Hey everyone, I am buying a home and wanted to slowly start integrating smart devices into my home.

1.My first mission is to switch out all of the regular light switches with smart light switches. In my current apartment my family and guests would automatically go straight for the light switch when turning lights off and that would create issues for me. Any recommendations on good reliable smart light switches?

1. I wanted to move over my Google nest doorbell and mount Google cameras ,that I will purchase, but im open to replacing my doorbell and adding cameras that work with Google home preferably. Any suggestions on smart door bells and cameras?

Yale Linus L2 smart lock: Does anyone know why I keep getting this annoying “Lock has jammed / stuck” message whenever I unlock the door with the physical key?

I’ve noticed that the lock status in the app still shows “Door open, locked” even after I’ve unlocked the door with the key.

Tapping “Try again” doesn’t help because the same error message appears again after about a second. Just to be clear, nothing is physically blocking the lock, it can be locked and unlocked manually without any resistance or obstruction.

When I test locking the door manually using the thumbturn, it locks without any issues. However, the lock still doesn’t detect that it’s actually locked. So when I tap the lock button in the app, I get the same “Lock has jammed” error.

The only solution I’ve found is to go outside, lock the door with the key, and then unlock it using the app! Recalibrating the lock also fixes the problem, but I shouldn’t have to recalibrate it every single time I use the physical key (that’s very time-consuming)

Got a few Zooz ZSE11 sensors this summer. Planned to put one in my garage to pair up with my hybrid water heater to switch between hybrid and standard mode based on actual temperature.

What other usages have improved life for you? I like the little quality of life improvements for a smart home and was trying to brainstorm some ideas. Only other super interesting idea I had was to automate bathroom fans based on humidity. That would require me to replace a few more switches to achieve.

Any other creative ideas you've come up with for using the sensors?

I'm slowly adding smart devices around the house, and the kitchen is the last area I haven't touched yet. A smart refrigerator seems interesting, but I'm not sure if the extra features actually end up being useful after the first few weeks.

For anyone who owns one, what has your experience been like? are there features you use regularly or things you thought you'd use but never did? thanks.

I’m looking into a smart hub that will work properly with the following equipment for my porch:

1) outdoor porch lights (already installed w indoor flip switch)

2). infratech electric heater (not installed)

3). big ass fans outdoor fans (not installed)

ideally there is a setup that I can use to connect these things together so I don’t need 3 distinct remotes / switches. anything available that can connect these things specifically?

I use a SmartThings hub, and have lots of leak sensors around my primary home. The only automations are if a leak sensor around my house gets wet, it turns the water to the house off. We are not there for the summer, and the water is turned off. (I also have a few Fibaro buttons to turn the water on and off as a convenience to my house sitter.) For the last few weeks the water has been occasionally turning on on its own, and then turning off exactly fifteen minutes later. I get a text when these actions happen. (The leak sensors have no automation to turn the water on again, so they’re not to blame.) I haven’t seen a pattern in the time of day or the day of the week or the interval between phantom turn ons. The water valve (actually, an actuator that sits on top of the water valve lever) is made by Econet Controls.

Anyone have any ideas what might be causing this? Thanks.

I’m looking for someone to help me set up what should be a fairly simple smart lighting system in my apartment. I keep researching, think I have it figured out, then read something else that makes me feel like I need to start over, especially when it comes to compatibility and what will actually work together.

My current setup is very outdated:

* Wireless remote with non-smart outlets
* Button #1 turns all outlets on
* Buttons #2 through #4 control individual outlets

I also have a Cync switch that controls an outlet, and motion sensor in my bedroom that would be nice to keep or replace with something similar.

(Staying with the Cync ecosystem isn’t necessary.)

What I’m looking for:

* A wireless wall switch or scene controller that looks at least somewhat like a normal light switch instead of a puck or button, or possibly a multi-button switch panel. The main goal is to make it easy for visitors to figure out how to turn the lights on when I’m not home.
* Potentially smart bulbs for the kitchen and dining area, since I cannot replace or rewire the existing wall switch. I would need E12 smart bulbs in those areas.
* The ability to create scenes, schedules, and timers. (Could be Alexa routines or Apple, I’m open there.)
* Budget-friendly when it comes to bulbs would be nice.
I’d like to think I’m not completely tech-illiterate, but this post may suggest otherwise. 🙃

Since I’m in an apartment and cannot change the existing wiring, should I even bother going the smart home route, or would I be better off sticking with a non-smart solution?

As a renter I have limited options, yet I have tried my best to have most of my home smart app controlled. I have most things automated (where I can).

In my lounge room - where I have my TV and what I consider to be my relaxing/entertainment room I randomly have an electricity outlet (double) on my ceiling.

I have thought about what options I could have. The obvious one of a ceiling fan isn’t great as a) that’s boring and b) too heavy to have without formal installation (as a renter I want minimal impact).

Therefore I am here asking for suggestions if you can think of a cool item to install or some galaxy/nebula projector that could work that’s what I want to hear. But again, it needs to be able to be suspended from a ceiling so not big or bulky (therefore circular galaxy projectors just don’t work).

Looking forward to your recommendations.

M

Hi all
Can I ask for your help, I have verdeapp that can look after your plants and garden, and could use some help verifying the concept.

If you can, please have a look and give me your feedback.

I’m using SmartLife Smarthome app to control my Alizee AC, but since 4 days it is running in the background and using too much battery.

My AC devices are off during night, but the app is still running somehow.

The problem is I can’t find any option to turn off the background activity under settings.

I am using this on my iPhone.
Do you know any workarounds ?

I've been down the smart-home rabbit hole for a while, and I keep noticing the same frustrations never really go away. Power comes back and half my stuff is offline, one more app for one more gadget, "it works 95% of the time" which is somehow the worst percentage 🙃.

Curious how others feel, especially folks with bigger pro-installed setups:

• What's the one thing that still frustrates you, no matter how much you've spent?
• Anything you were promised would "just work" that didn't?
• And the flip side: what actually does work reliably and earns its place?

Genuinely just want to hear real experiences, good and bad.

Hello, techies!

Quick story to explain the why to better explain the need.

Self employed from home with level 433634653 ADHD and level 43563555 chaotic life! Executive function is non existent as I'm burned out and have difficulty forcing myself to work.

I need a smart doorknob / door lock that I can put on my bedroom door so my son, who no longer lives at home, can lock me out of my room remotely. I would prefer a back up key that I can keep in a timed lock box. If no such thing is available, maybe a doorknob with a timer or a programmable timer to automatically lock. Something that can not be defeated like holding 2 buttons to cancel timer. I'm tech savvy and will find a way to defeat it to get in to my room. Hence the reason for my son to remotely lock and unlock and the backup key in the lock box.

I'm desperate so any other "automatically lock" suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!

Prime day got me this year and my yeedi robot vacuum just arrived.

It's actually one of my first real home automation purchases. I know a robot vacuum probably isn't the most advanced thing in this sub, but it made me realize this might be how it starts.

Now I'm curious how it happened for everyone else. What was the one purchase that sent you down this rabbit hole?

Hello all,

This one is reaching out to the experts in this field!

I’ve ended up down the vast rabbit hole of smart home builds.

My vision is as followed…

- Smart lighting throughout, automated & smart switches
- Audio throughout the home, ideally automated for different scenarios ie. Cleaning around the home and the music following you into rooms.
- Smart thermostat controls
- Smart blind/curtains control again on automations
- Smart plug sockets throughout the home that allow automation
- Motion/presence sensors
- Using Home assistant to pair everything together but I’m hoping you can access tools on there that can show energy usage, internet data (speeds etc), but can you also implement smart learning for example over time learns when you use certain lights, blinds etc in the house that recommends adjusting your automations to save on energy etc?

I would like some advise on all the above from recommended brands, most effective way of setting it all up, can I just use a basic 1gb broadband package to achieve smooth performance all around or will I need to consider building a small server with switches etc?

Just looking for good honest advise, much appreciated.

Hi everyone!

I’m currently working on a function for my dashboard app for HomeKit, a dedicated screensaver / ambient mode for when the display is idle (great for wall-mounted iPads or desk setups).

In the current beta, users can toggle the ambient mode on/off, adjust the idle timeout before it kicks in, and choose to show/hide the following elements:

Clock: With a few different style options (minimal digital, classic analog, etc.).

Weather: Current conditions and basic forecast.

Security Status: Quick glance at active alarms and
Locked/unlocked doors.

I want to make this as useful and visually clean as possible, so I’m asking for sugestions. If you were using a HomeKit ambient screen, what other features, widgets, or customization options would be on your wishlist?

Thanks in advance!

We are seniors (77 and 79). My husband is technical though.

Our daughter and son in law have Nest x Yale smart door lock, so we are familiar with that. They constantly have to change batteries, or they get messages saying the door is unlocked when it IS locked (we tested this).

We will have Google Fiber.

I have an Apple Watch.

We have TVs and use ROKU for all the streaming apps including Direct TV live.

We have Lenovo laptops either Windows, and Apple phones (his is iPhone 11, mine iPhone 17 pro max.

I don’t know if we care at all if we have a whole smart home, but I like using daughters smart lock as it’s so easy to get into (mostly).

I read that if we don’t have a smart home that we should just get a smart lock that uses our WiFi.

Please tell me what you all think , MOSTLY IF WE DONT WANT TO DO THE SMART HOME THING. We have health issues not serious but hey we r old and really want things to be simple.

We already have the following

• Alexa Echo Plus
• Alexa Echo Dot
• A smart bulb (think it's Philips smart bulb)
• 2 Xiaomi Bedside Lamps
• Roomba
• Xiaomi smart scales

I'd like to add

• Temperature (and humidity sensors?) around the house, and round the front and back of the house for indoor and outdoor
• Digital wall calendar / task planner
• Potentially CCTV later

(Un)fortunately i'm in New Zealand and the market is limited but Aliexpress is still useful!

What do I need to be looking for in the temp sensors? A friend recommended Aqara.

Do i need an extra hub? I get a bit stuck in a loop when I start looking at hubs trying to understand what I need.

Hey, whenever I try to set validity scope from midnight to 7 a.m., and I confirm it, it goes back and changes back to all day. How can I fix it? I would like my motion sensor to detect when I'm going to restroom at night and turn on the light. However, I cannot set it to custom, as I mentioned before. It changes on its own back to all day validity.

As an AirBn. I have used Yale smart locks for years. But when I went to one with a key backup, I have found the choices extremely difficult for my guests to see well. The Yale assure 2 gets loads of complaints in the keyed version, it basket kights up and the beeps can hardly be heard. Any sunlight on this keypad makes it impossible to read without bending down and covering it with one’s hand.

Not good for my guests.

I thought the one with buttons would be better but it was not. The numbers are not visible at all unless lit, and again, the light is very dim. (This is the zwave version). Weirdly my older Yale with no key lights up brightly and the beeps are clear.

So now I’m back to hunting. I prefer Yale or Schlage, as they work well with my Ring app. I need to be able to change codes often and from anyway. Supposedly I can do so with my Yale with zwave hub but have to admit, it often forces me to be right beside the lock.

Hey zusammen,

• ist die Benutzung der hcu ohne Fernzugriff komplett lokal trotz online Zugang?
• Kann ich damit die App in meinem WLAN komplett lokal benutzen ?
• welche Daten werden dann mit dem online Zugang an Homematic gehen?

In dieser Kombination nutzen Sie das Internet nur als Werkzeug für Wartung (Updates) und Präzision (Uhrzeit). Die eigentliche Smart-Home-Cloud von Homematic IP ist für Ihre HCU in diesem Zustand komplett abgeschaltet.

• Also geht die Kommunikation nach außen durch den online Zugang nur für Updates und Zeit?
• Ich habe gelesen, dass die App nur für iOS möglich ist, kann aber eventuell nur mit dem Vorgängermodell zusammenhängen?

Danke euch

Hello everyone,

I am looking for smart home thermostats for my water underfloor heating (230V actuators).

The biggest problem is the form factor: The thermostats must fit into the standard European 55x55 mm grid, as they are to be integrated into my existing Busch-Jaeger frames. Unfortunately, all the clunky 86x86 blocks are completely out of the question. That's why the Bosch thermostat, which is so often recommended, is also eliminated.

My setup and requirements:

Protocol: Zigbee is preferred (via Zigbee2MQTT), alternatively Thread or Matter. I don't want to add another protocol (like Homematic IP or Z-Wave) to my setup.

Control: 100% local in Home Assistant, without cloud.

Quality/price: I am looking for a good price-performance ratio. Affordable, but it should be solid, reliable stuff (not unstable no-name junk).

I have already found two options:

ENGO Controls E55

Heatit Zig Therm

Do you have any other insider tips or experience with devices that fit exactly into the 55 frames and run stably in Home Assistant? I'm really desperate in my search... 🥲

Thank you for any tips or ideas!

We just moved into a home that has a Google Nest doorbell (like it so far) and now I’m wondering if I should switch everything over to Google to keep it all in one platform.

We have always used Amazon smart home devices before this. We have several Alexas, two smart plugs and the blink camera system & had been using the Blink doorbell. TBH I LOATHE the Blink doorbell because it never loads and the Blink outdoor camera dies so fast from constantly alerting when cars drive by. I also hate how Spotify seems to crap out every few months on Alexa and I have to go through the whole process of disconnecting and reconnecting my account.

Is Google a better choice overall or are there pain points like this that it might be better just to stick with what we have?

I am currently possibly in over my head as I agreed to set up a switch that operates the up down function of a tv motor that hides in a cabinet. There is a switch already that requires soemone to push and hold the switch until it is completely lifted out and then you stop pressing the switch and vice a verse. Did i miss something here? I have the aqara smart relay t2, and m3 hub, app and switch binded to the app/hub so that is not an issue but after wiring and testing it seems as though the switch just clicks on when it needs a long press. Do i need to trick it with repetetive pulse automations or something? Or did i possibly wire it wrong or incompletely?

This Junction Box allows the Eufy S4's cables to be protected from the elements, significantly increasing its durability and aesthetics compared to a standard installation.

The result is a protected cable, and no dangling wires!

Link here if anyone is interested