OT - Smart Home discussion
We built our new house and moved in last year. Since moving in we've slowly been implementing some smart home technology. I'm interested in what others have done, how they implemented it, and their experience with its performance. Here's what we have so far
Hubs: Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings
Bulbs: Philips Hue for 60% of bulbs inside the house
Switches: Several Wemo Switches controlling entire rooms down to just single plugs
Assistants: Google Home
Sensors: motion and connection to trigger lights based on doors opening/closing or movement in areas. Water in trigger areas like basement, water heater pan, under sinks.
I'm looking into moving more toward one lighting solution which is likely to be Hue all around. When they go on sale I grab some stuff to swap out other things. My end goal is to get geofenced automation. I already have a little but haven't messed too much with it yet.
Yes, when I open the app it shows the current status (open or closed). Tapping the button will either open or close the door. It's pretty instantaneous, which was surprising to me. I was expecting a 1-2 second delay since it communicates over WiFi, but there really isn't any noticeable delay.
And yes, it uses two sensors to know this. Basically, you end up with 1 sensor attached to the garage door itself, and another sensor attached to the frame. When the door is closed, the sensors are about 1/4" apart from each other, and the proximity tells the system that the door must be closed. When you open the door, the sensor attached to the door moves with it, so the lack of proximity tells the system the door must be opened.
It's hard to describe without pictures, but their installation guide has some diagrams and such if you want to look at it. I installed it back in January, and I've had no issues with it at all. It's worked predictably and reliably without fail. Installation took about 2 hours, but now that I've done it once I think it would only take me 20-30 minutes.
Did you happen to have a look at OpenGarage before going with NexxGarage? Just trying to get some insight into whether that works as well.
I did not.Taking a quick cursory glance at OpenGarage, I think I would still go with Nexx if I was making the decision again.
The installation is a little tricky as you figure it out. But it's one of those things that once you finish it, you realize it's not actually that hard.
One other thing with Nexx is that their opener is only compatible with certain openers. You should check their site to make sure your opener is compatible. If it's not on the list, they can still make it work, but that involves you sending them one of your opener remotes. They make some modifications to it, then send it back, then you connect it to the sensor device to handle the communication from your phone. That's what I did, and while it was a hassle (and it's somewhat uncomfortable to mail out your garage door opener), it was seamless and worked well.
I went with the bulbs for the configuration. If you're just going to get white bulbs and never change the color or brightness then a switch is fine. Also (at least with Wemo) you cannot use a switch with a dual post switch setup. So if you have 2 switches controlling 1 item, you can't use a switch. Maybe that will change one day, but for now it's a limitation. The bulbs that piss me off are the Candelabra ones from Hue. $50 a pop is retarded. Hue also came out with outdoor lighting. Granted I just installed an outdoor lightning system and I'm not rewiring a new system just to get colors, but it's pretty cool.
FYI, the 3-way switch limitation was a hang-up for me as well. TP-Link just came out with a solution for this, and I hopped on it right away. Works perfectly. And the interesting thing is, even though their documentation says you need to replace a switch on each gang in the circuit, I found I only needed to replace 1 for it to work. So I was able to cover to 3-way switches with one purchase.
Also, the TP-Link smart switches don't require a separate hub. They have WiFi connectivity built into them. They are also well connected with IFTTT and Stringify. I've been really happy with them so far.
https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-5622_HS210-KIT.html
Mostly on the entertainment side of the smart home spectrum for me...
Google home, Chromecast audio for stereo, Chromecast on all TV's, Nest thermostat, MyQ garage door opener. And of course a Google phone to control all of this stuff.
Not very sophisticated. I have a few things:
Arlo wireless wifi security cameras easy set-up and pretty cheap
Honeywell wifi smart thermostat
Elertus at the cottage to monitor temperature and humidity
I also have a couple of smart plugs at my cottage that I use to turn on humidifiers
I have a non-smart Mitsubishi mini-slim heat pump and tried to use a smart hub to mimic the remote to adjust heat but could not get it to work. - BroadLink RM Pro WiFi Smart Home Hub, IR RF All in One Automation Learning Universal Remote - it did not work, yet.
Nest Protect Smoke/CO Alarms were my first foray into smart technology. Mere weeks after my daughter was born, a smoke alarm went off in my house for about 3 seconds at 4 am. I had no idea which one or why, and after searching the house for 15 minutes making sure there was no fire, my exhausted new dad brain promptly bought 6 of them at 4:30 am, and a Nest Cam for a baby monitor since I was lacking impulse control at that hour.
I really like them, and recently added a Nest x Yale lock. I am a little less enthused, but I think I’ll grow to like it as my daughter gets older and we don’t have to worry about her locking herself out of the house/have more random people who need keys (babysitters, etc.)
We also have a smart thermostat provided by our utility, which lets them control the A/C on especially hot days when they need negawatts, and theoretically will allow us to set our thermostat based on real-time energy pricing, if they ever move to that price regime from the Day/Evening seasonal prices they have set up.
We’re looking to do a kitchen remodel in 2-3 years, so I’m hopeful 17-year old refrigerator and range can make it a couple more years so that there are more and better smart versions on the market.
I have never heard of PumpSpy, and am quite curious. I can’t imagine we’ll redo our home’s lighting — we have LEDs everywhere and that seems to be the correct balance for efficiency vs. cost.
I have been slowly integrating as well. Started with Amazon Alexa (Echo Plus in the main room and a dot in each bedroom, 3 total) and Phillips Hue lighting in 50% of the house. I absolutely love that integration because it's nice being able to shut off random lights the kids leave on. Then we purchased the NEST and it has worked great. The only issue we've had is when we are away for the weekend and I forget to set the schedule to kick the air on well before we get home. I just purchased the Rachio smart watering system. So far its worked like a charm and now I can be notified if something isn't working properly. We also have a variety of streaming devices (Roku, Apple TV and Firestick) but only the Firestick is integrated into the system.
JFC. If any of you came to visit my home in A2 you'd think it's a primitive, rustic shack barely fit for human habitation.
Have Comcast home security...door/window/motion sensors (which i will get rid of if they drop the BTN)
Philips Hue lights...1 outside, 6 indoors in 3 different rooms. Looking to buy a strip to put in the basement under the home theatre.
I have Blink Cameras...8 cameras, 3 outside, 1 in the garage, 4 inside. They were recently purchased by Amazon and will be having a doorbell camera available soon.
Front door has a smart door lock.
I think I want to have all outdoor lights as Hue lights, not sure what else I want to add other than smart garage door openers.
I use Amazon Alexa and tried to use IFTTT but I've only had limited success.
Ahh..and Nest, I'd like to get a Nest for both units in the house.
So I used to work for Vivint and had basically all of their equipment as a beta tester. I actually liked the hub, as it integrated z-wave and I didn't have to use my WiFi network for everything. The equipment was all proprietary (indoor cameras, outdoor camera, doorbell camera, thermostat, security sensors, smoke/flood detectors) and worked fine as long as they were within a decent range. The internal wireless transmitter was... not the best. I had a few repeaters set up throughout the house, but still didn't help much. I did have a Quikset smart lock on my front door, and aside from chewing through thousands of AA's, that was a nice-to-have since it also synced to the panel. It had Echo and Google Home integration that left something to be desired. Anyways, I sold that house and moved out about 2 weeks ago. All my smart home stuff is in storage, and as much as I liked it, I don't actually miss it all that much. I'll set it up again, and probably integrate Hue, but that's probably the most I'll do for now (no smart fridge or washer/dryer yet).
I do not trust The Machines.
Why anyone would need a "home assistant" like google home or amazon echo is beyond me.
Anything connected can and will be hacked eventually, whether you know about it or not. I'm fine with flipping a lightswitch when I need light, looking through a peephole to see who's at the door, and physically deadbolting my door each night. I'm in my 30's so I love tech, but I've seen and heard way too many instances already of smart home stuff gone wrong
I agree somewhat. I work in the A/V industry and you can't imagine how much people spend on tech they don't use or even understand. This kind of tech is practical if it's used to light a dark hall for your kid, be alerted to a water leak, unlock the door to let a neighbor in to check on the dog, turn on random lights while on vacation, or to deter/ catch a thief stealing a package off the front porch (which happens way more often than someone hacking a smart home). I don't think you have to be in your 30's to appreciate tech of this nature.
Not sure if this will work, but this is the kitchen after I installed some light strips under the cabinet and island.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qqUd5shGaWW1uuGP7
Jumping in...
Nest thermostat, some Wemo light switches (regulars and dimmers), some Wemo mini plugs, Rachio Gen 3 irrigation controller, and Amazon Echo. Running a few applets with IFTTT to tie the Nest and Wemo's together.
I have The Clapper® already installed throughput the house. And right now I'm looking into whether some kind of "Off My Lawn" smart home app is available.
I think there's a way to use a nest doorbell, a raspberry pi and a few relays to release a raining cloud of pepper spray on unwanted solicitors. All you need is a smartphone and $3k, and probably a lawyer.
Man I feel so dumb and out of touch after reading these posts. After about 5 years of reading "cut the cord" posts, I finally figured out how to cut the cord. Maybe by 2025 I'll understand how all this fancy smart home stuff works.
On another note, I still prefer the old school appliances that have a simple knob and never break.
Watch a few youtube videos and you'll be fine.
We have two Alexa and 3 plugs. I'm probably going to stop there. I don't like all the cloud stuff, and I keep Alexa's mic muted when I'm not using it. I've played around with a ton of stuff on her and honestly don't think she's worth the effort or the privacy issues. I hate arguing with a digital assistant.
That said, the plugs are useful as I can hit the button, tell Alexa to shut off the lights in my son's room, and hut the button again. It's like being in Star Trek TOS.
The coolest things I have are a wemo on my garage furnace (the only thing better than washing or working on a warm car in the winter is not having to get out of bed to turn the heat on), and a myQ on my garage door. I know whenever my wife leaves or gets home and it creeps her right the hell out.
We unplugged Alexa though. I don't trust that bitch.
Deadbolt
Turnstyle lock windows
Glock 17
Ruger LCP II
Pit bull
Whatever you do don't get a Nest, they suck.
I have a smartthings hub and run everything off that. My thermostat is the Ecobee3, one of my first additions to my smart home. I also have sensors on my front and back door to know when someone comes and goes. Our front door has a schlage connect lock on it. I also have a smart smoke detector just in case. I've added some lights recently...Sylvania and LIFX along with an echo dot. I plan on adding some more lights or switches.
I use Alexa as central point for home.
Lighting wise i have have a mix of Hue and Wemo switches. I prefer the switches since they are also “dumb” for in laws and guests, but the Hues work nicely on lights that are not tied to a switch.
Nest for thermostat.
For entertainment I use a Logitech Harmony Elite as well, which is nice for syncing with everything else.
I have a few TP-Link plugs I bought early since they were cheap I use for things like an extra fan and humidifier in the bedroom. They are bulky though and wouldn’t recommend because they block 2 plugs. The did finally get IFTTT integration though.
All are also also coordinated with IFTTT.
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