[M_Six]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

If you're bored, set up all of those outdoor bulbs to flash in police/fire colors as an emergency setting, so that first responders can find your house at night after a 911 call.....

I had planned on holiday themed lighting, but alas, I just learned I can't use them outside. Rats. So I'll use them inside, which was my original intent before I came up with the bright idea to use them as my outside lights. I would say this a example, except their manual doesn't state that they can't be used outside. I learned that from an FAQ on their website.

[paquet]

I wasn't aware of that lock bypass in Apple's HomeKit implementation (I don't use HomeKit...)

[omasou]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I had planned on holiday themed lighting, but alas, I just learned I can't use them outside. Rats. So I'll use them inside, which was my original intent before I came up with the bright idea to use them as my outside lights. I would say this a example, except their manual doesn't state that they can't be used outside. I learned that from an FAQ on their website.

For outdoor lights, some options include replacing the switch controling the socket w/a Leviton Caseta or using something like this, https://www.ihomeaudio.com/iSP100BC/

[omasou]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I'm about ready to throw this HomePod Mini out into the cold woods behind our house. Aside from the annoying need to play music, it's been working as expected. But tonight it suddenly became unresponsive in the Home app. I checked it and sure enough, no lights or anything except for a quick one second flash if I tap the top. I can't reset it in the app because it won't connect, so I unplugged it, let it sit for few minutes, and then plugged it back in. After 20 minutes it's still just giving me a one second flash if I tap the top. Nothing else. My new Apple TV 4k dutifully took over as the main router, but now it also wants to play tunes. WTF, Apple???

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208244, option 3, Press the top of HomePod to reset it

[omasou]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Geofencing was underwhelming, but I guess I understand why Apple set it up that way. If I have to tap my AW twice to approve the automation, it's easier to just tap the side button to bring up favorites and then tap Home where the only favorite is my garage door opener. Tap, tap, tap and it's opening. Plus I couldn't get the automation to even start running until I was in the driveway in front of the garage. With the other tap method on my watch, I can open it from a bit down the street.

I use the Liftmater 889LM to interface w/the garage opener, newer operators support WiFi and a LiftMaster Bridge.

I press and hold the steering wheel button and tell Siri to open the "garage door"

[Sonoran_X]

Have a Control 4 system with wall switches for lighting/scene automation, multi-room audio/video and security cameras which record to a DVR. Additionally have some Wemo smart plugs for lamps in each room that are running on Homekit so I can turn on/off from my watch. Wifi hub for the garage doors, mainly for alerts when they've been left open longer than 15 minutes or so.

Handful of Arlo cameras also, primarily for motion alerts. The DVR cameras handle longer recordings of anyone on the property.

Don't use voice assistants/speakers outside of Siri which is baked in to phone/watch/laptop. Played with geofencing, but buggy-ness wasn't worth the hassle.

Main use of automation is to do preset scenes for lighting or automating exterior lighting to come on at set levels at dusk and turn off at dawn.

[Sonoran_X]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I'm about ready to throw this HomePod Mini out into the cold woods behind our house. Aside from the annoying need to play music, it's been working as expected. But tonight it suddenly became unresponsive in the Home app. I checked it and sure enough, no lights or anything except for a quick one second flash if I tap the top. I can't reset it in the app because it won't connect, so I unplugged it, let it sit for few minutes, and then plugged it back in. After 20 minutes it's still just giving me a one second flash if I tap the top. Nothing else. My new Apple TV 4k dutifully took over as the main router, but now it also wants to play tunes. WTF, Apple???

One thing with HomeKit is it chokes when your device is low on memory. I lose response on the Wemo plugs all the time when I have too many apps open on the phone. Close the apps and restart Home app and they usually are fine. Something to try if it keeps happening.

[M_Six]

I'm leaning towards using Wemo switches because you can replace just one switch in a 3-way setup and still have it work remotely. The one minor issue I have is that all our switches are bone colored and the Wemo switches only come in pure white. I really don't want to replace all the switches or have two colors throughout the house.

[Bongoxxx]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Thanks! Certainly the security functionality makes sense. And I get the walking/running etc for unlocking door, turning on lights etc. My question was specific to pulling up in a car and opening the garage door. It's just the steps of tapping a watch multiple times versus one press of a button. I even get the motorcycle scenario as you won't have a homelink button like our cars and likely won't carry a garage door remote. As you can see, I have a long way to go on this journey!

For me it’s a security thing…for the most part I use the home link button in the 340, but in my wife and daughter’s cars they don’t have home link. So they can use their phone or watch to open the garage door and I don’t have to worry about one of their vehicles being broken into with a garage door opener sitting in the car.

Also don’t have to ‘tap” on the phone or watch at all - can just say “Hey Siri ask MyQ to open/close the garage” and voilà

[Bongoxxx]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I'm leaning towards using Wemo switches because you can replace just one switch in a 3-way setup and still have it work remotely. The one minor issue I have is that all our switches are bone colored and the Wemo switches only come in pure white. I really don't want to replace all the switches or have two colors throughout the house.

That’s one of the reasons I went with Wemo, replacing less switches.
I’m just waiting for them to come out with a 3-way dimmer for a couple switches.

[ryan stewart]

Sheet, if I could find them I could mail you a bunch of wemo ones. I slowly purged my house of them because they didn't properly support 3-4 way switches, wifi wasnt the best, when something went wrong the setup process was unreliable in that stupid app, etc.

Im much, much, much happier with my GE/Jasco dimmers. I went dimmers on everything mainly because I like how it ramps up/down compared to the regular switch and you cant hear the relay (yes, Im that OCD). Also the switches felt much higher quality.

[M_Six]

Yo, Phllips Hue users. Can I plug a Phillips Smart Hub into an Apple Airport Extreme instead of into my main router and have it work as well?

[Chick Webb]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Yo, Phllips Hue users. Can I plug a Phillips Smart Hub into an Apple Airport Extreme instead of into my main router and have it work as well?

It's just a repeater, so I don't see why not. It might introduce a noticeable delay, though.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Chick Webb

It's just a repeater, so I don't see why not. It might introduce a noticeable delay, though.

It'll be here tomorrow, so I guess it'll be trial-and-error time.

[vreihen16]

My sump pump outlet power monitor and HA alert system got a workout today. The in-laws stopped by for a visit, and helped my DW to re-route the temporary sump pump outlet line that she ran when the former outlet pipe became plugged. They tested it by flushing the water heater tank into the sump pit, and I collected enough live wattage data to set non-falsing thresholds for the alert triggering automations.

In case anyone is curious, the pump was using 570 watts on start-up, and used at least 411 watts the whole time that it was running. I set the alert threshold to 150 watts, which should hopefully eliminate the occasional false alerts that I was having with the threshold set to 0.1.....

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

My sump pump outlet power monitor and HA alert system got a workout today. The in-laws stopped by for a visit, and helped my DW to re-route the temporary sump pump outlet line that she ran when the former outlet pipe became plugged. They tested it by flushing the water heater tank into the sump pit, and I collected enough live wattage data to set non-falsing thresholds for the alert triggering automations.

In case anyone is curious, the pump was using 570 watts on start-up, and used at least 411 watts the whole time that it was running. I set the alert threshold to 150 watts, which should hopefully eliminate the occasional false alerts that I was having with the threshold set to 0.1.....

Back in my geoscience days, I used a similar system to control a sparge and vent groundwater treatment system. If the compressor pumping air into the ground or the pump sucking air out of the ground were working too hard, there was a cutoff switch that would trip. Used the same wattage threshold system.

When I think of the "home" automation systems we could have set up in those trailers if we'd had today's technology back then. Would have saved us a lot of traveling to check the systems.

[M_Six]

Some of this automation stuff is simple, but useful. I have a door sensor on the back door and a smart switch for the outside light, so I set an automation to turn on the outside light when the door is open after sunset. Light stays on for 15 minutes and then shuts off. Dirt simple, but cool nonetheless. I was telling a friend the other day that even though the home automation thing isn't a "must have," it's fun to do, at least for me. The thing that has always drawn me to IT stuff is building out systems, networks, and websites. Once the system or whatever is built, I can easily lose interest. It's the building something from nothing part that hooks me.

[Onizukachan]

Interesting, I have a hue outlet plug on my patio’s string lights, and they turn on at dusk and off at 10… but I have a hue sensor so they will turn on for 5 minutes if there is motion in the patio/ backyard front 10 to dawn as well.

Similar for my front alcove and front outdoor lights, they are hue as well except the sensor is in the alcove facing the front door for no false positives, and they run dimmed off white sunset to sunrise so they fit in with neighbors standard lights, then turn bright white when someone comes to my front door.

My wife wanted a skylight in the hallway, which is impossible so I did the hue white lights which fade on a little before she goes to work at 6am to bright white and then fade out around 9pm when I get off work.


I have the myQ adapter for the garage door, so my wife can open or close the garage door from CarPlay on her Atlas.

Other than that I have a smart wall switch/dimmer for the bedroom and a couple outlet switches for nightstand lamps as it is nice to get cozy and then ask Siri to turn off lights.

I switched to ecobee from nest and like it much better with the extra sensors in the bedrooms, and it works with HomeKit, plus I have the HomeKit doorbell cam so on the appletv It shows you who is at the door in a pop up window when someone rings it.


That’s about it. Don’t really need anything automated since we WFH now permanently

[M_Six]

I have a weird wiring setup where the light way out on the garage side door and the floodlights in the backyard are both on the same switch. I wanted to be able to turn on the side door light without lighting up the backyard, but I still wanted the backyard lights to work when I need them. So I got a Philips Hub and couple of Philips floods for the backyard. Now I can turn that side door switch on and still not have the floods come on. Plus I can add the floods to the other automation I mentioned above so they come on with the back door light. All cool beans.

[jsf721]

Listening to you guys I feel old and dumb.

I installed my ring alarm, the 4 camera and smart lighting. Also installed hue lights outside set dust to dawn before ring had those. My thermostats are Wi-Fi and my garage door openers are Wi-Fi , sprinkler clock is Wi-Fi but I struggle tying it all together. Too many separate apps. I did not think common language before I started .

What left on my list ?
Locks
Main water shut off

[ryan stewart]

That is why, early on, I moved from Wifi to z-wave stuff whenever possible. Cameras are nest but everything else automation is z wave and, usually, in-wall. That way instead of being stuck using ONLY the app for things like Hue I can use the wall switch AND/OR automation.

[vreihen16]

I finally got around to enabling the wifi features on our year-old smart washer and dryer, as well as installing the integration for both into Home Assistant. Pretty much useless from a HA perspective, though. It only reports various status readings like door open and remaining cycle time, which is why I waited for a year before even setting them up on our wifi.....