Samotech Guides
Everything you need to install, wire, troubleshoot and automate UK dimmers, switches and smart home lighting – BS 7671 18th Edition aligned, written for UK homes.
Two clusters of in-depth guides cover the full journey from physical wiring through to smart home integration. Wiring & Dimmer Guides covers UK wiring how-tos, dimmer troubleshooting, bulb compatibility and the components inside a dimmer. Smart Home Guides covers Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Matter integration, buyer’s guides, product reviews and automation setup.
Wiring & Dimmer Guides
Samotech guides covering how to physically install UK switches and dimmers, why dimmers buzz, leading vs trailing edge, dimmable bulb compatibility and the components that make a dimmer work.
How to wire a 2-way light switch (UK)
Two switches controlling one light – the standard UK 2-way circuit with strappers.
How to wire a dimmer (UK)
Swap a single switch for a UK dimmer – the simplest 1-way dimmer install.
How to wire a double light switch (2-gang) (UK)
Two independent light circuits controlled from one switch position.
Why is my dimmer switch buzzing? (UK)
Common causes and fixes for the dreaded dimmer hum – mostly bulb mismatch.
Leading edge vs trailing edge dimmer (UK)
Which dimmer technology to pick for which bulb type – LED, halogen and beyond.
Why are my dimmable LEDs flickering? (UK)
Match dimmer to bulb, check loads, fix LED flicker for good.
Why do my LED bulbs glow when switched off? (UK)
The ghost-glow problem and how a bypass capacitor solves it.
Dimmable bulbs UK guide
What makes a bulb dimmable, power factor, and compatibility with trailing-edge dimmers.
What is a potentiometer?
Standard dimmer potentiometers vs the rotary encoders inside the SM323 series.
UK lighting cable colours explained
Brown, blue, green/yellow – the 2006 harmonisation, twin-and-earth vs three-core-and-earth, and BS 7671 sleeving rules.
Smart Home Guides
Samotech integration and buyer’s guides for Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Matter smart home lighting in UK homes.
What is Zigbee?
The low-power mesh standard behind most smart lighting – how it works, and how it compares with Wi-Fi, Z-Wave and Thread.
What is a Zigbee Dimmer?
What a Zigbee dimmer does, why no-neutral matters in UK homes, and how it joins your smart home.
Smart Home Automation: A Day in a UK Home
A walkthrough of one day where lights, plugs and dimmers all talk to each other – the small moments that make automation worth it.
Smart Plugs UK Guide 2026: Zigbee vs WiFi
Zigbee and WiFi smart plugs compared – energy monitoring, mesh routing, and which to pick for UK homes.
Best Smart Humidity Sensors UK 2026
Zigbee vs WiFi humidity sensors compared – bathroom fan automation, mould prevention and the Samotech sensor range.
Best Zigbee Dimmers for UK Homes 2026
No-neutral compatibility, dimming quality and platform support compared.
No-Neutral Zigbee Dimmer Guide
Installing smart dimmers in UK switch positions without a neutral conductor.
What is Matter?
The smart home standard that connects Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Thread.
Samotech Matter Dimmer review (SM323-MT)
Full review of the SM323-MT rotary Matter-over-Thread dimmer.
Samotech Zigbee Dimmer with Home Assistant
Pair, configure and automate the SM323 in Home Assistant via ZHA or Z2M.
Zigbee Dimmer Not Working? 10 Fixes
Common Zigbee dimmer problems and the practical fixes that resolve them.
How to Install a Zigbee Dimmer Switch in a UK Home
Step-by-step UK install: safe isolation, no-neutral wiring, hub pairing.
Zigbee vs Wi-Fi Dimmer
Which protocol to choose for Home Assistant and why mesh beats star-shaped Wi-Fi.
Zigbee LED Drivers and Controllers
Drivers vs controllers – picking the right Zigbee solution for LED strips and panels.
How Zigbee Mesh Networks Work
Why mesh routing makes a smart home more reliable than star-shaped Wi-Fi.
WiFi Controlled LED Lights UK
WiFi LED options, ecosystems and what to look for in a UK smart bulb setup.
SM323 Zigbee Dimmer: v2 vs v1
Hardware and firmware differences between the SM323 v1 and v2 generations.
Smart Pull Cord Dimmers for Bathrooms
IP-rated, time-aware smart pull cord options for UK bathroom dimming.
Light Switch Cover for Smart Buttons – SM215 Series
The SM215 family explained – which cover fits which smart button underneath.
Smart Switch Cover v1 vs v2 UK Buyer’s Guide
Compatibility, fit and aesthetics for v1 and v2 smart dimmer switch covers.
Light Switch Cover for the Tap Dial
Cover and mounting options for the Tap Dial smart switch in UK installs.
Need a specific product?
UK-stocked rotary, push and smart dimmers and switches in Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Matter, plus accessories.
Home Assistant Blueprints
Production-ready Home Assistant blueprints engineered and tested against actual Samotech SM-series hardware. Each blueprint imports directly from GitHub – free, open source, ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT compatible.
SM-Series Linked Sync Group
Sync two to five Samotech dimmers and switches as a virtual multi-way group – the UK retrofit alternative to running new traveler wire.
Direct Mirror Pair – Two Dimmers as One
Two Samotech dimmers behaving as if physically wired in parallel. Brightness and on/off mirror in both directions within 200 ms.
Pull Cord Bathroom Auto-Off
Auto-off timer for the world’s only smart pull cord dimmer. Configurable timeout, optional dim warning, manual override respected.