Please describe your home automation setup...wife needs to be convinced about the benefits!

[CaptainJack88]

I wasn't knocking it, far from it. I'm just trying to think of someting - anything - that would be of benefit to us, truly beneficial. I do like the pond pump example, however - that's clever, and as I run hydropnics in the greenhouse I am wondering how automation might help me there....

There are a number of solutions around for that. You can do things like test soil moisture content + temperature to decide when to water the plants etc

 

[Twenty Four]

I wasn't knocking it, far from it. I'm just trying to think of someting - anything - that would be of benefit to us, truly beneficial. I do like the pond pump example, however - that's clever, and as I run hydropnics in the greenhouse I am wondering how automation might help me there....

No, I understand you weren't knocking it, you are being indecisive which is good. Doing anything for no real purpose is pointless. It was that Bernard replied to you in a weird way that implied all automation is daft when he has some things automated.

I think we might need to refer to semi automation in some cases as it requires human input and automation to a set-up that changes various parameters automatically sensing occupation etc. That is true nerd automation.

 

[WabbitPoo]

I think ponds, though, are a level beyond what most people think of as home auto...that is, lights on and off, heating, curtains opening and closing....its those sort of things that I dont really get, if I'm honest

 

[bernardgreen]

Home Automation = the system decides what is best for the humans........or rather the systems designer ( and not the end user ) decides what is best for the end user.

The pond pump monitor is a warning system, not an automated system, an automated system would automatically switch over the to standby pump without human intervention

 

[Twenty Four]

I think ponds, though, are a level beyond what most people think of as home auto...that is, lights on and off, heating, curtains opening and closing....its those sort of things that I dont really get, if I'm honest

Yes, ponds, temperature sensing for rooms with electronic gear in, water sensing monitoring to prevent flood damage etc aren't the norm but can save a lot of hassle should the excrement hit the fan and are easily implemented if desired.

For me, living in utter darkness out in the sticks if I don't light the place up I'd struggle to find it so automating external and internal lights is great in the hours of darkness. External floodlights on the house can already be controlled by a central panel in the house, though PIRs trigger them on too, so I don't need to automate them for remote use. Other building's external lights I have automated because it was simple to do at the time and can light the place up to boost camera vision.

Remote internal lights are for security only and to peep on the dog via a camera in the room he sleeps. One light upstairs and one downstairs where the dog sleeps. Blackout Blinds were added to help with security and are used daily, the curtains are now redundant. Adding the siren to the automation was done, again easily, and so in the event of an alert informing me someone was in the grounds I could blast the siren before they had designs on the property, not after. The heating is the heating and a fabulous addition as I do like coming home to a warm place.

Some, or most might say my set-up is utter overkill and considering I've been here 24 years without any trouble at all it may well be if statistics are the only thing to go on, but I wouldn't do without it

 

[Twenty Four]

The pond pump monitor is a warning system, not an automated system, an automated system would automatically switch over the to standby pump without human intervention

I'm fully aware of what it is, Bernard, and was using it as an example of the possibilities of my set-up simply using alarm outputs and nothing more complicated.

 

[^woody^]

I'm a big fan of technology, but I struggle to see the value of most if not all of this home automation stuff.

Most of it is purely marketing guff of what "can be done", and has no relevance to actual life - particularly family life or where there is multi occupancy.

 

[Twenty Four]

I'm a big fan of technology, but I struggle to see the value of most if not all of this home automation stuff.

Most of it is purely marketing guff of what "can be done", and has no relevance to actual life - particularly family life or where there is multi occupancy.

Though the very deep automated "stuff" must interest you, Woody, if you're a big fan of technology. You just don't see a need for it with your lifestyle.

I think it is fair to say most proper automated set-ups that I've read about are about a passion in that field and are more of a hobby. There is no 'marketing guff' with that equipment as Joe Average wouldn't have a clue where to begin anyway.

The fashionable app based semi automated stuff is a different kettle of fish and is simply another possible revenue stream for manufacturers. Joe Average can now buy convenience for relatively little money and there are no bounds for the disability market that was previously specialised.

If you're going to fit anything now though, be it an outside light or electric garage door, the time is right to simply semi automate it, so why not.

For me the convenience is massive but a genuine fully automated set-up would be a ballache, however fascinating, unless I was capable of easily understanding it and maintaining it, which I'm not.

 

[Skyhigh]

Tado
We use Tado to manage the hot water and central heating - it's really simple (and easy to self fit).
We no longer have to faff about 'changing the thermostat'. It manages the temp and hot water in the house flawlessly. It saves us money by letting either/both cool the further we get from home, when we get closer it warms things back up - meaning no coming home to a cold house.
I've added the mother-in-law and a few regular visitors smartphones to our account so it can detect them too.
Tado was also really handy for keeping the house at a constant temp when we had our first child and managing the ambient temperature is important, especially through winter.

LightwaveRF
At the moment just a single dimmer switch. Quite simply, it was only £3 more to get a LightwaveRF dimmer than a standard one. We use it to control the GU10 LEDs in our room. Hue didn't appear as we didn't need individual light control or colours. Planning to add a slave switch on the wall next to our bed (wireless, stick-on switch) for that 'hotel room' effect and lazyness.
Major benefit? I can be certain the lights are always off, even after we've left the house. No more nagging about going back to check.


Although there are plenty of recipes for both on IFTTT, I've yet to find a 'solid use' for Tado and Lightwave as they work well as standalone products.

 

[WabbitPoo]

Well, despite what I said, I have now dipped a toe in...bought a ZWave stick, Indigo software on the Mac and a Zwave TRV as a test of the water, so to speak.

Already hitting issues of compatibilities, but I think its par for the course with HA

 

[DeadBeat]

I have some simple automation in my house and being an IT person most of it was just for the fun of it. however a few systems i do enjoy and may save me money. The one that surprised me the most is my hallway lights. I have a movement sensor facing into the hallway that covers the stairs and hall itself, I also have a Door sensor on the front door.

around an hour before sunset and an hour after sunrise the light automation starts. i need to get an ambient light sensor to control it really for those dark grey winter days when lights are an advantage, but thats a future project.

The front door opening turns on the light, this is a great little hack, especially in winter, you have your hands full of shopping / kids / dogs, you unlock the front door in the dark and the lights come on (ill be doing some coming home stuff for this at some point too) no walking through the house to find the switch or having to set anything down to turn anything on. just a nice little feature.

the lights come on when ever there is movement in the hallway of on the stairs, and then go off a few mins later, Its just accepted by us all now but its great, the lights are mostly off now (where as they used to be on all of the time until bed) but the second you step foot in the hall and they light up. I have this set up that after 1:00am the lights come on much more dimly just enough to see, for those middle of the night trips to the bathroom or drinks of water, where a bright light really hurts your eyes. Its 2 sensors and 1 light circuit but its a really handy integration and the one we use the most and i wouldnt like to live without now.

the plan for the future is to have lights in the driveway come on dimmly in the dark, then with either movement or tracking our phones, bring the lights up full when there is movement, then dimm them back down once we have got inside, then off at say 11pm to come on again if movement. I have some lights and lamps working I use fibaro in wall relays to use existing light swtiches to control the system no relearning for guests required, i can turn lights on and off at the switch on the wall or via an app and there are no issues. defo worth investing in and will work with any zwave system.

 

[mattylad]

My wife has her home automation sorted well.

She looks up from her knitting and says..

Matt can you close the door, matt can you turn the light off, matt can you let the dogs out to their water, matt can you fill up the dogs water bowl, matt can you change the channel I'm knitting.

None of this technical rubbish required.

 

[DeadBeat]

thats why you get the new google home and home automation, then, just tell her you changed your name to OK google

then you dont have to get up either

 

[bernardgreen]

She looks up from her knitting and says..

Matt can you close the door,

Simple. Change your name to Fred, don't be a door mat Matt

 

[WabbitPoo]

My plan is to add Zwave TRVS to all rads, but I am now unlcear as to how it will save me money on heating in the long run....I thiught that a combi boiler would stop heating the CH if it all rads were turned off (ie no demand) but ours just keeps running. I might as well have all the rads on full......what am I missing here?