- Had a similar issue last year when I tried smart bulbs in my patio fixtures—half the time they’d disconnect or just not respond.
- Ended up swapping to outdoor smart plugs instead. Way less hassle, and I can use whatever bulbs I want.
- Only thing I miss is the color-changing features, but honestly, reliability wins out for me.
- Anyone else notice smart switches can be tricky if your wiring’s old? My 70s house needed some creative solutions...
- Anyone else notice smart switches can be tricky if your wiring’s old? My 70s house needed some creative solutions...
Totally get where you’re coming from. I tried smart switches in my old place and yeah, wiring from the 60s made it a pain. Had to hunt down a neutral wire just to get one switch working—ended up not worth the hassle for me. Outdoor smart plugs are way cheaper too, and you can move them around if you change your setup. Only thing is, like you said, you lose the color fun, but honestly I’d rather have something that just works every time.
Smart switches in older houses are like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole—sometimes literally. My place was built in the late 70s, and I swear the electrician must’ve had a sense of humor. Half the boxes didn’t even have room for the new switch, let alone a neutral wire. Ended up with wires everywhere, me sweating buckets, and my dog judging me from the hallway.
Honestly, after a couple of “learning experiences” (read: cursing at tangled wires), I bailed on the switch idea and just went with smart plugs for the yard. It’s not as slick as having everything hidden behind a wall, but at least I’m not worried about burning the house down every time I want to turn on the patio lights. Plus, if I decide to rearrange stuff for a party or whatever, it’s just unplug and move—no tools required.
The color thing is a bit of a bummer, though. My wife wanted those fancy RGB floods for Halloween and Christmas, and that pretty much meant going with smart bulbs or strips anyway. Ended up with a Frankenstein setup: smart plugs for regular stuff, and then some Wi-Fi bulbs for “festive mode.” Not exactly streamlined, but it works.
If someone’s got newer wiring, sure, go wild with switches. But if your house is old enough to remember disco, smart plugs are probably less headache. And honestly, half the time my “smart” devices still need a good old-fashioned smack to get working... so maybe it’s just tradition at this point.
Honestly, I feel you on the “Frankenstein setup.” I’m knee-deep in my first reno and the wiring in my place is like a choose-your-own-adventure book—except every ending is “call an electrician.” I tried mapping out a plan for smart switches, but the minute I opened up the first box and saw a rat’s nest of wires, I noped out pretty quick.
Here’s how I ended up tackling the yard:
1. Made a list of what actually needed to be “smart.” Turns out, not everything does.
2. For the patio string lights and the bug zapper, I went with outdoor smart plugs. Super easy—plug, pair, done.
3. For color stuff (Halloween, backyard movie nights), I grabbed a couple of Wi-Fi RGB bulbs. Not as seamless as a switch, but at least I don’t have to fish wires through old plaster.
It’s not the cleanest solution, but it’s flexible and doesn’t require me to learn how to rewire a 1970s light box. If I ever get brave enough to tackle the switches, maybe I’ll revisit, but for now, “good enough” is winning out over “perfect.”
I totally get the “good enough” approach—sometimes it’s just not worth the headache. When I did my backyard, I started with the idea of smart switches everywhere, but after opening up one ancient junction box and seeing wires that looked like spaghetti, I bailed. Ended up using smart plugs for the string lights and a couple of Zigbee bulbs for accent stuff. Not as slick as a full switch setup, but honestly, it’s been way less stressful. Plus, if something goes wrong, I just unplug it instead of worrying about frying myself or the house. Sometimes “done” really is better than “perfect.”
