bulb). With your setup the light could be on but the physical switch in the off position...
Hi, The Shelly1 could have been a cheaper option if you don't need power monitoring or for most UK installations the Shelly1L might be more appropriate. This is because it is unusual to find a neutral behind a light switch in modern UK installations where there are just 2 wires to switch the live feeding the light (i.e. the neutral is located in the ceiling rose not behind the switch).
Hi Mark, thanks for the comment. I agree, our current house is the first time I have come across neutrals behind light switches. I am also very fortunate that the back box behind each light switch is deep enough to fit the Shelly. I had not heard of the Shelly1L before, that sounds ideal and would simplify the installation significantly. I’m planning to install a Shelly in my daughters room so might use the 1L instead to give it a go.
Would a Shelly mini 1 gen 3 be a suitable option for a light switch? With the 1L no longer being available... Are you using 3 core and earth in your installation? The neutral would normally be the switched live, right? How do you have spare neutrals in the switch box?
A Shelly mini 1 gen3 would work well in this situation, although it still requires a neutral. New build houses in the UK tend to run the lighting circuits through the switches rather than the lights, which means that a neutral tends to be available behind the switch. Our current house is the first that has been wired in this way, every house we have lived in before has not had neutrals available behind switches. If you do not have a neutral behind the switch, another option would be to wire the Shelly in the light enclosure. Of course that will only work if the light enclosure is large enough to take the Shelly.
Unfortunately it doesn't look like Shelly currently sell an alternative for the 1L. However, I did a little Googling and found one from Sonoff that is very similar. It's not WiFi and instead uses Zigbee, so you'll need a Zigbee hub to use it, but other than that it looks like a good alternative. Here's the Amazon link. www.amazon.co.uk/Sonoff-ZBMINIL2-SONOFF/dp/B0B74H2P6G
Do the Shelly devices really fit behind a standard U.K. ceiling rose? When I say standard, I mean the white plastic ones fitted as standard by most electricians, unless you bring your own fitting. Also, how do they work with RGB smart bulbs?
Sorry for the delay replying, I’ve been away for a few days. I have not tried installing a Shelly in a ceiling rose, however I doubt they would fit in a standard plastic rose on a pendant light. I did a little Googling and found this article. In the comments section at the bottom someone has included a link to a slightly larger enclosure that may work with a Shelly. tomasmcguinness.com/2020/01/24/shelly-1-relay/ I’m not sure I understand your question on RGB bulbs. The relay will turn the power on/off to whatever is connected. If you integrated the Shelly into a smart home (for example by using Homebridge to integrate into HomeKit) then you can setup routines or scenes to be triggered when the Shelly is turned on or off. I’m working on a video at the moment showing how I setup a Shelly 2.5 to control multiple Shelly RGBW2s. I’m hoping to post that video soon.
No they will not fit in a standard ceiling rose , or a standard 25mm back box. Most modern installs have neutrals at light switches these days , due to the popularity of recessed downlights. Ever since the 18th Edition Wiring Regs came in , there has been a tendancy for having neutrals at light switches.
Good question. The reason for the Shelly is because I wanted the light switch on the wall to control the light but not the fan. Without the Shelly, turning off the light switch would turn off all power to the iFan03 which would then prevent me from being able to remotely turn on the fan.
I don’t have a Shelly 1, however I took a quick look at the wiring diagrams and it looks like it’s setup slightly differently to the 1PM. The main difference seems to be that the switch is only connected to one terminal of the Shelly 1. The other terminal of the switch is connected to a permanent live. Here’s the wiring diagram for the Shelly 1. shelly.cloud/knowledge-base/devices/shelly-1/#wiring
Hi Matt, thanks for the comment. Unfortunately the Shelly isn’t natively compatible with HomeKit. I am using Homebridge running on a Raspberry Pi to control the Shelly via HomeKit. So far I have found Homebridge to work very well.
Absolutely. I am very lucky that this back box was big enough for the Shelly. Having said that though, if there isn’t enough space in the back box you can often install a Shelly in the light enclosure/ceiling rose instead. As long as you have access to permanent live and switched live at the light fitting then that should work well. As another commenter pointed out, you can also use the Shelly1L if you don’t have access to a neutral. That wouldn’t solve the space issue, but does provide other options.
Assuming you have room to fit the Shelly at the light and have access to a permanent live, neutral and switch live then they can be fitted into the light fitting.
Thanks Ian. Just discovered Shelly. I will be fitting a few of these (plus the e27 smart bulbs above my external garage doors) .... as I will have 50mm boarded insulated walls the back boxes will be sunk deeply to allow the retrofit. Nice vblog.
Should've used a 2 gang retractive switch (one for light and one for fan), and a Shelly Dimmer 2 instead of the Shelly 1 would've been a nicer option (with disable bulb). With your setup the light could be on but the physical switch in the off position...
Hi, The Shelly1 could have been a cheaper option if you don't need power monitoring or for most UK installations the Shelly1L might be more appropriate. This is because it is unusual to find a neutral behind a light switch in modern UK installations where there are just 2 wires to switch the live feeding the light (i.e. the neutral is located in the ceiling rose not behind the switch).
Hi Mark, thanks for the comment. I agree, our current house is the first time I have come across neutrals behind light switches. I am also very fortunate that the back box behind each light switch is deep enough to fit the Shelly.
I had not heard of the Shelly1L before, that sounds ideal and would simplify the installation significantly. I’m planning to install a Shelly in my daughters room so might use the 1L instead to give it a go.
Would a Shelly mini 1 gen 3 be a suitable option for a light switch? With the 1L no longer being available...
Are you using 3 core and earth in your installation? The neutral would normally be the switched live, right? How do you have spare neutrals in the switch box?
A Shelly mini 1 gen3 would work well in this situation, although it still requires a neutral. New build houses in the UK tend to run the lighting circuits through the switches rather than the lights, which means that a neutral tends to be available behind the switch. Our current house is the first that has been wired in this way, every house we have lived in before has not had neutrals available behind switches.
If you do not have a neutral behind the switch, another option would be to wire the Shelly in the light enclosure. Of course that will only work if the light enclosure is large enough to take the Shelly.
My house was built in 1997...
Is there nothing that will work like the Shelly 1L?
Unfortunately it doesn't look like Shelly currently sell an alternative for the 1L. However, I did a little Googling and found one from Sonoff that is very similar. It's not WiFi and instead uses Zigbee, so you'll need a Zigbee hub to use it, but other than that it looks like a good alternative. Here's the Amazon link.
www.amazon.co.uk/Sonoff-ZBMINIL2-SONOFF/dp/B0B74H2P6G
The light switch modules seem hard to get hold of in the UK. I certainly wouldn't smart my whole house with them, just maybe some LED lighting.
Do the Shelly devices really fit behind a standard U.K. ceiling rose? When I say standard, I mean the white plastic ones fitted as standard by most electricians, unless you bring your own fitting. Also, how do they work with RGB smart bulbs?
Just to qualify, it’s clear to me that they won’t fit in a pattress box, unless I remove it and dig into the wall to make the space deeper.
Sorry for the delay replying, I’ve been away for a few days. I have not tried installing a Shelly in a ceiling rose, however I doubt they would fit in a standard plastic rose on a pendant light. I did a little Googling and found this article. In the comments section at the bottom someone has included a link to a slightly larger enclosure that may work with a Shelly. tomasmcguinness.com/2020/01/24/shelly-1-relay/
I’m not sure I understand your question on RGB bulbs. The relay will turn the power on/off to whatever is connected. If you integrated the Shelly into a smart home (for example by using Homebridge to integrate into HomeKit) then you can setup routines or scenes to be triggered when the Shelly is turned on or off.
I’m working on a video at the moment showing how I setup a Shelly 2.5 to control multiple Shelly RGBW2s. I’m hoping to post that video soon.
No they will not fit in a standard ceiling rose , or a standard 25mm back box.
Most modern installs have neutrals at light switches these days , due to the popularity of recessed downlights.
Ever since the 18th Edition Wiring Regs came in , there has been a tendancy for having neutrals at light switches.
Hi, that green/yellow cable is ground right? They don't need to go through shelly right?
Hi Jhalak, correct, the green/yellow cable is the earth/ground wire. The Shelly does not have an earth connection.
I don't get it, the ifan03 has a light switch for the fan light. Why use the shelly?
Good question. The reason for the Shelly is because I wanted the light switch on the wall to control the light but not the fan. Without the Shelly, turning off the light switch would turn off all power to the iFan03 which would then prevent me from being able to remotely turn on the fan.
what did the % mean on the fan? speed?
Correct, the % is the speed. You can only choose between three speeds though, 100% is full speed, 66% is medium and 33% is low.
Is this the same wiring for the Shelly 1 ?? I’m struggling to get my witch working
I don’t have a Shelly 1, however I took a quick look at the wiring diagrams and it looks like it’s setup slightly differently to the 1PM. The main difference seems to be that the switch is only connected to one terminal of the Shelly 1. The other terminal of the switch is connected to a permanent live. Here’s the wiring diagram for the Shelly 1. shelly.cloud/knowledge-base/devices/shelly-1/#wiring
Great video, thanks for sharing. How did you manage to get HomeKit integration? Via homebridge or does it appear like any HomeKit enabled accessory?
Hi Matt, thanks for the comment. Unfortunately the Shelly isn’t natively compatible with HomeKit. I am using Homebridge running on a Raspberry Pi to control the Shelly via HomeKit. So far I have found Homebridge to work very well.
@@ianburgess525 the new ones out now are expected to have a HK native firmware soon 😊
It’s a shame that most switches in the uk are a much smaller back box and the Shelly won’t fit.
Absolutely. I am very lucky that this back box was big enough for the Shelly. Having said that though, if there isn’t enough space in the back box you can often install a Shelly in the light enclosure/ceiling rose instead. As long as you have access to permanent live and switched live at the light fitting then that should work well.
As another commenter pointed out, you can also use the Shelly1L if you don’t have access to a neutral. That wouldn’t solve the space issue, but does provide other options.
Can these be fitted at the light itself rather than the switch?
Assuming you have room to fit the Shelly at the light and have access to a permanent live, neutral and switch live then they can be fitted into the light fitting.