Smart plugs for billiard lights and console TVs: power follows the timer

Smart plugs for billiard lights and console TVs fix one old club problem: the light over the table or the TV next to the console works only while a session is paid for. The session opens and the plug switches power on; time runs out or the session closes and the power goes off. The admin doesn't have to remember, and staff can't "just turn a table on" without a session.

The problem: the light lives outside the books

In many clubs the timer is in one place and the light switch in another. The software says the session is closed, yet the lamp is still on and the game goes on. It shows up in a few ways:

• "Five more minutes." Time is up, the players want to finish the frame. The admin is busy at the bar, five minutes turn into twenty, and nobody records them.
• A table for friends. A staff member switches the light on for people they know and doesn't open a session. The game happened, the money didn't.
• The forgotten light. During quiet daytime hours or after closing, a table lamp stays on for hours. In a PlayStation room the TV plays to an empty room.
• Arguments. A customer says "we stopped ten minutes ago", and it's hard to prove otherwise.

Each case costs little on its own. But it happens every day, and by the end of the month the cash doesn't match the hours the tables were busy.

How it works

A smart plug sits between the wall socket and the plug of the lamp or TV. It joins your Wi-Fi and switches power on or off on command. The club software ties that command to the session:

1. The admin opens a session on a table — the plug turns on and the light comes on.
2. The session is closed or the prepaid time runs out — the plug turns off.

One plug per table. In billiards it powers the lamp above the table; in a PlayStation room it powers the TV. The timer type doesn't matter: an open session, a fixed amount of time, or a prepaid amount of money — whichever way it ends, the power goes off. ClubTime warns before time runs out, so the admin has a moment to offer the players more time.

Three practical points before you buy:

• Switch the TV, not the console. Cutting power to a console abruptly is bad for it: unsaved progress is lost and system files can get damaged. When the TV goes dark, the game stops anyway.
• Test your TV. Some TVs don't turn on by themselves when power returns; they stay in standby. Test one before buying plugs for every room, and look in the TV's settings for a power-on option.
• Does the lamp have a plug? Many billiard lamps are wired straight into the ceiling. For a smart plug, the lamp needs a plug or a socket nearby — a job for an electrician.

What you need

• A smart plug that works with Tuya or Smart Life — one per table. Shops sell them as "Smart Life", "Tuya" or "Wi-Fi smart plug"; the box usually mentions the Smart Life app.
• 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. These plugs can't see 5 GHz networks. If the router is far from the tables, check the signal at the farthest one first.
• A free Tuya account. The plugs are first added to the Smart Life app, then connected to the club software through the Tuya account.
• About 15 minutes for setup. After that, each new plug only needs to be added to Smart Life and assigned to a table.

Step-by-step instructions are in the smart plug setup guide. One tip: name each plug after its table in Smart Life right away ("Table 1", "PS 2") so you don't mix them up later.

What happens when the internet drops

Owners ask this first: if the provider has an outage, do the lights stop working? No. When the club's device (phone, tablet or computer) is on the same Wi-Fi network as the plugs, ClubTime controls them over the local network, with no outside internet needed. The app itself works offline too: sessions are saved on the device first and sync to the cloud on their own once the internet is back.

There is one condition: the router itself has to be running. "No internet" and "no Wi-Fi" are different situations. If the router is off or rebooting, the plugs can't get commands until it's back. So:

• put the router where nobody will unplug it by accident;
• don't power the router itself through a smart plug;
• make sure the device the admin works on is connected to the club Wi-Fi.

Safety: how much load a plug can take

A smart plug is an electrical device that carries current all day. A few simple rules:

• Check the maximum load. The plug's body or box shows its maximum current in amps or power in watts. The lamp's or TV's power is on its label or in its manual. For example, a plug rated 10 A on a 220 V supply handles about 2,200 W. A 150 W table lamp leaves plenty of headroom; a heater or a kettle is a different story.
• Don't run it at the limit. Keep the load well below the rated maximum.
• Don't daisy-chain. Don't plug a smart plug into an extension lead, or one extension lead into another. Don't hang several devices on one smart plug with a splitter.
• The wall socket must be in good shape. If the plug sits loose, or the socket is discoloured or warm, have an electrician fix it first. A bad contact will heat the smart plug too.
• Check by hand in the first week. Touch the plug now and then. If it's noticeably hot, stop using it and replace it.
• Keep it dry. Not where water or a spilled drink can reach it.
• Buy from a reliable seller. On the cheapest no-name plugs, the printed rating may not match reality.

If the club's wiring is old, or you're adding many devices at once, work out the total load with an electrician.

What changes for staff control

With a smart plug, there is only one way to turn the light on: open a session. That changes several things:

• Every game is on record. Giving a table to friends also needs a session, and it shows up in the reports. If free play is allowed, it becomes the owner's open decision, not a quiet habit.
• "Five more minutes" becomes a decision. Time is up, the light goes off. If the players want to continue, the extra time is opened in the software and paid for.
• Fewer arguments. When the session started and ended is in the software, and the light was on for exactly that time.
• The owner sees it remotely. In ClubTime the owner watches the tables live from their own phone and gets a Telegram message for every closed table.

A plug doesn't solve everything, though: someone can pull the lamp's plug out of the smart plug and put it straight into the wall. Mount the plugs where they're hard to reach and check them from time to time. For the rest of cash and shift control, see staff and cash control.

To see how table time, lights and the bar work together, read about billiard club software or, for console rooms, PlayStation club software.

In short

• A smart plug ties the light or TV to the session: session open, power on; session over, power off.
• You need a Tuya / Smart Life plug per table, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, a free Tuya account and about 15 minutes.
• It keeps working over local Wi-Fi when the internet drops, as long as the router is on.
• Match the plug's rating to the lamp or TV, don't daisy-chain, and replace any plug that runs hot.
• When the light only works during a session, free games and "five more minutes" show up in the reports.

Start with one table: connect the plug, run it for a week, then roll it out to the rest. You can try ClubTime free for 15 days, no card needed.