I really want to get some of these switches, and these would be an instabuy except that I need smart switches to go in 2 and 3-gang boxes. But all I’ve found so far are for single gang boxes.
Specifically my laundry/utility room has both a light and a fan switch in a 2-gang. I would like to have the light switch to be controlled either at the wall or an app. Don’t really care if the fan can be app controlled or not. Then in the living room, I have a 3-gang which controls the porch light, entry light, and a wall outlet for a floor lamp.
I don’t think I’d be able to fit them all into multi-gang outlets, and the wall plates definitely wouldn’t work. Probably would have to 3D print them even if they did. I really don’t want to rip out the drywall and install new electrical boxes just to make this work.
@ciabelle
Are the bodies of these switches any wider than a standard dimmer switch or standard GFCI switch?
It says “also compatible with any existing Decora switch plate” so that sounds like it would fit multiple switch plates as long as the bodies behind the plates aren’t too wide.
@ciabelle On the dimmable switch’s Amazon page linked in the description multiple reviewers have photos of it in a multi gang box with a multi gang faceplate.
However a few reviews mentioned the size being larger than a standard switch so the smaller multi gang boxes with rounded corners likely won’t work but the larger boxes without rounded edges (more common for newer homes) do.
@ciabelle@frozenokie These should fit. It seems you can pop off the included plate and use a multi-gang Decora plate. In size they seem to be about normal. One problem I ran into with other dimmers or GFCIs is that some can need a lot of depth in the box. Though they could fit; it was sometimes tough to wrestle things in. I had an older house with fairly shallow metal boxes. Also it used 12-gauge wire, generally a good thing, but makes manipulating things in a crowded box even harder.
@frozenokie@pmarin On everyone’s say so, I ordered a couple sets of non-dimming switches. Fingers crossed they will fit fine in my existing boxes… But only out $40, less $5 new years IRK coupon if they don’t.
@sylvandoc Contact support to see if you can cancel your order under the circumstances of not originally knowing you needed a neutral wire (it might be too late but worth a try).
@WootTangClan There’s always a neutral wire, but they probably mean ground, so yeah, older houses (like mine) have problematic circuitry. (Yes, you might get away with cheating, and hook ground to neutral, which is substandard, but in the '50s, that’s what was done anywhere except a kitchen or bathroom, and often not even properly grounded there. Not Recommended with modern electronics, where the ground provides noise bleed-off.)
@werehatrack@WootTangClan These have both a neutral and a ground connection. You are correct that eventually these meet up at the happy place called the circuit breaker panel. That’s the only place they should be meeting that way, according to the electrical code. So it’s a case of “yeah, that could work… but don’t tell anyone”
Also I’m lucky enough to have some areas with neither neutral or ground wire so that’s definitely a no-go.
As someone suggested earlier, best plan is to use Smart bulbs because they don’t care as long as they get on/off power from an existing switch. I have had good luck with Philips Hue. Not cheap but the ambience and color versions are very cool. Was lucky enough to find some on clearance at HD a while ago.
@pmarin@werehatrack@WootTangClan I bought a few of the smart LED bulbs on here recently. Trouble is, it’s difficult to train others in the house to ignore their fathers and not flip off the switch when they leave the room. Leaving them inoperable by any other means, and sometimes they go back into pairing mode and I have to go through setup again.
Only my nightstand lamp is safe, and it wouldn’t easily work with a smart switch anyway. So I will probably have a few gently used smart LED bulbs collecting dust unless I find someone local who wants them.
Someday in the not too distant future, app integration throughout the home will be universally seamless. And my grandkids will roll their eyes when hearing about the convoluted setups their parents had, just as they rolled their eyes at me when I described dial-up internet.
@ciabelle@pmarin@werehatrack@WootTangClan To solve the accidentally switching off problem, I use a piece of clear packing tape to hold it in the on position. This is to keep me from turning them off!
I’ve been using Cync (formerly C by GE) smart bulbs and smart plugs (outlets) for several years and am completely happy with them. They work reliably, are easy to set up with the app and to reset on the rare occasion they seem to have lost their programming, and are easy to “restore” after an extended power outage. I like the app, but it took me some time to understand the way it organizes things and how that plays out in the app. I use the app pretty much every day to adjust the turn-on time for my espresso machine based on when I think I’m getting up the next morning.
I used to use Wemo bulbs and plugs/outlets. They weren’t reliable, at least in my apartment, and their app sucks, I think. I sold mine on eBay.
I got the non-dimmable ones in a previous deal and they are excellent. In fact, I think I’m buying more just to have some extra ones. Maybe I’ll buy the dimmable ones this time.
Unfortunately it looks like these don’t work as 3 way switches (2 or more switches controlling 1 device like in hallways) & most places I would like to have an app controlled switch is where there currently are 3 way switches in my house. The other places I might like an app controlled switch, I don’t have a neutral (I just checked to verify), so I have to pass on these.
@speaky2k yes from the wiring picture looks like you are right. I have been using ZWave-controlled switches (not direct Wifi) made by several brands. They include an additional connection called a “traveler” which wires to the other switch location. Then you can buy a “slave” control switch for the other end. But you can’t find for this price, and yup, neutrals required.
@speaky2k@troy I don’t think the SideDeal photo of the 3-way switch is right, showing the back with the wire connections. I think the photo is same as for the regular switch sold here. For 3-way it should have an extra wire.
This is crazy, today is the FIRST TIME EVER that I had this Meh product (or any other product from Meh) show up as an advertisement in my email. Well, It’s not actually crazy that it happened since I’m on Meh several times a day, but it’s crazy that IF it was going to happen what the heck TOOK IT SO LONG?
I always knew big brother was watching but now I’m thinking he might actually be reading my mind. Lol
@cornchip Like @steeloptus notes, Homebridge is impressively versatile - but the workarounds that you need in order to interface it with this one, I’m passing on it.
I just opened my IRK and I GOT THESE! I believe they’re not the dimmable ones. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to use them after reading here in the comments about needing a neutral wire.
@Lynnerizer Look at the illustration of the back of the switch above. “Neutral” is the white wire, which will always be present. I’m pretty sure that they meant ground, which is the green wire, and that’s absent in houses as old as mine, and presumably yours.
I wish these marketing outfits had somebody tech-competent writing their effing specs.
@Lynnerizer@werehatrack Officially it needs both. Actually you could do without the ground if you don’t have one. But they will draw a small amount of current to operate the WiFi which should be between the Line and Neutral. (Not ground, but yes eventually they are the same). If downstream from a GFCI this might trigger a ground fault condition. Some houses are wired in weird ways through the light in the ceiling and there is no neutral to the switch box.
@pmarin@werehatrack
Thanks for the info, both of you. Neither one of us play with electric stuff, not the hardwired electrical anyway. We’re having an electrician come to do some other work so this will be added to his to-do list!
If it turns out I (or my sister) can’t use them I’ll be back to offer them to someone here.
Specs
Product: 4-Pack: Etekcity Smart Switches
Model: ESWL01-R4P, ESWD16-R4P
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Apr 17 - Monday, Apr 21
Today’s deal comes with an oddly generic Meh face. Granted it’s neon-surrounded black(Meh)face, but still…
I’m waiting for the Switch 2. I’ll be waiting quite some time for mine, due to the prices.
@PooltoyWolf I am fortunate to have only gamed on PC
and I stopped when Quake2 was still a (very big) thing.
I think I looked into these and they require a hacky workaround to integrate into HA, which really…
turns me off
@bobthenormal yeah it looks like flashing the firmware?
I think I’ll pass, but on a sidenote I am looking into this ESPHome now lol
@bobthenormal it looks like HA has an integration for VeSync. The switch models appear on the compatibility list as well!
https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/vesync/
Smart Switches use Actual Imagination, Dumb Switches use “AI”.
@DrunkCat give it up.
@DrunkCat @haydesigner nah. I like to watch him work up a sweat beating this dead horse.
I really want to get some of these switches, and these would be an instabuy except that I need smart switches to go in 2 and 3-gang boxes. But all I’ve found so far are for single gang boxes.
Specifically my laundry/utility room has both a light and a fan switch in a 2-gang. I would like to have the light switch to be controlled either at the wall or an app. Don’t really care if the fan can be app controlled or not. Then in the living room, I have a 3-gang which controls the porch light, entry light, and a wall outlet for a floor lamp.
I don’t think I’d be able to fit them all into multi-gang outlets, and the wall plates definitely wouldn’t work. Probably would have to 3D print them even if they did. I really don’t want to rip out the drywall and install new electrical boxes just to make this work.
@ciabelle
Are the bodies of these switches any wider than a standard dimmer switch or standard GFCI switch?
It says “also compatible with any existing Decora switch plate” so that sounds like it would fit multiple switch plates as long as the bodies behind the plates aren’t too wide.
@ciabelle On the dimmable switch’s Amazon page linked in the description multiple reviewers have photos of it in a multi gang box with a multi gang faceplate.
However a few reviews mentioned the size being larger than a standard switch so the smaller multi gang boxes with rounded corners likely won’t work but the larger boxes without rounded edges (more common for newer homes) do.
@ciabelle @frozenokie These should fit. It seems you can pop off the included plate and use a multi-gang Decora plate. In size they seem to be about normal. One problem I ran into with other dimmers or GFCIs is that some can need a lot of depth in the box. Though they could fit; it was sometimes tough to wrestle things in. I had an older house with fairly shallow metal boxes. Also it used 12-gauge wire, generally a good thing, but makes manipulating things in a crowded box even harder.
@frozenokie @pmarin On everyone’s say so, I ordered a couple sets of non-dimming switches. Fingers crossed they will fit fine in my existing boxes… But only out $40, less $5 new years IRK coupon if they don’t.
The most important question is: Does it require a neutral wire?
@WootTangClan
“Neutral wire required for installation”
Yeah, it does.
So if you’re living in older housing, you’re SOL.
@JYoung @WootTangClan
Unfortunately I didn’t know about the neutral wire deal, so I bought them and now they are useless. Can’t even make a margarita.
@sylvandoc Contact support to see if you can cancel your order under the circumstances of not originally knowing you needed a neutral wire (it might be too late but worth a try).
@WootTangClan There’s always a neutral wire, but they probably mean ground, so yeah, older houses (like mine) have problematic circuitry. (Yes, you might get away with cheating, and hook ground to neutral, which is substandard, but in the '50s, that’s what was done anywhere except a kitchen or bathroom, and often not even properly grounded there. Not Recommended with modern electronics, where the ground provides noise bleed-off.)
@werehatrack @WootTangClan These have both a neutral and a ground connection. You are correct that eventually these meet up at the happy place called the circuit breaker panel. That’s the only place they should be meeting that way, according to the electrical code. So it’s a case of “yeah, that could work… but don’t tell anyone”
Also I’m lucky enough to have some areas with neither neutral or ground wire so that’s definitely a no-go.
As someone suggested earlier, best plan is to use Smart bulbs because they don’t care as long as they get on/off power from an existing switch. I have had good luck with Philips Hue. Not cheap but the ambience and color versions are very cool. Was lucky enough to find some on clearance at HD a while ago.
@pmarin @werehatrack @WootTangClan I bought a few of the smart LED bulbs on here recently. Trouble is, it’s difficult to train others in the house to ignore their fathers and not flip off the switch when they leave the room. Leaving them inoperable by any other means, and sometimes they go back into pairing mode and I have to go through setup again.
Only my nightstand lamp is safe, and it wouldn’t easily work with a smart switch anyway. So I will probably have a few gently used smart LED bulbs collecting dust unless I find someone local who wants them.
Someday in the not too distant future, app integration throughout the home will be universally seamless. And my grandkids will roll their eyes when hearing about the convoluted setups their parents had, just as they rolled their eyes at me when I described dial-up internet.
@ciabelle @pmarin @werehatrack @WootTangClan To solve the accidentally switching off problem, I use a piece of clear packing tape to hold it in the on position. This is to keep me from turning them off!
I’ve been using Cync (formerly C by GE) smart bulbs and smart plugs (outlets) for several years and am completely happy with them. They work reliably, are easy to set up with the app and to reset on the rare occasion they seem to have lost their programming, and are easy to “restore” after an extended power outage. I like the app, but it took me some time to understand the way it organizes things and how that plays out in the app. I use the app pretty much every day to adjust the turn-on time for my espresso machine based on when I think I’m getting up the next morning.
I used to use Wemo bulbs and plugs/outlets. They weren’t reliable, at least in my apartment, and their app sucks, I think. I sold mine on eBay.
The switches in this old house don’t have neutral wires. I’ve already replaced all the bulbs with Smart ones for this reason.
@craigthom
That’s a good idea.
I got the non-dimmable ones in a previous deal and they are excellent. In fact, I think I’m buying more just to have some extra ones. Maybe I’ll buy the dimmable ones this time.
@uscpsycho does the cover plate come off or is it integrated into the device?
@abe5015 @uscpsycho The cover plate comes off
I was hoping the deal was for the geometric lamp.
I put a moratorium on buying anything with “Smart” in the name.
@IAMIS I get that, but I think I’d make an exception for a dog.
@ItalianScallion Absolutely!
Unfortunately it looks like these don’t work as 3 way switches (2 or more switches controlling 1 device like in hallways) & most places I would like to have an app controlled switch is where there currently are 3 way switches in my house. The other places I might like an app controlled switch, I don’t have a neutral (I just checked to verify), so I have to pass on these.
@speaky2k yes from the wiring picture looks like you are right. I have been using ZWave-controlled switches (not direct Wifi) made by several brands. They include an additional connection called a “traveler” which wires to the other switch location. Then you can buy a “slave” control switch for the other end. But you can’t find for this price, and yup, neutrals required.
@speaky2k oh ok well that’s a no-go for me too then.
@speaky2k We’ve got some 3-way switches over on SideDeal
@speaky2k @troy I don’t think the SideDeal photo of the 3-way switch is right, showing the back with the wire connections. I think the photo is same as for the regular switch sold here. For 3-way it should have an extra wire.
@pmarin @speaky2k Yes, you’re right! We’ll get that fixed. The back of the three-way looks like this
This is crazy, today is the FIRST TIME EVER that I had this Meh product (or any other product from Meh) show up as an advertisement in my email. Well, It’s not actually crazy that it happened since I’m on Meh several times a day, but it’s crazy that IF it was going to happen what the heck TOOK IT SO LONG?
Lol 
I always knew big brother was watching but now I’m thinking he might actually be reading my mind.
So I’m assuming that like almost all this “smart” junk meh sells, it’s not compatible with HomeKit?
@cornchip Buy a cheap raspberry pi, install Homebridge… and now pretty much anything you buy is compatible with HomeKit.
@cornchip Like @steeloptus notes, Homebridge is impressively versatile - but the workarounds that you need in order to interface it with this one, I’m passing on it.
(But yeah, can’t recommend Homebridge enough otherwise.)
And I thought my finding earlier today was crazy…
I just opened my IRK and I GOT THESE!
I believe they’re not the dimmable ones. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to use them after reading here in the comments about needing a neutral wire. 
@Lynnerizer Look at the illustration of the back of the switch above. “Neutral” is the white wire, which will always be present. I’m pretty sure that they meant ground, which is the green wire, and that’s absent in houses as old as mine, and presumably yours.
I wish these marketing outfits had somebody tech-competent writing their effing specs.
@Lynnerizer @werehatrack Officially it needs both. Actually you could do without the ground if you don’t have one. But they will draw a small amount of current to operate the WiFi which should be between the Line and Neutral. (Not ground, but yes eventually they are the same). If downstream from a GFCI this might trigger a ground fault condition. Some houses are wired in weird ways through the light in the ceiling and there is no neutral to the switch box.
@pmarin @werehatrack
Thanks for the info, both of you. Neither one of us play with electric stuff, not the hardwired electrical anyway. We’re having an electrician come to do some other work so this will be added to his to-do list!
If it turns out I (or my sister) can’t use them I’ll be back to offer them to someone here.
no ETL/UL? not putting potential electrical fire causing switches in my home.
@rocketdyke
Ok, now you’ve got me thinking… Are they REALLY a fire hazard?