HomeKit Retrofit HomeKit capability to existing switches - Fibaro?

[nzdrew]

Is Fibaro the only vendor that makes a “puck” to wire in behind and existing switch to make it HomeKit enabled? I don’t want to change all the face plates and the Fibaro is a neat and tidy option and works well. But: It’s expensive, it’s limited to on / off only - no dim and it only has a single circuit capability in one puck. Any suggestions? Note that I’m in NZ - so 240v - so that limits options too.

 

[waw74]

This is a bit more involved, but it would expand your switch options tremendously

Home Assistant will allow you to add it's devices to homekit.
It also allows you to use Z-wave switches, which will give you a lot more choices switches that natively support homekit. Not sure what your options in NZ are will be like, but in the US there are several options that resemble and work with our standard switches and cover plates (they have big paddle, called decora)
Home assistant works with other home automation standards also.


Fibaro also make z-wave versions of their "pucks" with either a dimer or a switch. I've used several.
They also make a 4 channel LED dimmer, so you could hook up some LED tape, (Home assistant supports color through homekit)
I don't know price difference between the homekit and z-wave versions. They don't even sell the homekit version in the US.


adding another program like home assistant will allow you to do more complex and custom automations than you can get directly in homekit.


and if you want to get way more involved than home assistant, look at homebridge.
It's a program that translates non-homekit things to homekit. There are plug-ins for quite a bit of different things like TVs, cameras, or different types of automation.
Homekit talks to homebridge, and homebridge talks to your devices. It works pretty smoothly,

 

[nzdrew]

This is a bit more involved, but it would expand your switch options tremendously

Home Assistant will allow you to add it's devices to homekit.
It also allows you to use Z-wave switches, which will give you a lot more choices switches that natively support homekit. Not sure what your options in NZ are will be like, but in the US there are several options that resemble and work with our standard switches and cover plates (they have big paddle, called decora)
Home assistant works with other home automation standards also.


Fibaro also make z-wave versions of their "pucks" with either a dimer or a switch. I've used several.
They also make a 4 channel LED dimmer, so you could hook up some LED tape, (Home assistant supports color through homekit)
I don't know price difference between the homekit and z-wave versions. They don't even sell the homekit version in the US.


adding another program like home assistant will allow you to do more complex and custom automations than you can get directly in homekit.


and if you want to get way more involved than home assistant, look at homebridge.
It's a program that translates non-homekit things to homekit. There are plug-ins for quite a bit of different things like TVs, cameras, or different types of automation.
Homekit talks to homebridge, and homebridge talks to your devices. It works pretty smoothly,

Thanks for your detailed response. It kind of feels messy though - from reading the Homebridge documentation I'd have to buy the Fibaro bridge, integrate to Homebridge then it would talk to Homekit. Is that an accurate assessment? What environment would the devices be enrolled and managed in? I wonder if I should just wait a while until the Homekit ecosystem ramps up...

 

[waw74]

I'd look at home assistant first, it's a little more polished package.


You'd need something to run HA on(a Raspberry Pi) and a z-wave USB stick, combined that should be $50-60us. Up to $75ish with a case.
You'll need a monitor, and USB keyboard & mouse to set it up, but can disconnect once you're running, a TV with HDMI will work for the monitor.

With HA, there's no need for homebridge. everything will be handled by HA on the Pi and the stick.

You can get a fibaro hub, but I think it will limit the devices you can control. Fibaro's switches also work with the more standard z-wave. Z-wave has been fairly common in the home automation world for around 15 years now, so you'll find more device options. HA also supports thermostats, sensors, and door locks with z-wave and homekit. So you'll be able to add any of those to the home app also.


once you get HA running, then you...
--add your Z-wave devices
--add those devices to the homekit settings in HA
-- add HA in the home app on your phone.

If you want to add more devices at a later date, you would do that in HA, then you modify your homekit settings in HA, and they should show up automatically in home once HA is in the home app.

for adding devices to your z-wave network, it's typically a button press on the "stick", then a button press on the device to control. You can then go to the other devices and press their buttons. Then back to HA to import all the new devices. The devices and HA will talk amongst themselves about what features are supported, so adding a switch or sensor is pretty much the same for you, and HA will add all the accessories needed. Some things like sensors will add multiple devices like temperature, humidity, motion, etc....
My z-wave stick has a battery, so you just carry it around the house to add new things.

Z-wave is also mesh, so the devices will figure out their own connections, and if you've got devices too far from the main controller, others can relay commands.


I'm not too familiar with HA, I've been using a program called homeseer for quite a while now, it's a little pricy, but when I started it was all there was (and was cheaper). There's a homeseer plugin for homebridge.


For switches also look at a company called aeotec, they make z-wave sensors (door or climate/motion) and puck style relays and dimmers. They also make z-wave USB sticks. I'm not sure what they have in NZ.