Home automation

[Gym]

Ok, tell me how you take several different hardwired switches, and link all of them to one device, enabling you to turn on or off, all outside lights? @Julian

@txav8r you simply replace the switch or switches you want to control with an Alexa compatable wifi switch, such as Wemo. Then link to Alexa. Alexa takes your voice commands and converts it into the appropriate 0s and 1s to get the job done. I am in the process of doing that now. You can get the Wemo switches at Home Depot or online.

 

[Peelz]

@txav8r you simply replace the switch or switches you want to control with an Alexa compatable wifi switch, such as Wemo. Then link to Alexa. Alexa takes your voice commands and converts it into the appropriate 0s and 1s to get the job done. I am in the process of doing that now. You can get the Wemo switches at Home Depot or online.

yep same as wiring a regular light switch, then connect via bluetooth....

just think of it as a relay.

or theres the really easy kind you stick in a plug...to turn on lamps, tv's etc. i had one for my Xmas lights and broke it during install. been plugging them in by hand the last few days. its terrible! (humor)

then a friend told me a bout these "switchmates" havent really looked into them...no wiring. they just fit over your light switch and flip them for you lol. seems cool for those wanting to just control one light....try it out. bluetooth only though....so no remote access.

 

[Julian]

What I did to start with is buy this. It has two wall switches, 2 remotes and the hub.

1. You install the wall switches
2. You program the remotes to operate the switches and put them wherever you want (install as if they were a wall switch, or put them next to your bed etc).
3. You install the Lutron app on your phone and program it if you like
4. You buy an Alexa or Google home device.
5. You launch the Alexa app on your phone and have it seek for home automation devices - it finds the switches
6. You can group the switches and name them what you want, as many ways as you like, with as many combinations as you like. For example, I named one group "Freaking Everything" and then put all my lights and TV/stereo in that group. Then I say "Alexa, turn off 'Freaking Everything'". You can create as many or as few of these groupings as you like.

You can also say things like "Alexa, set 'the kitchen lights' to 50%" (you name a group "Kitchen Lights" and associate in the app, all the switches for the kitchen lights to that name)

 

[swatski]

Right!

And then one day Alexa pickups up your neighbor's BT signal.
She tells you to go stuff it and turn freaking everything yourself!

LOL.

--

 

[Peelz]

Right!

And then one day Alexa pickups up your neighbor's BT signal.
She tells you to go stuff it and turn freaking everything yourself!

LOL.

--

reminds of the old days, when you only had one choice for cable tv.. and everyones cable converter was the same....kids would go out "channel changin" hahaha classic.

 

[txav8r]

Hijack...I remember the day that cable tv was the exact same local channels everyone got over the air, it just came on a cable because you lived too far away to get them over the air. It did have several channels additional, a weather page and showed the temp/humidity/dewpoint, in some cases it was a camera feed that was just looking at a temperature setup! And they had a local advertisers page. We never had this cable, but we had relatives that lived in the remote Texas panhandle that did have it...end hijack. I guess it is still somewhat related to the way we got to home automation. Ah, the good old days...when you had to get up and change the channel yourself!

 

[djetok]

I run mix of products with a mix of ways to control them all.

First, HUE color LED lights in several of the lamps around the family room. When we watch movies, I use Siri to set the movie scene which drops all brights lights in the main room and the adjacent kitchen to off and sets the HUE lights in that room to red color and 5% dimming. Black Friday bought me HUE stirip lights I will use to light interior cabinet spaces in the family room.

I use a HUE white only LED lamp in my son's room that I call out to Alexa to turn on and off and dim from his bed. Alexa also plays music of soothing sounds from the Tap device in that room.

I use Lutron RadioRA2 to control all overhead can lights and pendant fixtures in the house and landscape lights on the outside and for any table lamps I want manual local control over without having to grab a phone, like for reading at the couch. Lutron also controls ceiling fans outside and in the master bedroom. I use physical local wireless controls to manually turn of lights at night. The rest of outdoor lights and landscape lights are controlled by Lutron system time clock and come on at dusk and off by timer or by dawn.

Lutron also can and does control my Sonos systems in multiple rooms. Pushing a single button in the bathroom in the morning turns on the lights, sets the vent fan and turns on the local news radio steam on Sonos. I use a PICO control in the kitchen to give me a PHYSICAL button turn turn Sonos on and off, control volume and switch preset stations. This is something I always wished Sonos had out of the box. Now I don't need my phone to simply start the music.

Ecobee thermostats control all three zones of AC and heat. Also gives me notifications (on my iPhone) of movement in the house by room (useful when on vacation to know when the pet sitter has arrived).

Ring Pro mans the door bell and front door, but I don't have it integrated with anything yet. Just notifications on the phone. I can easily set this up to flash my HUE lights when the doorbell rings.

All are controllable from both Siri/Homekit and Alexa, but each interacts just a little differently with each system.

I used to have some hardwired Power-Over-Ethernet cameras for driveways at the last house but still haven't hooked them up since I moved. I was controlling them using SightHound video server on my computer.

I also have a WeMO plug but have only used it for holiday lights and a project or two.


HUE - Siri HomeKit/Alexa/IFTTT
ecobee - Siri HomeKit/Alexa/IFTTT
Lutron RadioRA2 - Siri HomeKit/Alexa/IFTTT
Ring Pro - Alexa/IFTTT
Camera's - ACTi POE/Sighthound Video
Wemo - Still playing with it.


Next projects are to tie in sprinklers, close/check garage door status, tie in pool controller to automate spa and lights and maybe even tie in the alarm system. I don't want to tie in automatic door locks just yet. I'm just not that trusting.

Wow you guys are way ahead of me. I have ecobee too and didnt know about the motion thing. We have the sensors up and all. Now I am feeling dumb. We are just happy we can use the app to change temps everywhere.

 

[txav8r]

Ok, I ordered this...

It has the switch and the remote. Works with the voice systems wth an added accessory, but I don't need that at this time. This will allow me to hook up the cabinet lights easily but the switch will be behind the cabinets. The remote will give me full control.

 

[Bluewater272]

Ok, tell me how you take several different hardwired switches, and link all of them to one device, enabling you to turn on or off, all outside lights? @Julian

That's my favorite part about my automation setup too. My exterior floods are on three different switches, in three different parts of the house. Each switch was changed to a Z-Wave switch and then associated with a 'rule' in the Hub. If an exterior door is opened at night (determined automatically based on dynamic sunrise/sunset time), then the exterior floods all turn on for fifteen minutes. You can create the same type of rule for a voice command via Alexa though.

 

[biglar155]

...Xmas lights and broke it during install. been plugging them in by hand the last few days. its terrible!...

O.K. now that's just barbaric.

You might as well be using real candles on your tree.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Ok, I ordered this...
View attachment 66434
It has the switch and the remote. Works with the voice systems wth an added accessory, but I don't need that at this time. This will allow me to hook up the cabinet lights easily but the switch will be behind the cabinets. The remote will give me full control.

I cringe when I see the full price of this stuff. You guys should a get seasonal job at a large electronic retailer (no names mentioned) and get this stuff for 50-75% off.

 

[veedubtek]

Just finished installing 14 or so Hue bulbs/hub and setting it all up. Very cool. The color changing ones are all kinds of cool. Got em out on the back deck overlooking the lake now. Gotta break out the ladder to put some in the living room tomorrow. Not regretting it yet!

 

[Julian]

I cringe when I see the full price of this stuff. You guys should a get seasonal job at a large electronic retailer (no names mentioned) and get this stuff for 50-75% off.

If I knew someone who worked at a store that carried the Lutron switches and offered them anything like a 50% discount I'd be trading boat rides for discounts....but, for example, HomeDepot employees dont get a discount (or didn't).....

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Try picking up a address change kit at the post office. They used to have 10% off coupons to Lowe’s or Home Depot. Not sure if electronics are excluded.

 

[Julian]

I routinely use any coupons I can at whatever store I'm at...Ace at Homedepot, etc....they all seem to honor each other's coupons now. But 10% off is WAY different than a 50% offer....

 

[Peelz]

received an echo dot and a bluetooth plug as an xmas present. didnt really want either.


after a week or so now, I just yell at Alexa to "hit the lights"(yes, after the Metallica song) and i'm drunk with power. LOL!!!!!

don't think ill go too far, but Nest thermometer is next

THEN maybe some switches...for outdoor lights first.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

If anyone is looking to start up - I highly reccomend the Sonos One. I switched my hubs to Sonos. They support Alexa currently but will expanding to HomeKit (Siri) and Google Assistant... plus its Sonos lol.

 

[veedubtek]

Mine's coming along, weather been slowing me down. Easy christmas lights though! Working on my camera setup now. 2 down, 6 to go....

 

[Bluewater272]

Setup some alerts on Slickdeals. I recently got a couple of z-wave lightswitches for $15, usually about 35-40 a pop.

 

[Julian]

Anyone with a newer house with Neutral wires? I bought two lutron caseta wireless fan switches and didn't read the fine print closely and discovered that they require neutral wires (that my house doesn't have...and I have no clue WTF they are! LOL). They make a version that doesn't require them...and those are on the way.

I ordered these over 90 days ago on Amazon...and I took too long to install them....so I'm stuck with them....will go on EBAY soon!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017LRCG38/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Paid $55....make me an offer to save me EBAYing them!