When I did my renovation last year I changed all my manual switches in master bedroom and common areas from kitchen to hall ways to study to smart switches including the 20A aircond and heater switches. Only 1 plus year later, 2 of my 20A switches plus 1 normal light switches are out of service!!

Now I am replacing all my 20A switches back to manual switches (Schneider NEO and/or Simon E6 black). While switches controlling areas such as car porch, garden and some key areas are extremely useful especially integrating with Alexa or Google home, I find the reliability of these smart products not as good.

BTW The problematic switches are Sonoff switches.

This post has been edited by blancpain4470: Feb 9 2021, 07:40 PM

actually, most smart switches that are connected and switched on (on/off controlled by software) burn faster. lifespan is shorter.

manual switches last longer. but not smart.

Exactly ... so we humans have to be smart to determine which we really need to automated instead of wholesale automation. I made that mistake and hopefully people here learn from this when considering smart things.

That said my Alexa original Echo dot is still working fine after so many years. No wonder Bezos is a billionaire 🤣

My take is If landed property the switches tend to die earlier and same goes with those constant connected product like router and wifi....

When I move to apartment I notice my smart switches, Router and Wifi and basically all connected device last and never premature dead... I believe it is because apartment has a Power Room which regulate the current.

Also I dont use 20A/30A switches for AC/heater cause I no confident with high Amp without Sirim sticker

SIRIM is just a dobby mark so as long as the product have CE certification should be ok. Because SIRIM will approved it without testing(Type Approval) as long as the accredited Lab is on their approved list.

common point of failure in these devices are usually the capacitor.

if you know simple soldering and measuring using a digital multimeter with capacitance measuring........you can repair them by replacing worn capacitor with new ones

Ok. I have done soldering since University days! However i have already ordered the manual replacements. Oh well, I am fine with no automation at switch level. I can still use manual and control air-conditioning using broadlink control.

Your hypothesis seems reasonable but I have never have had any router failed on me at landed property and I live in house 90% of my life. I think routers are well designed to handle current fluctuation with protection circuitry. On the other hand most smart switches don't.

SIRIM may have specifications to comply on safety, interference, etc but I am sure reliability is not one of them. In addition some devices that are not official sold here such as Amazon Alexa has no SIRIM logo but I have 4 Echo products and they are all working perfectly.

Sonoff cheap

Beg to differ here.
Used Sonoff wall switches and Basic for more than two years with zero issues.
And FYI, Sonoff switches only rated max until 16A.
Maybe you have ewelink affiliate switches.

I think the 20A is ewelink affiliated switches. They are quite bad. I have many other sonoff T3 switches so far only 1 not working. That may be just bad luck.

You may be right. The ewelink affiliated 20A ones are unreliable

Are you using the ones that need capacitor?

The one with neutral version is reliable.

Quite weird experience, didn't really have any switches or router/wifi failure in my house, being living for past 30 years.