Honestly, keeping the original switches is just good sense.
Yeah, I hear you. I tried swapping out a light switch for a “smart” one last year and it needed a neutral wire my 1950s wiring just didn’t have. Ended up with a dead switch and a lot of cursing. Sometimes new tech just adds new headaches. Give me a reliable old toggle any day—at least I know it’s not gonna brick itself during an update.
Give me a reliable old toggle any day—at least I know it’s not gonna brick itself during an update.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had some luck with smart switches that don’t need a neutral wire. There are a couple brands out there designed for older homes—might be worth a look if you ever feel like giving it another shot. I do agree, though, nothing beats the simplicity of a classic toggle. Still, I like being able to turn off the lights from bed... sometimes convenience wins out over tradition.
I totally get the appeal of flipping a good old switch, but have you ever had one of those moments where your hands are full and you just wish the lights would turn on by themselves? I was skeptical too, but after trying a motion sensor in the hallway, I’m kinda hooked. Still, I do worry about what happens if the tech glitches out—do you ever feel like you need a backup plan for when smart stuff gets weird?
Yeah, I hear you on the backup plan. I’ve seen motion sensors go haywire—one client’s cat kept triggering the hallway lights at 3am. Honestly, I still like having a regular switch somewhere, just in case. Tech’s great until it isn’t, right? Sometimes you just want to smack a switch and know it’ll work, no app required.
Sometimes you just want to smack a switch and know it’ll work, no app required.
Totally get that. I wired my smart dimmers with manual override for exactly this reason. Had a firmware update once that bricked the app controls—good thing the old-school switch still worked. Murphy’s Law loves smart homes...
