How smart is your home?

tres · 1 Jan 2017 at 23:38

With the popularity of Amazon Alexa, SmartThings etc - how smart is your home currently?

I've got a SmartThings hub connected to a few sockets which controls the lamps in the lounge & bedroom, and a few motion sensors (so the lamps go on if the cat decides to go for a wander at night). With Alexa, I am now planning main lighting (but rather unsure about how to do it - bulbs, or switches, and then paired to SmartThings or Alexa..). When we move next year, then I'll look at getting boiler control done as well

What setups have you got? Any recommendations or warnings? Future plans?

AHarvey · 2 Jan 2017 at 01:30

It's something I've looked at and if I was doing a new build it would be a definite investment, but retro fitting is either messy or expensive from what I've looked at so I doubt I'll be doing it in this property but would consider if we moved before decorating it all.

I'd probably look at some sort of central hub controlling everything, a Raspi type system and include security in to it as well. Something I could develop for myself so not to rely on 3rd party software too much

uchuff · 2 Jan 2017 at 10:09

We have a Raspberry Pi running Zway as a hub for Z-Wave devices including a bunch of Z-Wave dimmers, sockets, etc.

In addition to the smartphone control this setup also allowed me to do things like:

- Join the hall and lower landing lights to one switch, removing a separate pull cord and having both come on via a motion sensor in the hall

- Add worktop lighting in the kitchen, controlled via a second switch on the main kitchen light switch panel without any extra wiring

- Fix the odd issue where the two sets of lights in the lounge/diner were controlled by separate switches at either end (an oddity from the rooms being opened out previously), we can now dim either set from either end

- Next up is the little ones room, making it so we can control a plugged in nightlight from a second switch on the main light switch panel.

So for me this was also about avoiding lots of expensive and messy wiring changes while maintaining normal use via regular looking wall switches and regular bulbs.

Another reason I like Zwave is because it sets up a separate mesh network designed for home automation that lets the devices talk directly and route communication to each other. Wireless tech can be finicky but this has been rock solid so far.

I recently dabbled with a HomeKit bridge on the Pi to allow controlling devices from the iOS control panel, seems to work well. I also picked up a couple of Amazon Dash buttons to hack for use as cheap remote light switches.

We also have a Nest thermostat, Nest Protect smoke/CO detectors and some Blink cameras.

Not sure what next, probably the external Blink camera (or two) when that gets released, and maybe some sort of Alexa type device.

Not sure on warnings, I tried things like Harmony for controlling home cinema stuff but could never get on with it, I tend to just use the regular remotes or the smartphone Viera and FireTV apps.

Edit: Also got SONOS in most rooms, forgot that would probably count.

DXP55 · 2 Jan 2017 at 10:31

Ah shucks.

I came on thinking posh house pictures or total dump's .

I have a TV a radiogram and a computer.

Rizo-UK · 2 Jan 2017 at 10:40

My house is full of Lightwave RF.

Dimmers and LEDs in every room
Plug in dimmers and On/Offs on table lamps etc
Heating - Switch and Room Stat, TRVS on rads
Dusk Dawn Sensor for front outside light and 1 zone of the rear and side lighting.
Motion Sensor for Bathroom light at night time.
Energy Monitor

Controlled by my Echo, IOS App, Web App and also using events and schedules.

I have 6 zones of lighting in my garden controlled by 2 x 3 way LwRF relays.

3x CCTV IP POE Cameras connected to a Synology with remote access.

Rroff · 2 Jan 2017 at 10:45

Almost nothing - partly because I hate the ad-hoc and patchy nature of most systems at the moment.

NickK · 2 Jan 2017 at 11:29

Only thing smart in our house is the boiler.. if it gets down to <8degC it will circulate water and below 5degC it will fire up to prevent the pipes from freezing.

SKILL · 2 Jan 2017 at 13:13

I've just started some Z-Wave stuff, got a rpi as a controller running domoticz and currently just a couple of motion sensors and a socket, got a relay for the boiler and a dimmer for the living room (needs a deeper back box hence not done just yet) ready to fit.

Planning on more stuff like TRV's as well but I'll probably buy bit by bit over the next few months or so.

I'm personally avoiding any of the services/devices that 'require' internet access/'cloud' or anything as I view them as a potential security risk without enough benefits to outweigh that.

Mattitude · 2 Jan 2017 at 13:18

In my apartment: Using Tado v1 for thermostat control this is brilliant and been happy with it from day one, i would at some stage like to get v2 for homekit. Really nice to just get home to walk into a nice warm place and know when you leave you are not running up heating bills, plus the ease of adjusting through your smartphone. Would also invest in the radiator valves.

Hue for lighting, purchased small starter kit with bridge v2 for homekit and a few white bulbs for lamps. Again nice to get home after work and walk into a lit apartment.

These two things alone just make things in life a little better and comforting. I intend on using homekit to connect all devices together.

I do have a nest cam but its not going to be homekit enabled and i don't like the cloud pricing so will change that.

Sitting on the fence until more products come to market to invest more in smart home stuff, i would like to invest in sensors and start automating things but homekit is still in its early days.

dalepearson · 2 Jan 2017 at 13:23

Lots here, lights, thermostats, cameras, motion sensors, etc.
Fantastic when its working, but a pain when it decides to have a wobble

xb8browney · 2 Jan 2017 at 13:30

I've got 2 smart plugs and an amazon dot. I'd get a hue system but I recently replaced all our bulbs with none smart led ones.

TheVoice · 2 Jan 2017 at 13:47

I rent, so there's really no point spending any money on this sort of stuff. Hue bulbs would be cool but I'm not spending heaps on bayonets only to move into somewhere with ES fittings.

Russinating · 2 Jan 2017 at 14:37

Relatively.

Got a Nest Thermostat and Nest Cam. The Nest Cam isn't intelligent enough yet really (it's just always on) but the Thermostat is linked to several functions via Tasker/Trigger.

Got Hue in the kitchen, yet to be put across the rest of the house. Again several automations via Tasker etc.

On a lesser scale because most are nowadays but the TV is a Sony running Android so it's pretty smart in terms of usage via phone, voice and it acts as a media centre really seeing as it's got Chromecast built in and Spotify etc.

I'm waiting for the Google Home to be released in the UK early this year to link everything together otherwise I'd probably have got the Echo by now.

1pudding1 · 2 Jan 2017 at 19:18

Pretty smart here. LightwaveRF for all light switches and all sockets apart from bedrooms, controlled by Domoticz on a RPi. Also have HA-Bridge on there allowing control of Logitech Harmony remotes for the 2 rooms that use them, plus it can control the LWRF stuff. A couple of Echo dots have just been added which can control anything the HA-Bridge can, so i can tell Alexa to turn on/off various lights/sockets via LWRF, or tell her to turn on TV for Sky/BR etc.

Have Heatmiser Neo stats on each room for underfloor heating, although thats not yet integrated into Domoticz so not that smart yet but not really sure it's needs any more brains for intergration or automation as it kinda does all it needs to do already.

Steedie · 2 Jan 2017 at 19:39

Above average student I'd say

- 2 Echo's and 1 Dot
- All non spotlight bulbs are Hue Colour Ambience bulbs
- Nest Thermostat

Thinking of replacing our fire alarm system with Nest alarms

dbmzk1 · 2 Jan 2017 at 20:50

I've got all the living room, dining room and 1.5 bedrooms using Hue. The boiler is controlled by a Nest thermostat and I've 1 Echo Dot.

Next step will be more Hue, more Echo Dots and maybe a Nest Protect.

Other than that there's nothing else I want/need automating that I can think of. Maybe 1 or 2 plugs, but I'll just get adaptors for them, no need for RF etc.

james.miller · 2 Jan 2017 at 20:53

none although i am looking at nest in the near future.

tres said:
With the popularity of Amazon Alexa, SmartThings etc - how smart is your home currently?

I've got a SmartThings hub connected to a few sockets which controls the lamps in the lounge & bedroom, and a few motion sensors (so the lamps go on if the cat decides to go for a wander at night

Cats have fantastic night vision...why? lol

Meridian · 2 Jan 2017 at 21:31

Not at all, because all my limbs still work.

Stusteel · 2 Jan 2017 at 22:31

I have a few Hue bulbs and some Dot's. Rather enjoying the experience even though my limbs work.

Meridian said:
Not at all, because all my limbs still work.

And I would think that you use a remote control instead of walking to the TV to change the channel etc?

Steedie · 2 Jan 2017 at 23:57

Meridian said:
Not at all, because all my limbs still work.

Aren't you a hero. Do you grow your own crops as well?