Rako Installer in Leeds

You’ve clicked the Rako logo – here’s what Rako actually does

If you’ve clicked the Rako logo on our website, you may be wondering what the system is, why we use it and whether it would make sense in your home.

That’s what this page is here to explain.

Rako is a professional lighting control system that allows individual lighting circuits to be brought together and controlled as part of a wider system.

Instead of walking around a room adjusting four, five or six separate dimmers, you can press one button and recall a lighting scene designed around what you’re actually doing.

That might mean a bright setting for cooking.

Softer lighting for dining.

Low-level lighting for watching television.

Or one button to switch everything off when you leave the room.

Rako offers wired, wireless and combined lighting-control solutions, meaning the system can be used both in existing properties and in new builds or major renovations. Rako specifically positions its wireless system for retrofit applications, while its wired products provide a structured option for larger installations.

SmartOhm Electrical and Smart Home installs and programmes Rako systems across Leeds, Harrogate, Wetherby, Wakefield, Huddersfield and surrounding areas.

But before talking about installing it, it helps to understand why someone would want Rako in the first place.

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What is smart lighting?

Smart lighting doesn’t simply mean being able to turn a light on from your phone.

You can buy a smart bulb that does that.

Proper lighting control is about looking at the lighting throughout a room or property as one system.

Imagine an open-plan kitchen with:

• Downlights
• Pendants over the island
• LED lighting under cabinets
• Decorative lighting
• Dining-area lighting
• Lamps or feature lighting

With conventional switching, you may have several switches or dimmers to adjust every time you use the room differently.

A smart lighting system allows us to group those circuits into scenes.

Press Cooking, for example, and the task lighting can come up while decorative lighting sits at a suitable level.

Press Dining and the brighter kitchen lighting can reduce while the lighting around the table becomes more prominent.

The customer isn’t really controlling six circuits anymore.

They’re controlling how they want the room to feel.

That’s the difference.

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What are Rako lighting scenes?

Scenes are one of the most useful parts of a professionally designed smart lighting system.

Rather than every button simply meaning on or off, a button can recall predetermined levels across several lighting circuits.

Rako’s programming software allows lighting levels and fade rates to be configured as part of scenes, so several circuits can transition together when a scene is selected.

For example, a room could have:

Bright – useful working light across the room.

Evening – reduced general lighting with feature lighting more prominent.

Relax – softer lighting at lower levels.

All Off – everything off from one control.

Those are only examples.

We don’t arrive with a standard list of scenes that every customer gets.

The best scenes come from discussing how you use the room.

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A real Rako installation in Armley, Leeds LS12

A recent project in Armley, Leeds, LS12 is a good example of how Rako can work even on a relatively small installation.

The project was a bedroom with three independently controlled lighting zones.

We installed:

• 3 Rako RMT500 dimmers
• One zone controlling five spotlights
• One independently controlled bedside pendant
• A second independently controlled bedside pendant
• A Rako Hub
• A Rako EOS keypad finished in brass

The RMT500 is part of Rako’s wireless dimming range and is designed as an in-line trailing-edge dimmer for suitable lighting loads.

Rather than fitting three ordinary dimmers and leaving the homeowner to adjust each lighting circuit individually, we programmed the system around the way the customer wanted to use the bedroom.

Each relevant button on the EOS keypad was programmed to recall the required lighting scene.

That meant one press could set the spotlights and two bedside pendants to the levels the customer wanted.

Simple.

No need to open an app.

No need to adjust three controls every evening.

The technology is doing quite a lot behind the scenes, but using it doesn’t feel technical.

That’s exactly how we think smart lighting should work.

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The Rako EOS keypad

The keypad is one of the parts of the system you actually see every day, so appearance matters.

On our Armley project we installed a brass Rako EOS keypad to work with the finish and style of the room.

Rako’s wireless EOS controller provides six programmable buttons, and the buttons can be configured through RASOFTpro to trigger individual or multiple commands. Wireless EOS controls can also be mounted to a standard UK single-gang back box without requiring control cabling to the keypad position.

That gives us a lot more flexibility than simply having six conventional switches.

And because the keypad becomes part of the room, Rako provides EOS plates in a range of finishes rather than treating the control as an afterthought.

A good smart lighting system should work with the interior design, not fight against it.

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Wired or wireless Rako – which is better?

There isn’t one correct answer.

It depends on the property.

This is one of the reasons we use the wider Rako range rather than trying to fit the same solution everywhere.

Wireless Rako

For an existing property, wireless Rako can be particularly useful.

Rako’s current wireless system is designed to work with existing wiring where appropriate, making it well suited to retrofit projects where installing new control cabling would be impractical or unnecessarily disruptive. It can also be expanded and can work alongside Rako’s wired system.

That’s useful when:

The house is already decorated.

The customer doesn’t want walls chasing out.

We need to add smart lighting to only part of a property.

Or we want to add scene control without designing the whole electrical installation again.

Our Armley bedroom is a good example.

It didn’t require the house to become a full wired smart home just because the customer wanted better bedroom lighting.

Wired Rako

A wired Rako system can make more sense when we’re involved early in a new build, extension or major renovation.

If the walls are open and the electrical installation is being designed from scratch, we have the opportunity to plan the lighting-control infrastructure properly from the beginning.

Rako offers centralised RAK and DIN-rail equipment alongside its wired control network for this type of installation.

Or use both

It doesn’t always have to be one or the other.

Rako supports wired, wireless and combined systems, so we can choose the approach that suits the property rather than forcing the property to suit the product.

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Rako isn’t only for large luxury homes

This is a common misconception with professional lighting control.

People see smart-home lighting systems and assume they’re only worthwhile if you’re automating a £2 million property from top to bottom.

They aren’t.

Our Armley installation had three lighting zones in one bedroom.

That’s all the customer needed.

Rako’s wireless range lends itself particularly well to this type of smaller or retrofit project, while the wider range can also support larger centralised installations.

You could start with:

A bedroom.

A kitchen.

An open-plan living space.

A cinema room.

Or a kitchen and dining extension.

If you later decide you want to expand the system, we can take that into consideration.

The size of the system should be determined by what would actually improve the house, not by how many products we can fit.

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Rako isn’t just lighting – it can control blinds too

Another useful part of Rako is motorised blind and curtain control.

Rako offers both wired and wireless products for controlling compatible motorised curtains, blinds and screens, including options for mains and low-voltage motors. The blind-control system can operate independently or be integrated with the lighting system.

This opens up more interesting possibilities.

For example, an Evening scene could potentially involve the lighting and compatible motorised blinds.

Or a room could have simple controls for:

Open

Stop

Close

alongside its lighting functions.

Again, the point isn’t automation for the sake of it.

If you close the same blinds and adjust the same lights every evening, combining those actions can make sense.

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App control is available – but it shouldn’t replace good wall controls

Rako also provides app control through a compatible Rako Hub.

The current Rako app can control wired and wireless systems and provides access to lighting, curtains and blinds, alongside scene adjustment and other controls.

That’s useful.

But we don’t design smart lighting on the assumption that everybody should pull their phone out whenever they walk into a room.

The wall control still matters.

Your partner should be able to use the lights.

Your children should be able to use them.

A guest should be able to walk into the room and understand the basics.

The app is an additional way of controlling the house.

It shouldn’t be the only sensible way.

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The Rako Hub

Adding a Rako Hub gives us access to more advanced system functionality.

For wireless systems, Rako’s current documentation lists Hub features including app control, macros, mappings and other programming functions.

We installed a Hub as part of our Armley LS12 bedroom project.

That also gives us a useful foundation if the customer wants the system to develop further later.

The Hub is particularly important when Rako is being brought into a wider smart home because it provides the network connection used for many third-party integrations.

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Can Rako work with Control4 and other smart home systems?

Yes.

Rako doesn’t have to sit on its own.

Rako’s current integration documentation lists connections with wider home-automation, AV, audio, security, heating and blind-control systems. Its listed integration partners include Control4 and Sonos, amongst others.

This is useful for larger SmartOhm projects.

A customer might initially want Rako because they want excellent lighting control.

Later, that lighting could form part of a wider smart home where a higher-level platform such as Control4 brings together:

Lighting.

Audio.

Televisions and AV.

Heating.

Security.

Blinds.

And other connected systems.

Rako can continue doing what it does well — lighting control — while the wider automation system gives the homeowner one joined-up interface where required.

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Why choose Rako instead of cheap smart switches online?

It’s very easy to decide you want smart lighting and immediately start searching Amazon or other online marketplaces.

You’ll find hundreds of low-cost smart switches, dimmers, relays and bulbs.

Some may be perfectly adequate for simple DIY uses.

But before building the lighting throughout your home around a collection of unrelated low-cost products, it’s worth thinking about what you actually expect from the system.

Lighting is something you use every day.

We want to know that the system has been designed as a lighting-control platform.

We want proper scene programming.

We want suitable dimming equipment.

We want good-looking physical controls.

We want the ability to build a wired, wireless or combined system.

And we want manufacturer support and equipment that can form part of a professionally designed installation.

Rako is a British manufacturer and states that its products are manufactured in the UK. It also offers a product repair service and says newer products are designed to remain backwards-compatible with existing Rako installations where possible.

For us, that’s a much better starting point for a professional smart lighting project than simply choosing the cheapest connected switch we can find online.

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Why LED compatibility still matters

Having a smart dimmer doesn’t automatically mean every LED fitting will dim beautifully.

The dimmer, LED lamp or driver and electrical load all have to work together properly.

Poor combinations can result in:

Flickering.

A poor dimming range.

Lights that suddenly drop out at low levels.

Unstable operation.

Or lighting that simply doesn’t feel smooth.

Rako offers different types of dimming and control modules for different lighting technologies, including trailing-edge, digital, DALI and other control methods.

That’s why we don’t simply ask:

“How many dimmers do you want?”

We look at what they’re actually controlling.

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Smart lighting should be designed around how you live

This is probably the biggest difference between a properly planned system and a collection of smart products.

We start with the room.

What happens in it?

Take a bedroom like our Armley project.

You may want useful general lighting from the spotlights when getting dressed.

Later, you may want the spotlights much lower and the two bedside pendants creating the feel of the room.

One person might also want their own bedside pendant without affecting the other.

Those requirements tell us far more than simply saying:

“I want smart lights.”

The best way to deal with smart lighting is to decide what you want the room to do first.

Then we design the controls around it.

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Craig’s Rako training

Product-specific training matters when you’re asking somebody to design and programme a professional lighting-control system.

Craig Wright has completed two Rako Controls training courses.

The first was Rako’s Introduction to Lighting Controls Course, completed on 30 November 2022.

Craig then completed Rako’s RASOFTpro Programming Course on 19 January 2023.

That second course is particularly relevant to the programming side of an installation.

RASOFTpro is Rako’s software environment for configuring systems, rooms, channels, devices, keypads and lighting scenes. Rako’s current programming documentation also uses RASOFTpro for configuration of devices such as the EOS keypad and Hub.

So when we talk about designing scenes and programming Rako controls, that isn’t knowledge we’ve picked up from watching a couple of online videos.

We’ve undertaken manufacturer training in the platform.

Craig Wright – Rako Introduction to Lighting Controls, November 2022

Craig Wright – RASOFTpro Programming, January 2023

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What happens when you contact SmartOhm about Rako?

We don’t start by deciding how many Rako modules we can sell you.

We start by asking how you want the lighting to work.

We’ll discuss the rooms involved, what lighting you currently have and what you’re planning to change.

Where needed, we’ll survey the existing electrical installation and consider:

• The number of lighting zones
• The type of lighting and LED drivers
• Dimming requirements
• Existing wiring
• Whether the project is a retrofit or new installation
• Suitable locations for control equipment
• Keypad positions and finishes
• Lighting scenes
• Blind or curtain control where required
• App control
• Wider smart home integration
• Potential future expansion

From there, we’ll decide whether wired Rako, wireless Rako or a combination of the two makes most sense.

We’ll then provide a written quotation before undertaking the work.

Once agreed, we’ll install the electrical and Rako equipment, programme the system and build the scenes around the way you want to use the rooms.

Then we test it properly and show you how everything works.

The final system should feel straightforward.

If it takes a ten-page instruction manual to turn the bedroom lights off, we’ve designed it wrong.

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Why use SmartOhm for Rako smart lighting?

Smart lighting sits between two areas we work in every day:

Electrical installation

and

smart home technology.

That’s useful because installing the control equipment is only part of the job.

We also need to understand the wiring, the electrical loads, the LED drivers, dimming compatibility and how the installation should be tested.

SmartOhm combines 21 years of hands-on electrical and smart home installation experience with specific Rako manufacturer training.

We are also:

• Rako trained in lighting controls and RASOFTpro programming
• NAPIT Registered – Full Scope
• TrustMark Registered (TrustMark)
• A Which? Trusted Trader (Which Trusted Traders)
• Rated with more than 85 five-star Google reviews

The Rako training tells you we understand the product.

Our electrical background means we also understand what sits behind it.

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Rako smart lighting across Leeds and surrounding areas

SmartOhm provides Rako smart lighting and smart home lighting installation across:

• Leeds
• Harrogate
• Wetherby
• Wakefield
• Huddersfield
• Armley
• Alwoodley
• Roundhay
• West Park
• Horsforth
• North Leeds
• Surrounding towns and villages

Whether you’re considering one bedroom or a much larger whole-house lighting system, we’re happy to look at what you’re trying to achieve.

You don’t need to know whether you need an RMT500, a RAK system, wired keypads or wireless modules before speaking to us.

That’s our job.

Tell us what you want the lighting to do.

We’ll work out the sensible way of getting there.

Discuss your smart lighting

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rako smart lighting?

Rako is a professional lighting-control system that allows individual lighting circuits to be controlled together through keypads, scenes, app control and wider automation.

Rako offers wired, wireless and combined system options.

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Is Rako suitable for an existing house?

Yes, in many cases.

Rako specifically offers wireless products intended for retrofit installations where installing new control wiring may be undesirable or impractical.

We still survey the existing wiring and lighting before deciding which equipment is appropriate.

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Is Rako suitable for a new build?

Yes.

For new builds and major renovations, a wired or centralised Rako installation can be planned into the electrical design from the beginning.

Rako also offers RAK and DIN-based equipment for larger or centrally mounted systems.

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Can Rako control LED lighting?

Yes.

Rako offers a range of products for controlling different types of LED lighting and dimming protocols.

The important part is specifying the correct control equipment for the lights and drivers being installed.

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What is a lighting scene?

A scene stores predetermined lighting levels across one or more circuits.

Instead of adjusting every dimmer individually, you press one button and the lighting moves to the programmed levels.

Scenes can be designed around activities such as cooking, dining, entertaining, watching television or relaxing.

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Can I control Rako from my phone?

Yes.

With a compatible Rako Hub, the Rako app can control both wired and wireless systems, including lighting and compatible curtains and blinds.

We still recommend good physical wall controls so everyday lighting doesn’t depend entirely on a phone.

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Can Rako control blinds and curtains?

Yes.

Rako has dedicated wired and wireless products for compatible motorised curtains, blinds and screens. They can operate independently or form part of the wider lighting-control system.

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Does Rako work with Control4?

Yes.

Rako currently lists Control4 among its supported system-integration partners. Most third-party integration is handled through the Rako Hub and network communication.

This can make Rako a good lighting-control platform within a larger professionally installed smart home.

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Is Rako made in Britain?

Rako states that its products are manufactured in the UK.

For customers comparing professional lighting-control systems with low-cost marketplace products, that UK manufacturing and established product ecosystem can be an important consideration.

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Is SmartOhm trained to install and programme Rako?

Craig Wright has completed Rako’s Introduction to Lighting Controls Course and the RASOFTpro Programming Course.

We also have practical experience designing, installing and programming Rako systems, including our recent three-zone bedroom installation in Armley, Leeds LS12.

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Looking for smart lighting in Leeds?

You don’t have to already know that you want Rako.

You may have found this page because you’re searching for:

• Smart lighting in Leeds
• Smart home lighting
• Lighting scenes
• Whole-home lighting control
• A better way of controlling several lights in one room

That’s fine.

We’ll start with what you’re trying to achieve rather than assuming a particular product is right for you.

If Rako makes sense, we can design a wired, wireless or combined system around the property.

If it doesn’t, we’ll say so.

The aim is to make your lighting easier and better to use, not simply make it smart for the sake of it.

Send us a photo, tell us about the room, or give us a call.

Talk to SmartOhm about smart lighting