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Anyone doing much Home Automation?

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owl
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PostPosted: 12:19 - 23 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ribenapigeon wrote:
vice wrote:
[

Been living with the missus for 12 years now (so I'm not a sad lonely git, just a git) and she was sceptical about it all too, but now she loves it, except when she talks to it and it doesn't understand her and they end up having a one way shouting match.


Wait a minute, you have a wife? Surely that's your home automation sorted right there? Laughing


she doesn't appreciate when I tell people the dishwasher is playing up (she's the dishwasher)
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sickpup
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PostPosted: 21:52 - 17 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looked into all of this to run alongside my CCTV that I've just upgraded to 1080p and decided to go with Phillips Hue and Samsung Smartthings.
One of the main reasons for these choices was the level of integration between the two is very high and each controlling app has different features that can be run at the same time without interference.

I also have some innr bulbs that integrate with the Hue to lower costs and will be having a play with the Ikea stuff as well.

I've looked at the Sonoff inline switches which are interesting but would need new firmware to run with Smartthings and decided not to go that way. The switches don't have CE approval of any other approval and looking at the circuit board of the 10amp switch i would be amazed if it could handle more than 5amps safely. Reviews on Amazon also suggest they are unsafe and unreliable with many problems.

chris-red wrote:
Total cost to do my 2 banks of 14 lights. £12.50. Phillips Hue cost to do the same £370😂.


Is this a like for like system or does yours only switch on and off?

I can see why people think all this is a waste of money but as I tend to leave lights on, I'm barely house trained this may help save some money on power bills but I accept not recoup the outlay.
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duhawkz
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PostPosted: 18:34 - 18 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

As far as I know sonoff is only on and off.

I've gone down the hue route, I bought 2 starter kits of ebay for under £100, one colour ambience with 3 bulbs and one white ambience with 2 bulbs.

I've just bought another 4 osram lightify gu10s for the soffits too as they are directly compatible with the hue.

I'd read that the innr stuff doesn't work all that well with hue so you'll have to let me know how you get on with them.
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barrkel
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PostPosted: 21:44 - 18 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

duhawkz wrote:
I'd read that the innr stuff doesn't work all that well with hue so you'll have to let me know how you get on with them.

I'm using an Innr bulb with Hue hub, alongside a couple of colour Hue bulbs. Works perfectly fine; there's a slight difference in the transition, it's not quite as slick and smooth, but other that it's almost indistinguishable.
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chris-red
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PostPosted: 23:51 - 18 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

sickpup wrote:
Looked into all of this to run alongside my CCTV that I've just upgraded to 1080p and decided to go with Phillips Hue and Samsung Smartthings.
One of the main reasons for these choices was the level of integration between the two is very high and each controlling app has different features that can be run at the same time without interference.

I also have some innr bulbs that integrate with the Hue to lower costs and will be having a play with the Ikea stuff as well.

I've looked at the Sonoff inline switches which are interesting but would need new firmware to run with Smartthings and decided not to go that way. The switches don't have CE approval of any other approval and looking at the circuit board of the 10amp switch i would be amazed if it could handle more than 5amps safely. Reviews on Amazon also suggest they are unsafe and unreliable with many problems.

chris-red wrote:
Total cost to do my 2 banks of 14 lights. £12.50. Phillips Hue cost to do the same £370😂.


Is this a like for like system or does yours only switch on and off?

I can see why people think all this is a waste of money but as I tend to leave lights on, I'm barely house trained this may help save some money on power bills but I accept not recoup the outlay.


Mine have been perfect, in the early days there were a few server issues, I'd say for the first 3ish months it was down maybe 2 days a month, since then however it has been perfect. I imagine most of the reviews about them not working reliably are old, I'm not saying they can't go wrong but I've got 7 I've had them for almost a year, hardware wise I haven't had a problem with a single one.

Maybe once every couple of months one stops responding but all I have to do is flip the light switch off an on and it is back working.

I can control them via Alexa, via an App or you can set count down timer or scheduled timers. e.g. I have set my porch lights to come on at 7 and go off at 12.

The most I have running through one of the inline switches is 40w so what 1/6 of an amp. I do have a dehumidifier (800w?) running through a sonoff plug socket fine
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sickpup
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PostPosted: 07:17 - 19 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

duhawkz wrote:
I'd read that the innr stuff doesn't work all that well with hue so you'll have to let me know how you get on with them.


I have 4 GU10's and 2 ses candles and they seem to run just fine. They switch on and off, dim and retain the set brightness ok so far.

chris-red wrote:
Mine have been perfect, in the early days there were a few server issues, I'd say for the first 3ish months it was down maybe 2 days a month, since then however it has been perfect. I imagine most of the reviews about them not working reliably are old, I'm not saying they can't go wrong but I've got 7 I've had them for almost a year, hardware wise I haven't had a problem with a single one.


It doesn't matter to me how good other people think they are they have no certification and having looked at the circuit board the pcb power posts for example are not rated to the amperage Sonoff claim.

If the product is good it should be certified simple as that. As it stands they are illegal to sell within the EU and unsafe for the advertised use. You of course may feel otherwise and that is your choice, I would rather spend more not taking the risk of losing everything but ymmv.
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natefz6
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PostPosted: 14:21 - 19 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some Sonoff devices have gone through CE approval.

https://www.itead.cc/wiki/images/f/f7/CE_Certificate_for_Sonoff_Series.pdf

https://twitter.com/iteadstudio/status/961785278246432769

There are plenty of reports of cheap knock offs to be wary of though so buy/use with caution. I suggest sending one to bigclivedotcom on you tube Very Happy
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chris-red
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PostPosted: 15:46 - 19 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wouldn't bother it still won't be good enough Laughing
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
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sickpup
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PostPosted: 16:37 - 19 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

chris-red wrote:
I wouldn't bother it still won't be good enough Laughing


Don't be a dick Chris, it's unbecoming.

natefz6

Thank you for your useful post, that will change my mind on the approved stuff Thumbs Up
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duhawkz
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PostPosted: 00:16 - 20 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

These are supposed to do a decent job of controlling led strips.

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32858603964.html?spm=a2g0n.store-home-cache.0.0.4df77910SAshk4

You can get the rgbww strips from ebay or aliexpress for less than a tenner for 5mtrs.

I'm going to give them a try when I replace the kitchen next year, for the under unit lights and the plinth lights
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mentalboy
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PostPosted: 03:22 - 20 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mentalboy towers has an automated gate to keep the techno riff raff out, does that count? Failing that the dogs respond to voice commands ( mostly when it suits them) and their batteries never seem to fail!

And the fully automated sub-pump at the bottom of the well means I don't have to drink the chlorinated muck the townies poison themselves with. Mr. Green
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sickpup
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PostPosted: 11:57 - 26 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for home automation. Problems with Alexa not responding to voice commands and the Yale security servers going down for 24hrs so people couldn't disable alarms or use locks.
Did anyone have any problems with these incidents?

I've deliberately kept away from systems that require the internet or servers beyond my control to work so theres no voice control which is without doubt versatile and useful. This does put me at a disadvantage in controlling stuff, I keep trying to use light switches but does give me some resiliance.
It looks like I will be staying with Philips Hue and Samsung SmartThings at the moment as they have local control and do most things I want.
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duhawkz
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PostPosted: 12:52 - 26 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have alexa via my sonos one, Ive not had any issues with it responding to commands as yet, but I don't use all that much.

Alexa was reportedly down 2 days ago and it was also reportedly down in September too.
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bladerunner
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PostPosted: 01:37 - 27 Oct 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sonoff I've had for must be 4 years and yet to have one fail! the servers were sketchy pre alexa days so usually had the 433mhz remote as well as the phone app but they have been pretty darn good for the last few years....I have the cheapest of the cheap models from the early days so cant complain. I have the dehumidifier running in the bedroom wardrobe (built in wardrobe) so that runs on its own humidity and temp settings via the app but again its been a great power saver and regulates the humidity in the bedroom spot on over the winter, makes the old school dumb dehumidifier much more cost efficient and does its job better
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sickpup
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PostPosted: 12:40 - 20 Nov 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

So I've been running Hue and Smartthings for a month now and it has been stable and reliable.
There has been no increae or decrease in power costs, even now in winter we are only spending £1.40 a day or around £40 a month on electricty but the house is considerably better lit, I've added more lights including a porch light as well as front floodlight. I do expect this cost to drop slightly come Spring and Summer.
All the stair and hallway lights are run off motion sensors, the airing cupboard is run off an open/close door sensor. The porch light is run off a time automation as is a ground floor front road facing room in the evening.

The Smartthings sensors have inbuilt thermometers which as they are on every floor have really shown the temperature differences across the 3 floors of the house. Downstairs for example was 10degrees this morning whereas upstairs was 20degrees. I would like temperature sensors in every room as this will tell me if its worth going for a smart thermostat and smart TRV's to better control the heating of the house. Using smart TRV's radiators in warm rooms will automatically turn off directing all heat to the cold rooms so heating them quicker lowering heating costs but the question is by how much.
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