Electrical question - wired and wireless lights from one switch?

[Matt Ducar]

Hi everyone. It has been a while and I've enjoyed getting caught up on the forums. Need to come back around more often.

We just finished up a kitchen remodel and are overall loving the space. One thing we wish we had was more light directly over the sink. The designer we worked with put sconces on the walls over the sink, but they don't provide enough direct task lighting into the sink itself.

Rather than poking holes in our walls to run additional wires, I was wondering if anyone knew of a switch that could run the existing wired wall sconces but also a wireless light above the sink. That way we'd have the single switch and make it look like it was designed to work that way -- with the sconces and task lights turning on at the same time. I tried searching, but nothing turned up on Google.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[Darren Wright]

Welcome back Matt!

There are certainly some zwave, zigbee, or wifi connected devices and switches to use. Most are going to need a hub to do the automation.

Here is an example: https://www.amazon.com/SYLVANIA-Lightify-Edge-Lit-Flush-Mount/dp/B01LYN5UIO
Edit: Just realized this was a wired light, but I'm sure there are some that aren't, just may be limited in what you can get style wise and in brightness.

You'd need a hub that works with zigbee in that case, and a zigbee switch. Many of the switches can connect to the wired lights, but then connect with the hub. You'd then setup a routine on the hub that listens for the switch to turn on, then it would automatically toggle the light on as well. You could also do this with a motion sensor in the room that will sense motion, then toggle on both the switch and the light at the same time (still need the hub, just another way to automate it).

I'm running a Smartthings hub, which will connect to all three protocols as well as many web api's for third party apps, such as our Nest thermostat. Our under cabinet lighting in our kitchen is kicked on via a motion sensor, after 5 minutes of no activity, I have it programmed to turn off the lights automatically. I also use this automation on several lamps throughout the house so that we don't have to remember to turn lights off.