I am planning to replace wall switches myself and having the change certified afterwards by an electrician.

Usually, people will go the OBI or Jumbo and buy the switches. I don't like them. I'd rather buy smart wall switches from another source.

Question: Does it conform to regulation to install wall switches that comply with EC & RoHS even if these were not sourced from Switzerland?

-------

Note:
It seems that there is a Swiss-specific standard required for plugs and sockets:
https://www.esti.admin.ch/en/topics/...-per-sev-1011/
But I can't find one for switches.

__________________
From the dark horizon of my future a sort of slow, persistent breeze had been blowing toward me, all my life long, from the years that were to come.

When you think about it, a smart wall switch is actually a mains voltage operated electronic device.


Your switches must meet the requirements of the EU low voltage directive 2014/35/EU, specifically standard EN 50428:2005*
There should a certificate stating this somewhere on the switch maufacturers' website.
Ad well as RoHS, it also need to meet the requirements of an a set of EMC standards - again this should be stated on the manufacturers' website.


*Don't take this as gospel. That's the standard for household switches but there may be an additional standard for the smart element of the design.

what about wiring?

No changes in wiring, not adding or replacing them.

That needs to meet a set of standards too - including ones for flammability.

As long as the switches themselves conform to a reputable standard I think it's a bit (way) OTT to have the work certified after they're fitted. Just my opinion. And how do you think the electrician will certify them?

If in future the house burns down (let's hope not) and they investigate and it turns out that electrics might have caused it and that there is no rapport from a certified person while parts have been exchanged OP might not get any money from the insurance.

Even for things people can easily do themselves like puling some wires and exchanging switches, wall sockets and such this can be an issue.

If the house burns down, there is a reasonable chance that any paperwork will get burnt too.

No shit sherlock ?

Well, OP installs them. Electrician comes by, opens them up again to check the connection, closes them. Price: I'd guess the same as if electrician installs them - maybe a bit more for the opening part plus the electrician being pissed off about the job.

I've replaced many wall switches in my life - mainly because I had years of a strong dimmer-desire No problem.

But here are all the rules, I guess.

Why not wait the 20 years for the next inspection, it's kind of basic. Only ever had an issue with a 2 year old 10,000 CHF modification done by Swiss electricians as the wires used in the 32amp sockets were too thin, so the trips got changed for 25 amps.

If you buy the wall switches abroad, look for those with the VDE certification mark.

Swiss products require no marking (not even the CE mark).

All European country-specific standards have been homogenised (apart from a few specific ones for country specific electrical plug and sockets, for example).
What this means in practice is that a product showing the VDE mark -the symbol used in Germany (not Switzerland) as it is from the German standards agency has been tested by a VDE approved institute such as TÜV and is safe to use in Switzerland.

However, loads of other agencies and test can, and do test to the same European standards, including UL in the U.S. for example.
Absence of a VDE mark does not mean the product should not be used in Switzerland - it just means it wasn't tested in Germany (and why should it be?)

So yes, a German VDE mark is good, but so are lots of other marks from other countries instead.

Flavio - what specific wall switches were you thinking of getting?

Out of interest, do they work as non-smart switches too - i.e. if your internet goes down, for example, you can still turn on the light at the wall switch!

What happens if your light switches get infiltrated?

How would an insurance know that light switches had been changed over ?

OP, I simply repeat: If you get them abroad, get at least such with VDE certification (as I doubt you'll find SEV ones abroad ).
If you want to replace sockets and you would like to have those pretty, flat ones I have here .... you're two years late:
<<Der Schweizer Standard[7] wird in SEV 1011 beschrieben (ASE1011/1959 SW10A-R) und ist für bis zu 16 A dimensioniert. Die Typen 12/13/15 sind nominell bis 10 A spezifiziert – die maximale Absicherung für eine Typ-12/13/15-Steckdose beträgt 13 A für Leitungsschutzschalter und 10 A für Schmelzsicherungen. Steckvorrichtungen Typ 23/25 dürfen mit max. 16 A abgesichert werden.

Am 4. Dezember 2009 hat der technische Ausschuss TK23 die neue, überarbeitete Auflage des Schweizer Norm SEV 1011:2009 für 10-A-Stecker und Steckdosen des Typs 11/12 veröffentlicht, um unter anderem einen verbesserten Schutz gegen Berührung mit teilisolierten Steckerstiften bieten zu können.[8]

Ab dem 1. Januar 2013 ist die Einfuhr in die Schweiz von Steckern Typ 11 und Typ 12 nur noch mit teilisolierten Steckerstiften gestattet. Nach dem Jahr 2016 dürfen nur noch Steckdosen Typ 13 mit einem vertieften Buchsenloch auf den Markt gebracht werden. >> (please use google translate if you don't speak German.)

I personally would not buy this kind of stuff abroad if I were gonna do it myself.

Infiltrated by what?

By the left overs being foreign?

PS: OP are you renting your flat?

__________________
It's all a matter or perspective.
So move your butt and look at it from the other side

Except he's buying lamp switches and not plugs and sockets.....


Why not? - If something meets the standard, it's safe to use.

Hoi Tom,

I'm thinking of installing the Aqara switches from Xiaomi. Tested one and works beautifully. Works without Internet too.

However, no European or US certifications for the switch yet (only Chinese ones).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NGJL22OLOA

Hi Flavio, did you find out if we can install smart switches? I am in the process of renovating my house and since I am changing switches in any case I wanted to also install smart switches but I cannot find anyone having installed in Switzerland...