Home automation

[nnnnnate]

I have an option to add a "security system" to the house and was kind of considering it but after realizing that there isn't too much crossover with something like Smart Things I'm not sure its worth the money to me. I'd probably prefer to spend that money on light switches and door and window sensors.

I did just find that for whole home audio the monoprice 6 zone controller will connect to and can be controlled by smartthings as well as home assistant. That seems pretty slick and I'm not sure how much fiddling it'll take to get working but it looks like the right direction to go for whole home audio.

 

[Caleb]

Having the security system added could be nice, but not for the sake of automation. I haven't looked at whole home audio systems. We've got Apple TVs in every room so we can use that to play music in any/all rooms. I have been considering going the Control 4 route if we decide to stay in this house. Good to know monoprice has an option.

 

[nnnnnate]

AVS Forum seems to be pretty hot on the mono amp. You can daisy chain 3 of them together to get up to 18 zones but it maxes at 6 inputs. It seems like a lot of them are putting in a couple chromecast audios and then some RCA jacks in different places around the house with adapters to plug into a phone. I think putting an input jack in the kitchen/dining room and another in the master bedroom or master bath would be pretty slick.

 

[nnnnnate]

While scouting out hardware online I found this thing that takes hardwired sensors and connects them to SmartThings. It started as a diy project with wifi chips and whatnot and turned into a business with printed boards. It intrigues me due to the low cost of the basic dumb sensors. The fact that I'll be able to pre-wire the house and add the wired sensors for less than $3 verses paying $30 is pretty big. Konnected.io is the site for the adapter.

The other thing that I had been searching for was info on low voltage under cabinet lighting. I know some of the guys here have done it but I found another thread on reddit (here) where the guy got the look I am hoping for. Again, I'd really like to set these up with a motion/proximity sensor so that between X and Y hours if motion is detected the lights will turn on then turn off Z minutes after no motion. I need to read up more about how well the konnected board integrates and if the motion sensors can be controlled like I'm hoping. The actual programming shouldn't be hard with IFTTT or likely even the lights routine in ST.

 

[Caleb]

My concern with that board is it started as a kickstarter project a LONG time ago and they've still never released it. It's been on the "any day now" timeline forever.

As for controlling your lights, I do the exact thing in my son's playroom. I do it 100% from within ST (in fact I don't use IFTTT at all for anything). I have it set so that if it's after sunset and before 9pm and his room's motion detects motion to turn on the light to 80%. Then if there's been no motion for 5 minutes, it turns it off. I got tired of him always leaving his light on. I also do similar with the fans in our bathrooms, but I don't use motion for them. I turn them off 20 mins after they've been turned on if they were left on.

 

[nnnnnate]

I'm pretty sure that Konnected has shipped the initial batch of boards and the pre-order is for a newer version. (Not 100% on that last part though.) Its open source so I could put it all together on my own and use his software but I think you're right to be skeptical about anything related to Kickstarter. GitHub with project info.

edit: got an email back from them about a few questions and he confirmed the pre-order is for version 2. Another thing he mentioned is that the boards are modular so you don't have to run all the cabling to the same central location. I could wire each floor individually and place the boards in a coat or linen closet that would be out of the way.

 

[pELYgroso]

I'm a total newb about home automation anything. What Caleb just said has me intrigued though. The lights in my house get left on ALL THE TIME and I would love to have them all set so that if there is no "motion" in a room for 5 minutes, they turn off automatically (or something like that) Is that possible? And would it be a huge cost to setup? I've been doing some research on cameras and I've almost pulled the trigger on the Ring stick-up cams and doorbell. I'd love to do a bunch of this stuff but I don't want a bajillion different apps on my phone to control different things. What would be a good way to get my feet wet with this stuff? Or should I just hire somebody to fix me up?

 

[Caleb]

IMO, I'd start be getting either a SmartThings controller, or a Vera controller. They both have a huge list of compatible devices (SmartThings having more). Then you can control all your devices from a single app. To do what I mentioned, it takes a motion sensor and either a smart bulb or a smart switch for each room you want it in. The motion sensors I've been using (the Fibaro motion sensors) cost around $60, the switches I use (I prefer the Leviton because the light almond matches my switch plates correctly) are around $45 a piece. So plan about $100 per room. If you have a three-way switch, you will also need add-on switches which are around $20 for the other switches. So, by no means is it cheap and I doubt it actually saves me money, but I feel better knowing the lights aren't left on . You can also do it much cheaper. You can get motions for probably $20, and if you're lucky find some smart bulbs that would work on-sale for $7-$10 a bulb. It would accomplish the same thing.

 

[nnnnnate]

Switches are seen as a better solution than bulbs if you will want lights and different things to turn on and off automatically (switch state) but you can read more about that on your own.

I have GE switches and outlets just from Lowes and my hub is Smart Things.

Understand that cameras and home automation aren't really something that meshes together very well. They are two separate systems with two separate goals so don't get too hung up on them being integrated into one package.

Like Caleb said I'd suggest picking up a hub and a couple light switches to start and fiddle with them. The thing I love most about my (small) setup is the deadbolt on my front door. I've got it set to auto lock after the door is opened and closed. I do this with a door sensor, a yale deadbolt with touchscreen, and a simple routine built into smartthings.

For sure ask questions and post up your crazy ideas for routines and controls. I love this stuff.

 

[Caleb]

I do the same thing with my front door. I think my two favorite things about my entire smart home setup is the good night routine (every night, it turns off lights, makes sure garages are closed, makes sure doors are locked, etc. No more accidentally leaving your garage open all night) and my auto-lock on the front door. Once it closes, it locks automatically. It's funny when people come to my house, close the door behind them and it locks...they look at me like I'm crazy

Agreed about with Nate on the camera systems. Some people try and integrate them and some do successfully, but I don't see a huge benefit. I see my cameras as more security related, and home automation as just that. I tried to make my home automation my security system too and (outside of maybe the super high end home automation systems) the home automation systems just aren't robust/reliable enough for home security. I had many false alarms or triggers not running reliably, etc. I tried to use phones as presence sensors and it worked fine 90% of the time, but when I was home alone and my phone happened to die, my alarm sirens start blazing. I'd disable but then my HA would detect no phones were there so it'd go off again. It's funny looking back on it now, but it was extremely frustrating at the time.

 

[pELYgroso]

Awesome, thanks for the info, guys! Is there a best place to get the smart things hub?

 

[nnnnnate]

Wherever its cheapest. I think I got mine off amazon. Like I said before I use GE switches and outlets, my door sensors are these from lowes. Samsung (smartthings is a samsung product) sells their own door sensors but the Iris ones work well and are cheaper. The thing to double check before you start buying components is that they have the right compatibility. It was the wild west initially when home automation started with a lot of different protocols, things have settled down but still you ought to double check compatibility. Z-wave is better than zigbee because its better with distance. The GE switches act as signal repeaters as well which does help in big houses to make sure the hub can connect to all the devices.

I'd try and find a good central location to place your hub and connect it to your internet router with an ethernet cable rather than over wifi. I've got mine hiding behind the piano on our main floor. Just get it central though and you should be good.

 

[Caleb]

Nate nailed it. I too got mine from Amazon. (I actually have SmartThings and Vera, but use SmartThings currently) . There's sales on it all the time so just keep an eye out. Personally, I'd skip the door and window sensors from Samsung. I have several of them and they're flaky and battery hogs. The iris are great lower cost options, monoprice usually has really good deals on sensors that work with SmartThings too. I've got a couple flush mount Aeon sensors on my front door and garage door (house to garage door, not the garage door garage door ) . Like i said before, there's lots of options for sensors. You'll just want to make sure they work with the controller you go with. I too prefer z-wave. I have several zigbee devices, but the z-wave are always way more reliable.

 

[TurboMinivan]

I've begun dabbling with (very basic) home automation, but I'm doing the exact opposite of everyone else in this thread: I set up everything for control via my Echo devices, and I only use hardware which requires no hub. My story so far:

Back in August, I received an Echo Dot as a gift. I set it up and began doing the usual things with it (especially music streaming), and quickly decided it was a neat little device. In October, I bought one as a gift for my sister back in Ohio. Together, we decided our parents and every sibling needed one in their homes; we planned to offer them as Christmas gifts. On top of that, I wanted a second Dot for myself. In December, Amazon had a deal: the Dot itself was only $29, or you could bundle one TP Link smart plug with it for only $5 more... so I bought three bundles, gifted two Dots as planned, and kept one Dot + all three plugs for myself. That gave me three of these:

Now I had my first smart devices, even if they were just simple plugs. They were easy to set up (no hub required) and they all work flawlessly. The only downside is their form factor: their housing is so large that it prevents you from being able to use the other plug on that wall outlet. But if you can live with that, they're great. I used one to control the Christmas tree lights, one for a standing lamp in the bedroom, and one for the radio in my kitchen.

A co-worker with an Echo Dot (and some home automation hardware) heard me complain about the form factor of these TP Link plugs. As a Christmas surprise, he and his wife gifted me one iHome smart plug:

This was also easy to set up, and it also required no hub for Echo integration. Best of all, its shape allows you to use the other plug in that outlet. Nice. I installed this smart plug in my garage, allowing it to control an overhead light while also leaving room to power the garage door opener via the same outlet. (In the past, I always had to drag a chair across the garage, then stand on it and physically plug in this light whenever I wanted it on. This newfound convenience was very welcome.)

I decided I could use another pair of plugs of this shape inside the house, so I went to Amazon and bought a 2-pack of Jinvoo plugs:

I had one minor hiccup getting them to configure (which I blamed on the Chinglish instructions), but eventually they both came online and have worked perfectly ever since. No hub was required for these, either. I swapped one to control that same standup lamp in my bedroom; the other was placed in the same outlet to control a light I just installed in the closet. (I've wanted a light in there forever.)

Just a couple weeks ago while browsing at an 'odd lots' type outlet store, I randomly found one iHome smart plug plus one Smart Life smart bulb, both for very cheap. I was already familiar with the plug, of course; recognizing its price as a great deal, I happily snapped it up. The bulb's box was nearly devoid of any technical information whatsoever, but it was so cheap ($6) I bought it on principle alone. It worked with my Echo without needing a hub, and I got it up and running quickly. I soon discovered it is dimmable, which I was kinda hoping for anyway. But what surprised me was when I gave it a command and it suddenly turned red. A rainbow bulb! For only six bucks! Now I was mad that they didn't have any more of them.

To test that theory, I returned to that store a week later. No luck, there were no more of the rainbow bulbs. However, I did find one TP Link smart bulb. I knew it was definitely not a rainbow bulb, but at $9 it was still a solid deal compared to the $22 cost at Amazon so I bought it. It has since been installed in my laundry alcove, where it can also double as a hallway/night light when I want to illuminate via voice control.


As you can see, everything I do is all about voice control. If I'm headed to bed for the night, I can turn on lights at that end of the house so I don't risk stubbing a toe on the way there. I can climb into bed, and then turn off the lights after I'm settled in. If I'm in bed and I suddenly realize I forgot to do something, I can just tell my Echo to remind me in the morning. As I listen to the radio in the morning while getting ready for work, I can turn on the kitchen radio as I head down the hall so I don't miss any part of the joke/news story/whatever. I can stream music at either end of the house, or both simultaneously if I think I may go back and forth.


Anyway, that's how far I've come to date. After reading this thread, you guys have me wondering if I can find some inexpensive motion sensors.

 

[nnnnnate]

Sounds like a great start and you seem to have managed a way to avoid the biggest issue I've had try to automate.....price per device. I think that its great you've been able to make each of these devices work for your routine. A lot of times people dump a lot of money into different components and then have no idea what to do with them other than just having them. You started small and bit by bit and have expanded as you've seen things work for you.

I said it a little bit ago but I'm really hoping to up my game with our new house and be able to have a lot more things automate based on presence and motion control. The trick is doing it so that it feels organic and not gimmicky.

So whats next for your setup? Whats you're dream routine that you'd like to be able to automate?

 

[TurboMinivan]

I'm really hoping to up my game with our new house and be able to have a lot more things automate based on presence and motion control. The trick is doing it so that it feels organic and not gimmicky.

That sounds really neat. I like the idea.

So whats next for your setup? Whats you're dream routine that you'd like to be able to automate?

Hmm, I hadn't thought about that. I've considered putting another smart plug in the garage for the automatic door opener, though that would be as an added layer of security rather than an automation routine. (Everything that can be controlled by an Echo can also be controlled by your phone. I could turn off power to the garage door all day long. At the moment I actually need to open/close it, I could turn on the power with my phone and then press the button on the remote opener in my vehicle.)

I already have a fancy programmable thermostat, and I have aggressively programmed it to match my schedule. I don't know how much I would benefit from a smart thermostat, if at all.

I do like having dimmable lights. Maybe a few more of those smart bulbs would be my next desire? I dunno.

 

[nnnnnate]

I think where a smart thermostat becomes beneficial is when you add additional layers to its function. I have an ecobee 3 which is fine but it does the same thing yours does. Where I'd get the additional benefit I think is if I had window sensors. When any of those sensors showed an open window that would trigger a host of things, including turning off the furnace/AC. I bought mine on black friday and it came with 3 additional sensors to place throughout the house but don't and aren't intended to work as motion sensors like we would want for light sensors or that kind of thing. They report temperature and humidity back to the ecobee and then the "house temp" is calculated based on that. You can configure which sensors you want to read for specific programming routines as well.

If you are really liking your setup I would consider watching out for hubs to go on sale. What that will get you is a bigger base of compatible devices and the ability to use more complex routines. I don't have the Echos but do have google homes. Using my hub (Smartthings) I can make a routine based on time or a trigger that does a whole host of things. It can still be triggered by a voice command, or a wall switch, or your phone but you can also set it to happen when the door opens, or at sunset, or whatever. I think that adding a hub will open up a whole host of devices and actions that could make it all more rewarding.