Author Topic: What if you use if you have home automation?  (Read 1234 times)

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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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What if you use if you have home automation?
« on: March 13, 2022, 07:34:08 AM »
I have a few wifi plugs now. Just wondering what other people use for home automation.

Anthony

Offline davidmc36

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2022, 07:42:21 AM »
Alexa. Has lots of integrations with devices.

Some DIY solutions may have specific abilities but I want my Automation to be "Automatic"

Offline Garth Bock

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2022, 07:54:17 AM »
I have a Lenovo 10 with Google, a Google Nest mini, and an Insignia speaker with Google in various rooms. I use Gosund wireless plugs to control lights. Due to my underperforming DSL (at times) from CenturyLink there can be a slight lag in performing commands. I have tried smart light bulbs and led strips but don't really use them much. I do like the linked speakers where I can ask for music to play in all rooms. The only real dislike I have is that with every device comes an app that has to have an account and then you have to link that account to Google.

Offline miraculon

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2022, 08:22:31 AM »
I use Hubitat with a variety of sensors and switches. I previously used a Smartthings hub, but when they dropped support, I went with Hubitat. I didn't like the "cloud dependency" of Smartthings.

I have Alexa integration with the Hubitat.

My mini-split HVAC units have Cielo interfaces for automation.

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Offline Jumpin Joe

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2022, 09:13:08 AM »
I use Hubitat with a variety of sensors and switches. I previously used a Smartthings hub, but when they dropped support, I went with Hubitat. I didn't like the "cloud dependency" of Smartthings.

I have Alexa integration with the Hubitat.

My mini-split HVAC units have Cielo interfaces for automation.

Greg H.

Hi Greg, I have a SmartThings hub…. Can I convert to Hubitat using my current devices, receptacles, bulbs without jumping through hoops?

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Offline Bashy

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2022, 09:23:20 AM »
I use Hive heating and sensors, Smartthings sensors, Yale Conexis lock, Ring DB Pro, Echo Show 10, Show 8, Echo plus, Echo, Echo dot 3rd gen and 2nd gen and the Fire cube for the TV, about 40-50 devices, apps in use Smartthings, Smart Life, Meross (good plugs etc works withs smartthings too), Ewelink, Ring, Hive. Alexa has a good few routines setup, all my lights are wifi, some switches, and a good few plugs, also the Logitech elite remote. Its all abit mis matched but it works, i cna control my heating or unlock my door from anywhere, actually i have tha auto unlock for 3 minutes when i get near home, saves getting the phone or fob out :)

My home built sheild is on a smart plug, it auto turns off sunset to sunrise, i can also manually tell lexy to do it, If i open the back door or the side gate, the lobby and lean to lights come on as do 4 LED floodlights.

I have a fair bit of smart home stuff that makes my life a bit easier due to my bad back, plus i can ask lexy what my stations conditions are etc, i did make a skill for my station but ive shut that down due to Amazon changing stuff that breaks it, i may visit it again sometime.


I also use actiontiles and FullyKiosk
I would like some new blinds for the front and have those automated but its the funding, even more so nowadays : (

EDIT: I forgot about the Echo Connect for my landline and Echo Auto for the car. I also use IFTTT too, I used to use stringyfy, that was great till Apple bought them out and closed it to the public...
« Last Edit: March 13, 2022, 09:48:28 AM by Bashy »
Kind regards
Bashy

Offline vreihen

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2022, 09:45:34 AM »
I started out with Wink back in the olden days, and bailed just before the company went broke.

Beat the Hubitat purchase rush when Wink folded, and moved everything over to Hubitat.  It has a functional third-party integration for WeeWX data, so I could use my PWS data for automations.

There were a few things that I wanted to do with Hubitat that were not available either natively or via third-party integrations, but *were* available in the open-source Home Assistant (HA) platform.  Out of curiosity, I did a full HA OS Supervised install during the holiday break back in December just to see how it worked.  Long story short, I started slowly moving my stuff over from Hubitat a week later, and just shut down the Hubitat last week after the final thing was migrated and functional.

Home Assistant is not for the faint of heart, and is presented from a programmer's perspective versus the switches and dimmers analogy used by other platforms.  It can do *everything* that you can imagine though, and includes built-in support for Apple HomeKit so you can access HA stuff natively from Apple phones and computers.

Some of the things that I'm doing:

Controlling every light and ceiling fan in the house, using Inovelli Z-Wave switches.

Controlling our professionally-monitored home alarm system, including automations to arm the alarm when the last person leaves the house and disarm it when the first person arrives home.

Automated lock/unlock of the front door, based on presence.

Monitoring the charge status of my BMW EV, pre-conditioning the cabin before leaving, etc.

Controlling our automatic wifi dog door, including an automation that turns the outside light on for five minutes whenever Blizzard our OCD psycho weather dog lets himself out after dark.

Monitoring the current draw on the basement sump pump via Z-Wave, with email and voice announcement alarms if it is running for more than three minutes straight as an alert to a possible inlet/outlet obstruction that will burn the pump out.  (Happed to us twice in the past.)  I will ultimately code an automation to cut the pump's power and send another email and voice announcement after five minutes of continuous running, but want to log run data to confirm that it doesn't normally run that long before I enable a function that could accidentally flood my basement to "save" a $150 pump.

We also have an Ecobee thermostat on the heat, and a Tado IR thermostat-type interface on the AC/heat pump.  Both are available in HA, but not used for automatons or anything except maybe remote access when we are out on a rare overnight road trip.

We have no Google or Alexa home eavesdropping devices, for obvious reasons.  My wife and I both have Apple Watches, and the few things that we do occasionally need to control by voice are accomplished by pressing the watch crown and telling Siri to control it via HomeKit.  There isn't enough battery capacity in the Apple Watch for them to eavesdrop continuously, so Siri only works on-demand and seems much more private.

I have an Amazon Fire 10 tablet hanging on the wall, running Fully Kiosk Browser and displaying the Belchertown WeeWX skin as a 24/7 weather console.  I upgraded the free Fully Kiosk Browser to the paid "pro" version, because it includes support for using it as a text-to-speech announcer.  Long story short, HA is using my weather display as its voice to announce alerts.....
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Offline Bashy

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2022, 09:59:49 AM »
I'm not so sure about issues with eaves dropping, granted there has been 1 or 2 issues, but it's not like any one person is sat there listening to you and the family talking about who's gonna win the superbowl, plus, it only listens after the wake word is used and I'm sure you're not going to say, Alexa, hey love here's bank details you wanted....... Great analogy but poorly presented, I'm sure ya know what I mean though. I know there is nothing I could say to change your mind as there is a portion that are paranoid about such things yet you walk around with the greatest listening devices I the world, the smartphone ;)

I am not worried in the slightest, if they want to listen to me farting and shouting at the dogs or the dogs Barking constantly whilst I'm out, have at it lol 😂

I use Google on my phone as she's good for general questions and as I've already mention, each room has an alexa device, the living room has 3, the fire cube for the TV, a dot for the home cinema and a dot next to me so I don't have to shout, they all have a purpose. I also lime bei g able to listen to music coming from all the devices at the same time and in sync, sounds great :)

I also have 5 tablets, 2 for weather 3 for fully kiosk pro and my reolink camera using overlay
Kind regards
Bashy

Offline chief-david

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2022, 10:49:39 AM »
All of my Christmas lights were linked with wifi plugs and an app. other than that, I am pretty plain.



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Offline alanb

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2022, 01:58:57 PM »
I use the Smart Life app with Alexa and Google Home. So far, the smart devices I have are my screened porch lights, garage door openers, and a couple of flood/water detectors in the basement. Also I have a Ring doorbell and Sony Android TV that are recognized as smart devices but I seldom use them that way. I am considering replacing more of my can light bulbs with smart lights because I like the ability to switch, dim and change the color individually or in groups instead of having to use the wall switch which controls the whole room. I will also probably add a smart thermostat and some smart plugs for certain appliances at some point.

I have not enabled IFTTT for my Ambient WS-2000, but I know if I did I could integrate it in the Smart Life automation and scenes (like turn on the lights when it is raining, or start the dehumidifier when the basement humidity is above 60%). So far I haven't seen a need for that.
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Offline miraculon

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Re: What if you use if you have home automation?
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2022, 02:35:16 PM »
I use Hubitat with a variety of sensors and switches. I previously used a Smartthings hub, but when they dropped support, I went with Hubitat. I didn't like the "cloud dependency" of Smartthings.

I have Alexa integration with the Hubitat.

My mini-split HVAC units have Cielo interfaces for automation.

Greg H.

Hi Greg, I have a SmartThings hub…. Can I convert to Hubitat using my current devices, receptacles, bulbs without jumping through hoops?

Joe

Yes, for the most part. There were some quirks and casualties, a couple of items wouldn't work. The best bet is to remove the devices from Smartthings, then add them back under Hubitat. It's been a while now, but if I remember correctly, I removed the devices one-by-one from ST then added them into HE.

If you look at https://community.hubitat.com and search around for something like 'migrating from smartthings to hubitat' there are a number of experiences and advice.

Here is one example.

Depends on how you define the "hoops", but you might find it to be some effort. Well worth it in the long run, I have been quite satisfied with Hubitat.

Greg H.


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