Recommendation for smart switch (on-off)

Hardware Home Automation
1

Dear all,

I need to buy a smart switch to be able to switch a power cable (via Wifi) that leads into the garden (to be connected to sockets there). The switch can be installed inside (in a new distribution box, together with a fuse), so space requirements are not an issue.

I was looking at the Sonoff BasicR2 and Sonoff BasicR3 which seem to do the right thing.

My question here is: what is the recommendation for such a switch so that it works out of the box with OpenHAB?

It doesn’t need to be Sonoff - that’s just an example to explain what functionality I am after.

I did try to find a similar question in the forum here, but couldn’t find it.

Many thanks,

Hans

PS In the end, I’ll probably need 3 of such switches in the same place - so I could also take a unit that allows to switch 3 different devices.

2

Factors you will need to take into account, but we can’t because they’re secret so far.

What connection technology is available to you already? WiFi, Zigbee, hardwired GPIO ?

What power of load are you switching?

See Sonoff 4 channel relay for an example

3

Hey, many thanks @rossko57 for getting back to me.

Here is the secret data :smile: :

  • no connection technology available so far (apart from Wifi)

  • load to switch: low-powered lights, a small pump for a pool, a weak elektric lawn mower. I expect these to be below 2kW power consumption.

Thank you for the Sonoff 4 channel relay recommendation - I guess it is this: https://sonoff.tech/product/diy-smart-switch/4chr3-4chpror3/ .

Best wishes,

Hans

4

A follow up (beginner’s) question:

For the Sonoff 4 channel relay switch, is the recommendation to use Tasmoto on it? Or can OpenHAB work natively with it?

(I have found conflicting information regarding this question on the forums.)

Many thanks!

5

Shouldn’t Shelly be a default solution instead of Sonoff? They don’t need to be flashed before use, have TUV certification and work with Openhab out-of-the-box.

6

Hi - from what you write (works with OpenHAB out of the box) it sounds like Shelly is the answer!

I looked at the products: both the Shelly1 seem appropriate or the Shelly1PM (which measures power usage). I found this (German) video to be a useful to understand the functionality of the different Shelly products: Ich stelle alle aktuellen Shellys vor und erkläre kurz wofür man welchen Shelly verwenden kann. - YouTube

To install the Shelly1 (PM) in a distribution box, there are 3rd-party holders (for example in Germany Hutschienenhalter SINGLE - Shop | Shelly Parts or https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Shelly-Holder-Adaptor-Single-Bracket/dp/B08B1VMQDR/).

I couldn’t find a suitable 3way or 4way switch, but could install 3 of the Shelly1 or Shell1PM next to each other (I think).

Any corrections to or confirmations of the above are welcome - otherwise thanks all for reading and @11194 for pointing out Shelly as a solution.

7

Ahh, I’m afraid, that lawn mover and pool pump could burn sonoff/shelly. Unlike any other load, motors do start with high currents, even small ones. Be sure to check starting currents of your motors, maybe you’ll need external relays (controlled by sonoff/shelly/whatever else). And don’t forget about residual-current devices (RCD), or residual-current circuit breakers (RCCB) to protect those lines, especially pool line, from earth leakage currents.