@gsuberland When you deploy the system, you didn't know that the switch controlled that receptacle.

The receptacle has to be controlled by a relay somewhere, and that relay has to be independent of the switch (unless you want to lock yourself into a fixed "this switch - that relay" scenario that eliminates most of the benefits of smarts).

The only sane choice is for the relay to be normally closed so the receptacle doesn't go permanently-off on failure. Which means the failure mode *has* to be always-on.

@azonenberg what I'm saying is you have the switch points carry mains just like you would in a regular house, except the switch point contains a relay internally that lets you toggle the lighting state with a smart controller (SPDT switch wired to an SPDT latching relay in series within the switch point itself). if the controller fails, the light switch continues to work 100% as normal. no lighting state changes occur.

@azonenberg oh I have no interest in that kind of stuff, I just want a simple switch

@azonenberg I will happily give up more advanced control features to keep the basics simple and hazard/hassle free