To put it simply, smart lighting changes the way you connect with your home by making change effortless. With smart lighting, you can control  your lights from anywhere, anytime. Saving energy  by programming your lights to turn on only when you need them. Use lighting to make your home look occupied even when you’re away. Or create the perfect atmosphere for your next movie night or party. With smart lighting, you can do all of these things, and more, to truly make your space your own.

Deako’s lighting system is the first and only modular light switch. We invented it. Modular means that you can easily swap out different light switches without having to rewire anything yourself or hire an electrician. It’s kind of like popping in a Nespresso pod and popping it out when you’re done. It’s that easy. This functionality opens your home up to new lighting possibilities you can use to make every moment and milestone in your home more convenient, secure and memorable. Our modular light switches also future-proof your home. You can easily adapt your light switches to fit your changing needs, like turning a guest room into a nursery or a home office into a bedroom for an aging parent. Our smart switches are operated through the free Deako app. Deako puts the power of smart lighting in the hands of anyone through incredible ease of use.

Whole home means the entire house. Every room in your house has light switches and the Deako modular system is installed in every light switch location throughout a whole home.

Yes.  All Deako switches have completed testing by the  Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL)  and Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This testing makes them compliant with the U.S. Building code and wireless emissions standards.   Some lower cost competitors avoid testing to the UL safety standards to keep costs lower. But, untested switches often do not pass new construction or renovation safety inspections.

Yes.  All Deako switches have completed testing by the  Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL)  and Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This testing makes them compliant with the U.S. Building code and wireless emissions standards.   Some lower cost competitors avoid testing to the UL safety standards to keep costs lower. But, untested switches often do not pass new construction or renovation safety inspections.

No.  If you’re  simply changing the light switches in your home and not adding or removing any additional light switch locations you do not need a permit.  Legally, you can change the light switches yourself, or you can hire a certified electrician to do the work.

If you don’t feel comfortable changing the light switches in your own home, you can use one of Deako’s certified electricians.  Deako is able to provide you with a local electrician to perform the work.

If you feel comfortable changing the light switches yourself, here’s what you’ll need:

• 1  flat head head screwdriver (to remove the faceplate)
• 1  Philips head screwdriver (to remove the existing light switch)
• 3+ feet of 14 gauge (AWG) wire (to connect the Deako backplate to the hot or neutral wire in some junction boxes where there are multiple wires already)
• 3+ wire nuts (to connect the hot and neutral bundles in the junction box)
• 1 pair of wire stippers (to cut and strip the rubber sheathing of the 14 AWG wire)
• 1  non-contact voltage tester (used to verify that you have successfully turned off the power before touching any wires).   

If you would like to use one of Deako’s certified electricians we can take care of everything for you.  One of our project coordinators will ask you to count the number of switches in your home, by the number of gangs (see question below: “How do I count the light switches in my home to have my order placed?”).  Then, we’ll ship the necessary products to your home and coordinate a  day to install them. Once the Deako backplates are installed in your home by an electrician (or yourself if you feel comfortable), plugging in and setting up the smart system is really easy.  One of our Deako customer support team members can walk you through the process of setting up your first few devices. Once you feel comfortable you can complete the setup yourself.  Deako will be with you every step along the way from making your product order, scheduling the electrician visit and getting your entire system setup and working.

If you’re leaning towards installing the Deako backplates yourself, we have a playlist of  installation videos that explain how to do everything yourself. 

You should always hire an electrician unless you have experience and knowledge about how to install a light switch yourself.   There is always a risk of injury or starting a fire when working with electricity  if the products are not installed properly. This is why we always recommend using a certified electrician, unless you already have the necessary experience.  

No.  In fact, by installing Deako’s modular smart lighting system properly you will never have to hire an electrician again or change a light switch again.  The Deako backplate is a safe connector that allows anyone to plug in a new switch within seconds without even turning off the power to the light switch.

Most likely.  In addition to our free iPhone and Android apps, Deako is compatible with the following third party systems: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Alarm.com, Samsung SmartThings, Control4 and Clare Control.

Deako has a standard one-year warranty on all products, and we have phone and email customer support to help you resolve any questions or problems that come up with your Deako products.

Of course! Deako has 10 different light switches that plug into the Deako modular backplate. We have products compatible with every load type (total amount of electrical power consumed by all the lighting fixtures connected to a circuit. It is typically measured in watts) that a light switch can control, whether that is a fan, LED bulb, halogen bulb, outlet, fireplace or anything else that a normal light switch may control.

Before we answer, we want to define some terminology to avoid any confusion. 

A single switch under a single faceplate is called a one-gang switch. You have a two-gang switch when you have two switches side by side under the same shared faceplate. The two switches in the two-gang switch will control different lights. Most homes include one-gang, two-gang and three-gang switches. In some rare cases homes may also contain four-gang and five-gang switches.

Simple, right? Now that you understand that, here’s how to count the number of light switches in your home. This can be broken into two steps. 

First, you will need to count the number of individual switches within each gang to calculate the total number of switches for the home.

Here’s an example: a 2,800 square foot home has 10 one-gang switches, eight two-gang switches, five three-gang switches and no four-gang or five-gang switches. 

Since: (10×1) + (8×2) + (5×3) = 31 

This home will have a total of 31 switches. 

Next, you need to configure the number of each type of gang switch to ensure that you receive the correct faceplates. 

Using the same example as above, in this scenario you would need the 31 switches plus 10 one-gang switch faceplates, eight two-gang switch faceplates and five three-gang switch faceplates. 

Here’s a video that walks you through the process.

This is a very important question! Knowing if you need a single-pole or multiway switch is crucial to buying the correct switches for your setup. Luckily, understanding it is as easy as understanding the concept of a beginning, a middle and an end. Let us explain!

A single-pole switch is a single switch that solely controls one fixture or a group of fixtures. No additional switches control a fixture or group of fixtures in a single-pole circuit. The most common locations for single-pole switches are bedrooms. But, they can be in common spaces too. 

Multiway switches are used when you have two or more switches that control one fixture or a group of fixtures. There are two types of multiway switches: three-way and four-way switches. Typical locations for these are hallways, stairwells or rooms with multiple entrances. These are typically areas in your home that have multiple entry points. Each entry point typically has one switch that controls the same fixture or group of fixtures. It’s designed this way so that when you enter or leave a space, you can turn the light(s) on or off without having to walk across the room. 

Multiway circuits are wired in a specific order. This order is called a series. In a series there is a first switch, a last switch and the switches between the first and last switches. The order starts [explain how the first switch is decided. Is it from right to left? The switch closest to the front door?] This designation is what makes a switch a three-way or four-way switch. 

The first and last switches in a series are always three-way switches. All of the switches between the first and last switches, the switches in the middle,  are four-way switches.

For example, in a four switch multiway circuit, the first switch is a three-way switch, the second switch is a four-way switch, the third switch is a four-way switch and the fourth and last switch in the series is a three-way switch. A four switch multiway circuit is typical in long hallways that connect to multiple rooms. Properly ordering the switches in a series is crucial for the switch circuit to function properly. 

There are some nuances when you’re dealing with Deako’s smart switches: the smart switch and the smart dimmer switch. 

The smart switch is a chameleon switch. It can act as either a single-pole switch, three-way switch or a four-way switch. So, you can’t really mess it up. There is a press and hold process used with the smart switch called “linking” that will have the switches automatically become three-way or four-way switches when installed in a multiway circuit. 

The Deako smart dimmer switch operates uniquely too. There are three different SKU’s that you can purchase. A single-pole smart dimmer for use only in a single-pole switch location, or a combination of a master smart dimmer switch and one or more remote smart dimmer switches. Any multiway circuit that you plan to install smart dimmers in will require one master smart dimmer switch and an additional remote smart dimmer switch. You can purchase these switches in bundles of two or three switches on our website. If you need more than three switches you can add up to eight remote smart dimmer switches as necessary.

A smart switch has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. You can control smart switches using the Deako app or third party apps (once they are connected to Deako). From the app, you can create scenes, schedule lights, set timers, form groups, connect to voice assistants and use remote control. Smart switches make sense in multi-function spaces like living rooms, kitchens, entryways and hallways. Simple switches do not have wireless communication and users cannot control them with the Deako App or any other third-party app or device. Simple switches highlight one primary use and have both manual and hands-free control options. For example, our simple ventilation timer switch, simple dimmer switch and astronomical timer switch are all operated with buttons and sliders that are on the physical light switch. However, the simple motion sensor switch and simple nightlight switch are both motion activated. Simple switches are best used in single-use spaces where all the features of a smart switch are overkill. Like in a pantry, laundry room or bathroom.