HomeKit RGBW Pool Light Using a Shelly RGBW2

If you’re an Apple enthusiast like me, then you’re probably a HomeKit user as well. Generally speaking, the HomeKit scene for niche categories is pretty bad. Unless it’s a main category like lightbulbs or outlets, it’s hard to come across a niche product that offers HomeKit support, typically only offering Google Home or Amazon Alexa support. 

HomeKit devices are harder to find because Apple enforces strict certification requirements for security and performance, while also delivering all automations locally via a home hub. This approach (in my opinion) is a lot better than having your devices all being operated by the cloud on automations. Luckily, the Matter protocol aims to change that, but categories still have to be approved by the Matter committee to be included in future generations of the protocol, and unfortunately, that will take a while.

One of the devices I’ve researched for weeks on how to get into HomeKit was my pool light. If you've searched pool light options, you know the market is dominated by outdated light control options, typically offering RF or IR remote control, while also costing above $1,000 on average. The thing about pool lights is it’s not the light that’s special, it’s the controller. And unfortunately, there just are no pool light products on the market today that come bundled with a specialized HomeKit Wi-Fi controller. That’s why I wanted to tackle this project. Not only will you be able to control the pool light's colors from HomeKit, but you'll also be able to set up automations fast and easy in the app without any unnecessary bridges or hacks.

RGBW Pool Light (the one linked will work, but heads up people don't recommend the included screw it comes with)

Shelly RGBW2

General Tools

To start off, we’re going to need to flash the open-source Mongoose OS (HomeKit edition) to the Shelly. The Shelly comes with its own firmware, and it’s recommended to have it updated to the latest stock software version first before flashing Mongoose; otherwise, there may be instability in flashing. The instructions on how to do all of this are found on the Mongoose GitHub.

The gist is: Connect the power supply (DC adapter) to the designated terminals on the device, ensuring the correct polarity is followed; once connected, the power will be supplied, turning the Shelly RGBW2 on and ready for use.

Visit the Shelly’s local IP address, update the firmware to the latest, and then in your browser go to:

(Replace A.B.C.D with the IP address)

From there, the Shelly will be flashed with Mongoose. The Shelly automatically broadcasts its own Wi-Fi as an access point by default; however, I turned that off personally (it may be useful to you to keep it on if you ever need local access). I only have it connected to my own Wi-Fi network on WiFi 1 in the admin portal. 

That will serve as your admin portal online, but realistically you'll likely never need to go into it again once you configure it. From the admin portal just set up your preferred settings and once it looks good you'll just add it to HomeKit like any other device.

If you run into any errors, it's likely the GitHub has an answer for it

Step two is essentially just replacing your old pool light with this new one by fishing it out (always make sure your power is turned off at the breaker). I won't dive into the process of how to replace a pool light as there's tons of great guides online already. Once you've done that, connect the RGBW/Transformer wires to the Shelly (I used a Wago connector to bridge it appropriately). Then connect the transformer to any outlet available (typically at the breaker). If you don't have an outlet you can also hardwire it to the breaker directly. If you are not comfortable with power/pool equipment in general, please contact a certified pool electrician to help facilitate the installation. Water and electricity is never something you play with!

Now that your Shelly is hooked up to the Pool Light and the internet, it's easy to set up in HomeKit. Just add it like any regular accessory and you've got an RGBW pool light in HomeKit that be used with automations. You can get creative with it such as person geofencing, running scenes, and more! The last piece of advice is to make sure the Shelly can grab a good signal from wherever your closest access point (router) is, otherwise it might not connect properly. The breaker's metal door can also cause signal interference if the range isn't a problem too. Happy automating!