Smart Home Lighting Northern Beaches: Why We Install PIXIE

Smart home lighting on the Northern Beaches does not need a specialist programmer or a rewire. We are now a PIXIE Partners installer, so we can put dimming, scenes, schedules and app control into your home using standard Australian wiring.

PIXIE is made by SAL National, an Australian-owned company with more than 25 years in the electrical market. SAL says it owns the PIXIE technology and supports it from Australia, with no overseas licensing behind it (source: pixieplus.com.au). Here is what that means for your home, and what we check before we quote.

What PIXIE actually does

PIXIE replaces your standard switches and dimmers with smart ones that talk to each other. You dim a room from the wall, from your phone or by voice. You set a Movie Night scene once and it runs with one tap. You schedule the outdoor lights to come on at dusk and the hallway to dim at 10pm.

The same system can also run ceiling fans, motorised blinds, garage doors, motion sensors and smart power points. SAL lists Hunter Pacific, Ventair and Big Ass Fans ceiling fans as supported. Its CLIMATIQ range adds Daikin and Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning to the same app (source: pixieplus.com.au). You start with lighting and add rooms later without starting again.

Does smart home lighting need Wi-Fi?

Not for the everyday stuff. SAL states that PIXIE runs on Bluetooth mesh, so schedules, scenes and the wall switches keep working when the internet is down. You only need the PIXIE Gateway and an internet connection for two things: control while you are away, and voice control through Google Home, Amazon Alexa or Siri via Apple Shortcuts (source: PIXIE support page, pixieplus.com.au/support).

The PIXIE PLUS app is free with no ongoing subscription, according to SAL. SAL also says each new device takes under half a minute to add in the app.

Why PIXIE needs a licensed electrician

PIXIE is sold only through electrical wholesalers and has to be installed by a licensed electrician. That suits us, because the circuit behind the switch matters as much as the switch.

Before we quote, we look at the lighting circuits and at the switchboard feeding them. Not every home needs board work. If yours has a problem, such as old protection or no safety switches on the lighting circuits, we will tell you upfront and include the work in the price. If you are weighing that up, read about our switchboard upgrades on the Northern Beaches.

Where smart lighting suits a Northern Beaches home

It fits best where you are already doing electrical work. A renovation, a new extension, an open-plan living area where one switch is not enough, or a bedroom where you want a proper dimmer. It also suits outdoor entertaining areas, where a motion sensor or a dusk schedule does more than a timer ever did.

If you are not sure what you need, SAL runs a free design service. You upload your floor plans, their team marks up where each product goes, and you get a bill of materials we can quote from (source: pixieplus.com.au). It is free and carries no obligation.

Who installs it

We have been working as electricians on the Northern Beaches for more than 20 years. We won the NECA Gold Medal in 2021 and 2022, we are SAA accredited, and our customers have left us more than 100 five-star reviews. We are enrolled in PIXIE Partners and working through the PIXIE installer training now. We will tell you plainly where we are with it when you ask.

Our general electrical services cover everything around a lighting job too, from new circuits to LED lighting.

Want to see what PIXIE could do in your home? Visit our PIXIE smart home lighting page or call us on 02 9913 9417.