home project log

c by GE is a wifi / blue tooth fairly low cost option for replacing your x10 wall switches, motion sensors, lamp controllers. It uses a smart phone app for setup, and optionally can be controlled by amazon/google/apple home automation products.

X10 has been great but with CFL and LED lights the wall switches bleed current to sense incoming commands and make lights flicker or glow constantly, so it will be nice to move on.

The main driving force for this pick was that the wired light switches do not require a neutral wire.

Caveats:

1. The apps on the phones are not very good – the iphone app was better at upgrading firmware than the android app on some of my bulbs – once you start adding devices on one device only use that device to add items as other devices start over on the numbering scheme and things get wonky fast.
2. I saw some posts online about building everything first in the c by ge app and then connecting to other home automation products otherwise there can be funky behavior.

I don’t really want any other connections so once I got it configured I was good.

My use cases are:

1. Adding extra switches to other doorways in a room
2. adding smart bulbs in other fixtures to the lights that go on with a wall switch or a remote only switch.
3. adding plugs that go on with a wall switch or a remote only switch.
4. timed front porch light
5. entry way light goes on with motion at the front door.

Update 5/29/21: I recently had trouble with my wife and turned off my 5ghz wifi radio so my phone could only pick 2.4ghz – while I was connected to the 2.4ghz radio the ce by ge app seemed to very easily connect to my devices and update firmware, so if you’re having trouble with adding devices/lights first try renaming or disabling your 5G so your phone only has the choice of the 2.4ghz wifi, also if a switch or plug falls off of your wifi network I would try powercycling it before trying to factory reset and re-add it.

The short links below include my affiliate id (monetized):

https://amzn.to/3dVJxsL C by GE – no neutral wall switch $42

https://amzn.to/3mDaghr C by GE smart plug $15

https://amzn.to/3mCVLuf C by GE motion/daylight sensor $30

https://amzn.to/3sbs2JY C by GE wireless wall switch $24

https://amzn.to/2QbhSvB C by GE smart bulb $22

I was considering using Lutron but the cost was prohibitive and they don’t have smart bulbs.

https://amzn.to/2QbiBwP leutron wall switch $50

https://amzn.to/3235mRz lutron wall switch and remote no neutral – out of stock was $65

https://amzn.to/322KQ3p lutron smart plug $45

https://amzn.to/2RqCOzt lutron smart plug with remote $50

The z-wave option for no neutral which I didn’t find before buying a bunch of c by ge stuff

https://amzn.to/323hr9j inovelli $43 (see disclaimers about no neutral and potentially needing an extra component if load under 25 watts)