I am curious about the logistics of this.
Do you always keep the switch on and control the lightbulb via the application? How do you tackle this? Is it okay to do that?
#Lightbulb, how do you control them via HA?
wooden furnace
lusty prawn
Yes, that's what you generally do. That or get and install a smart switch that supports decoupled mode, so that pressing it sends HA the command instead of cutting power. I haven't had luck finding cheap options for that which work in the US though.
frozen oasis
Just using smart bulbs was the worst smart home decision I made - it's confusing (especially to guests who flick the switch and are surprised that the bulb stays of, thinking it's broken) and even as the homeowner I would often not be sure if the light is off at the switch or just off from an automation
IMO the best thing to do is not use smart bulbs at all - instead use smart switches or smart relays with the ability connect a switch
You then control the smart switch/relay from HA, not the bulb
If you want to use a smart bulb for other reasons (dimming, RGB, cool-warm white evening transition) then I'd do what the above comment says and use smart switches in "decoupled" mode where they don't actually cut the power, just send a "turn off the light" signal to HA which turns the bulb off - but this is more expensive so I limit it to one or two bulbs where I specifically want some functionality that works better this way
wooden furnace
In my case I'm renting, so I can't install new switches instead of the already established light switches.
I want dimming/maybe some RGB since that sounds fun.
If I keep the lightswitch on and lightbulb off, does it incur any costs? Asking since keeping it like that 24/7 could be expensive.
My safe bet would bethat some minimal costs are incurred, but neglible. I wish to double check though.
They do need to be able to receive commands actually 🤔
So I assume there's some power draw.
So ideally I'd have a WiFi light bulb that has memory so I can turn it off and the last settings kick in.
shut dust
if you want to have automations which turn the lights on or off, then you're going to want to ensure the switches are left always on. if you are going to be turning bulbs on/off via a switch, then make sure you're not using bulbs with a mesh protocol like zigbee or thread (turning the bulbs off will disrupt the mesh, possibly causing issues with other devices)