Outdoor lighting control without bulb changes?

[Bobbetto]

Hello folks. So glad I found this forum!  I hope you can help me.  I've a brand new Echo Dot and its already proved useful, and we've started home automation, though thats likely to be a lengthy exercise for me!  Anyway, my question is:

I have outdoor downlights around the front, side and back of the house, controlled by a switch-plate in the lounge.  I'm impressed with the TP-link products that we have (all plugs), and I'm now looking at lighting control from the (bewildering) selection.  I can see that for most of the hard-wired lighting solutions, its a bulb swap.  For outside, I am wondering if there is another solution?  I'd prefer not to swap the bulbs to be honest, though if that really is the only option, then I'll go with that - however, its not clear to me whether any home-automation bulbs are IP65 etc.  Can anyone help with either question:  (1) Are there other options to bulb swap? (2) If not, are there any IP65 bulbs?  Thanks. Bob

[renegade600]

changing out the light switch is your other option.  there are a lot of echo compatible light switches out there.  The one I have experience with is wemo but there are other brands that you can find with a simple search.  you can search in amazon to find out what is compatible then purchase at your favorite store. 

[Bobbetto]

Hi there renegade600, and thanks for your swift reply.

The only wemo devices I can see are power-point/plugs. On the UK amazon site, I don't see any light switches.  I agree, that would be the preferred solution.  If you have any links etc, it would be appreciated, because I cannot fond any with the searches I'm submitting. 

Do these switch solutions require a control-centre/hub, too, or are they standalone?

Thanks again for your help!

Bob

[ste_monk]

Hi,

In our house we have LightwaveRF switches and relays. You do need a WifiLink to control them with Echo, for ease it is worth it.  You can get the Link from eBay for pretty cheap as you only need the v1, v2 is just a bit smaller.

are all your outside lights on one circuit?  You could either get the switches changed out or just get an inline relay that would also do the job.

Any other info let me know.

Cheers