Home automation

[Mainah]

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!

To my knowledge in standard 12-2 or 14-2 romex wiring the black wire is known the "hot" the white wire in known as the "neutral" and the bare copper wire is known as the "ground". Now with fan wiring you will likely be dealing with 14-3 which includes a red cased wire as a second hot. This allows the fan and light to be controlled separately by wall switches. In some cases you may only have the 14-2 particularly if the fans were added after the fact which would mean that there is no light with the fan, the light or fan only operate separately when the pull chain is used, or you have a remote mounted to the wall and a control box inside the fan.

You are a smart guy and I know you will figure it out.

 

[buckbuck]

Romex going to a switch is typically a hot and a switch leg back to the controlled device. The 2011 National Electric Code now requires (with exceptions) a neutral be pulled to the switch. I'm with @Mainah and believe in you.

 

[Peelz]

the other day, my wife was, well, lets just say grumpy... boys and me had the house kinda messy... we all have cabin fever... that natural 30 day cycle, you know the drill. she yells, and quite angrily, "alexa, turn on the damned lamp!!!"

the lamp turned on! It was marvelously therapeutic, She did not yell at me or the kids. LOL

I will be working on adding all my lamps to the echo dot system.

switches will come later.

 

[Julian]

To my knowledge in standard 12-2 or 14-2 romex wiring the black wire is known the "hot" the white wire in known as the "neutral" and the bare copper wire is known as the "ground". Now with fan wiring you will likely be dealing with 14-3 which includes a red cased wire as a second hot. This allows the fan and light to be controlled separately by wall switches. In some cases you may only have the 14-2 particularly if the fans were added after the fact which would mean that there is no light with the fan, the light or fan only operate separately when the pull chain is used, or you have a remote mounted to the wall and a control box inside the fan.

You are a smart guy and I know you will figure it out.

Romex going to a switch is typically a hot and a switch leg back to the controlled device. The 2011 National Electric Code now requires (with exceptions) a neutral be pulled to the switch. I'm with @Mainah and believe in you.

I only have 3 wires and need 4....I'm a clever guy...but pretty sure I'm one can short of a four pack here!

 

[adrianp89]

For fans, I plan to go with "Bond". There where no fans in my home, just lights, which were replaced for fans. I added a remote kit for each one. With the Bond device, you program each fan remote so it can control it through voice.

 

[Glen]

Very happy with our Ring Floodlight/camera

 

[cozilla]

Recent addition. Amazon Fire tablet running kiosk browser and ActionTiles. This is a web based application to display "things" from Samsung Smartthings hub. I have this mounted on my wall in the kitchen so it is acting as kind of a command center. Most of the switches that have to do with lights are virtual switches that control a group of lights. The two weather tiles are refreshed every 5 minutes and the radar is a gif.

 

[adrianp89]

So I've had Alexa and I am now dabbling into HomeKit for better automation. The Insignia outlets/switchs are great and cost effective. They were just on sale for $15. I have learned that HomeKit needs a live Apple device in the home, it was set up as apple TV, but I had it set to turn off my home theater so then it didn't turn back on. I have iPad mounted in the wall I will switch it over to.

 

[adrianp89]

Recent addition. Amazon Fire tablet running kiosk browser and ActionTiles. This is a web based application to display "things" from Samsung Smartthings hub. I have this mounted on my wall in the kitchen so it is acting as kind of a command center. Most of the switches that have to do with lights are virtual switches that control a group of lights. The two weather tiles are refreshed every 5 minutes and the radar is a gif.

More info on action tiles? I would love this for my iPad.

 

[cozilla]

More info on action tiles? I would love this for my iPad.

It used to be Smarttiles and has improved and morphed into ActionTiles. https://www.actiontiles.com/ There are some setup videos on youtube as well.

 

[Julian]

To my knowledge in standard 12-2 or 14-2 romex wiring the black wire is known the "hot" the white wire in known as the "neutral" and the bare copper wire is known as the "ground". Now with fan wiring you will likely be dealing with 14-3 which includes a red cased wire as a second hot. This allows the fan and light to be controlled separately by wall switches. In some cases you may only have the 14-2 particularly if the fans were added after the fact which would mean that there is no light with the fan, the light or fan only operate separately when the pull chain is used, or you have a remote mounted to the wall and a control box inside the fan.

You are a smart guy and I know you will figure it out.

When it comes to wiring like this...I know when I'm out of my depth and ask an expert....here is a photo of the install directions, and it seems pretty clear to me that I'm missing a neutral wire. I have the two wires connected to the old switch, that they call "load" and "hot", I have ground...but no neutral. What I've researched is I have two options.....pull a neutral wire to the switch and wire it to the magic neutral place, or buy a switch that doesn't need the neutral wire (they are on order).

So I still have these two switches for sale!

 

[newbote]

I have been slowly automating all the lights in my house via a Lutron hub and Alexa. I've been buying the Lutron Caseta wireless switches as I really don't see a useful need for multiple color lights (except at New Years), and the one switch will turn on multiple bulbs all at once. I have also connect my Harmony remote to Alexa (controls all the electronics on the main stereo/tv/DVR etc).

With zones set up and Alexa controls I can have the outside lights turn on at dusk (automatically changes the time each day) and turn off at midnight. I also have commands like - "Alexa turn off freaking everything" -that shuts all lights/TV off downstairs for bedtime.

So far I've done the main inside and outside lights on the ground floor. Next up is my daughters bedroom/bathroom as she always leaves her lights on!!!!

With the Lutron switches, you can also program physical remote controls and mount them like switches anywhere you want. So if, for example, you have upstairs hallway light switches, and there is one spot where you think there SHOULD be a switch, but there isn't one, you can just buy a remote (that looks like a light switch when mounted) and mount it in the spot where you'd like a switch. I also keep a couple of remotes upstairs that are programed to 1) turn on all the inside lights down stairs 2) turn on all the outside lights (my wife likes then when I am travelling).

Next up, suposedly this spring, Velux will be coming out with an Alexa update for their wireless sky lights....I'll get those right away, and be able to program the skylights to open and close at various indoor and outdoor temperature triggers, or just tell Alexa to open or close them.

I have a couple of fan control switches from Lutron to install too!

Considering getting the new video screen Alexa for us, and one for my Dad to make video calls SUPER easy, but also to display things in the kitchen like timers etc.

With the Alexa app can you see your video cameras, lock your doors, turn on lights etc? We are a Apple house so I was thinking about doing Homekit but most of the compatible homekit devices are the higher priced ones. However, I love the idea of controlling everything and especially watching the cameras when I am not at home on just one app. If an Alexa app could do the same I would go ahead and set-up on Alexa - I already have Sono's and was going to get one of the Sonos speakers with Alexa anyways. Can you control everything through the Alexa App or do you have to be home and just speak to Alexa?

 

[Julian]

With the Alexa app can you see your video cameras, lock your doors, turn on lights etc? We are a Apple house so I was thinking about doing Homekit but most of the compatible homekit devices are the higher priced ones. However, I love the idea of controlling everything and especially watching the cameras when I am not at home on just one app. If an Alexa app could do the same I would go ahead and set-up on Alexa - I already have Sono's and was going to get one of the Sonos speakers with Alexa anyways. Can you control everything through the Alexa App or do you have to be home and just speak to Alexa?

I dont think you'll accomplish this with Alexa. Alexa is currently focused on home automation - mostly for when you are home. That said, they are now moving into video, so it won't be long before they start moving into the "remote" user stories too. For now it is mainly voice control of devices and it can show you video (security cameras) on the Echo Show. I have to assume they'll move the app to phones in the future, but now their app is really only for configuring and setting up your stuff....not for controlling them.

 

[Mainah]

I dont think you'll accomplish this with Alexa. Alexa is currently focused on home automation - mostly for when you are home. That said, they are now moving into video, so it won't be long before they start moving into the "remote" user stories too. For now it is mainly voice control of devices and it can show you video (security cameras) on the Echo Show. I have to assume they'll move the app to phones in the future, but now their app is really only for configuring and setting up your stuff....not for controlling them.

I am a mostly fruit house for personal use devices. I am able to use the Alexa app on my iPhone to turn lights on and off but not to view my arlo cameras. The issue with home automation right now is standards. Everyone wants their standard to win out so devices that work with Alexa Skills may not work with Home Kit. Of course there is also Zigbee, Lutron, and others. There are hubs out there that attempt to connect everything but where does it end? In my opinion someone needs to emerge as a lion share leader in the field to unify/advance it and I think it is going to be Alexa. As a result my future smart home purchases will all need to be Alexa compatible without a hub and if they are also home kit compatible without a hub that is a bonus.

 

[Jgorm]

When it comes to wiring like this...I know when I'm out of my depth and ask an expert....here is a photo of the install directions, and it seems pretty clear to me that I'm missing a neutral wire. I have the two wires connected to the old switch, that they call "load" and "hot", I have ground...but no neutral. What I've researched is I have two options.....pull a neutral wire to the switch and wire it to the magic neutral place, or buy a switch that doesn't need the neutral wire (they are on order).

So I still have these two switches for sale!

View attachment 67714

The switch needs a common to power the circuit. It's not code, but if you use the ground it should work just fine. The ground wire attaches to the same bus bar as the common on your main panel, but is isolated if it's a sub panel (but it will always connect back at the main panel).

 

[Mainah]

When it comes to wiring like this...I know when I'm out of my depth and ask an expert....here is a photo of the install directions, and it seems pretty clear to me that I'm missing a neutral wire. I have the two wires connected to the old switch, that they call "load" and "hot", I have ground...but no neutral. What I've researched is I have two options.....pull a neutral wire to the switch and wire it to the magic neutral place, or buy a switch that doesn't need the neutral wire (they are on order).

So I still have these two switches for sale!

View attachment 67714

I have not seen your home wiring so it is hard to say for sure but I do believe that those switches will work with most homes. Keep in mind that everything I write here is an over the internet opinion and should be used at your own risk. If you have a least three wires for the "line" coming from the box and 3 wires for the "load" going to the fan/light then the switches you have should work. If you have only two wires inside a metal conduit sheath than it is that metal conduit that is the ground and should be inside a metal box in the wall which is where you connect the ground wire to in this case and you can still make those switches work. If you have really old 2 wire with no ground or knob and tube then be very careful and consider having the house rewired as the casing have likely become very brittle. The metal cased wire style is also prone to the wire casing becoming brittle and arcing to the metal casing causing fires. An easy "fix" for the metal conduit wire is to install GFCI or AFCI breakers in your panel for safety.

In the diagram you posted the neutral of the switch, line, and load are all wired together. The hot line coming from the box is connect to the black switch wire and the hot load wire going to the fan/light is connected to the red switch wire. Simple wall toggle switches complete the circuit across the hot wire from the line to the load with is exactly what this switch does across the black and red wires. The reason for the neutral in the smart switch is to supply power to the switch for its electronics embedded within. The ground is for safety.

Terms and layman meanings
Line = Supply power from the house panel
Load = Item to be powered (light, fan, etc)
Hot = First half of single phase of 120v AC power and usually a black cased wire (Alternating current literally alternates the 60 times per second (60 hz) between high and ground)
Neutral = Second half of single phase of 12ov AC power and usually a white cased wire (The black and white wires can be swapped but the load will be running 180 degrees out of phase and may cause electrical interference in your home).
Ground = Literally a direct path to ground.


Good Luck.

 

[Jgorm]

back and white wires can be swapped but the the load will be running out 180 degrees out of phase and may cause electrical interference in your home).

It's terrible practice to run switched loads off the common. It will leave the socket hot when it's turned off. It will work, just a very bad idea. The load won't be out of phase. Phase is controlled by the hot.

 

[adrianp89]

It used to be Smarttiles and has improved and morphed into ActionTiles. https://www.actiontiles.com/ There are some setup videos on youtube as well.

After some research, looks like you have to have a Smartthings hub for this. I am hubbed out lol. HomeKit does something similiar but not nearly as versatile, I am still figuring it out, and once Sonos supports AirPlay2 I should be happy.

 

[seanmclean]

The Smartthings hub is really quite nice. I've been super pleased with it (had Vera and Iris prior to).

 

[cozilla]

Yea Smartthings is awesome. If you haven't yet, check out their forums. Tons of stuff on there.