Honestly, I get the appeal of smart switches, but I’ve had way fewer headaches just sticking with smart bulbs—especially for outdoor stuff.
That’s true, but I just put a little switch guard on the main ones outside and it’s been fine. Plus, with old wiring, sometimes those switches need a neutral wire you just don’t have in these old houses. Swapping a bulb is a pain, but rewiring a box from the ‘50s? That’s a whole other level of cursing.if someone flips the physical switch off (kids, guests, you name it), the smart bulb is basically a fancy paperweight.
Switch Guards Work, But There’s a Simpler Way
I get the switch guard thing—honestly, I’ve installed more of those than I care to admit. But here’s the thing: if you’re already going out of your way to keep folks from flipping switches, it might be worth looking at “smart” dimmers that don’t need a neutral. Lutron Caseta comes to mind. They’re a bit pricier, but they work in old houses and you don’t have to mess with the wiring nightmare.
I’ve seen too many folks get frustrated when their fancy bulbs stop working because someone hit the switch by accident. Plus, smart bulbs outdoors can be a headache if you’ve got a bunch of fixtures or want to sync them up. Swapping bulbs is easy, sure, but when you’ve got a dozen sconces or floodlights, it adds up.
Not saying smart bulbs are wrong—they’re great for renters or quick fixes. But if you’re planning to stay put, sometimes biting the bullet on a better switch saves you grief down the line. Just my two cents from crawling around in old crawlspaces...
That’s a fair point about the switch guards—honestly, I’ve watched people ignore them anyway, especially during parties or when guests are over. I like the Lutron Caseta suggestion, though. Have you run into any issues with range or reliability outdoors? I’ve wondered if the signal gets spotty with detached garages or longer runs. I know some folks go with smart plugs for holiday lights, but those don’t always play nice with landscape lighting transformers... How do you handle the outdoor wiring headaches?
Range with Caseta has actually been pretty solid for me, but I did have to add a repeater near the back door to cover the detached shop. That’s the only spot it got flaky. For outdoor wiring, I always go with weatherproof boxes and conduit—learned that lesson after a squirrel chewed through my first run. Still, those transformers can be fussy with smart plugs, like you said. Have you ever tried hardwiring a smart switch inside, then running low voltage out? It’s a pain but works if you don’t mind the extra effort. Wondering if anyone’s found a simpler workaround for transformers that don’t play nice...
- Had a similar issue with range, but mine was the garage—guess those walls are thicker than I thought. Ended up putting a repeater in the attic, which helped a ton.
- For outdoor stuff, I totally get the weatherproof box thing. First time I tried running cable outside, I just used what I had on hand... and yeah, water got in. Lesson learned.
- Transformers are such a pain with smart plugs. Tried three different brands before realizing it was just never going to be reliable.
- I did try hardwiring a smart switch inside and running low voltage out. It worked, but honestly, it took way longer than I expected and I’m not sure I’d do it again unless I had to.
- One thing that kind of worked for me: using a dumb outdoor timer on the transformer and then controlling the inside switch with a smart plug. Not perfect, but at least I didn’t have to rewire everything.
Still figuring out if smart bulbs or switches make more sense for the yard. Leaning towards switches just so I don’t have to replace every bulb when one goes out...