Home automation, smart devices - tips and recommendations for someone starting out

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robfish

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#3153752 30-Oct-2023 16:11

IMHO you should control everything you can directly with Home Assistant.

There are thousands of integrations which allow all control to be local (and not exposed to anyone outside your network).

Rather that integrating "sensor lights" you can simply install lights controlled by switches and sensors connected to Home Assistant.

Also, if you want help with Home Assistant why not join the Home Assistant Community

https://community.home-assistant.io/

Rob

Lizard1977

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#3154096 31-Oct-2023 16:04

Thanks for that. The question about sensor lights is a tricky one. I have an old sensor light on my back deck to which I fitted a smart bulb. There is also a manual switch next to it so I can turn it on and off. But I found that the PIR sensor can mess up the "smarts" with the bulb turning off due to the sensor, and then it getting confused about whether it's on or off. In the end, I've resorted to just using it as a manual light, and switching it on when I leave the house at night, and turning it off at other times. A sensor light that works like a modern sensor light would probably be fine, but it feels like an opportunity to try and build in some more smarts - if I knew what was possible.

If I get a replacement sensor light, I can just pop a smart bulb in. But is there a (forgive the pun) "smarter" way to do this? Is there something useful or clever that can be done with a sensor light, or should I just leave it as a simple PIR sensor light and be done with it. Or is there a way to modify the sensor in the light to perhaps activate other devices or scenes? Or would it be simpler to just get a standalone smart motion sensor to do that kind of thing?

robfish

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#3154109 31-Oct-2023 16:46

Home assistant is extremely configurable. I have been using it for 5 or 6 years and I am a qualified electrician so I think you can trust my advice

You should replace the "sensor light" (which you say is suspect anyway) with any suitable light and make it "smart" with a motion sensor and a WiFi switch via Home Assistant (just as you would with other lights around the house.

There are heaps of different sensors and switches you can use and automation are fairly intuitive to set up these days.

As a possible thought provoker here are some of my automations:-

Blinds
Chargers Solar
Chargers Timer
Email someone is nearly home
Email when Garage Door Closes
Email when Garage Door Opens
Email when Paula arrives home
Email when Paula is near Supermarket
Email when Robert arrives home
EV (ID.4) Charger automation
EV (Leaf) Charger automation
Fan in Bathroom
Fan in Ensuite
Floor heaters
FrontDoorFootlights
Holiday Mode
Intruder Alarm
Light Backyard off with no motion
Light Backyard on with motion
Light Cupboard off with no motion
Light Cupboard on with motion
Light Footlights Off
Light Footlights On with motion
Light Nook Off with no motion
Light Wardrobe off with no motion
Light Wardrobe on with motion non workdays (Shelly)
Light Wardrobe on with motion workdays (Shelly)
Lights Entrance Inside
Lights Entrance outside
Lights in Garage automation
Lights in Pantry
Robert away for 1 hour
Robert home again
Tablet Screen
Towel High extra time on weekends
Towel High off
Towel High on
Towel Low extra time on weekends
Towel Low off
Towel Low on
Towel North extra time on weekends
Towel North off
Towel North on
Towel West extra time on weekends
Towel West off
Towel West on
Towels off Solar
Towels on Solar
WoL Eagle1
WoL Fishminder
WoL RobtiPlex
WoL Simon's Server

Rob

SpookyAwol

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#3154117 31-Oct-2023 17:18

An i4 is what you want:

https://www.shelly.com/en/products/shop/shelly-plus-i4

Lizard1977

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#3154203 31-Oct-2023 19:57

Thanks. I'm familiar with HA, I set mine up last year and while it needs a lot of work I have a basic understanding of some automations.

I can create an effective sensor light with an ordinary/smart light and a motion sensor. What I was wondering is whether there is something I can do with the sensor light that is going to be installed. I am effectively being gifted these things as part of the burglary prevention programme running in my neighbourhood, with things like sensor/security lights, and the house alarm - I'm trying to find out if there's anything I can ask the installers for when they turn up tomorrow to make it as useful for my smart home as possible; or, if that's not possible, what I might be able to do with it after the fact to make it "smarter" (especially with the house alarm - if it's just going to set off a siren then that's just going to annoy my neighbours, but if I can configure it to integrate with HA in some way and get notifications, then it might be a bit more useful).

Someone else mentioned the Shelly i4, but it would be helpful to have some examples of how it would be used in this kind of situation. For instance, where would it be wired, what would it control, etc...

SpookyAwol

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#3154595 1-Nov-2023 17:22

Alarmo is a system that could be of use:
https://smarthomescene.com/guides/alarmo-make-your-own-alarm-system-in-home-assistant/

Theres probably not much that the sparkies can do tomorrow with what you have currently ?
Any smart device that is linked to HA can be used as a trigger for a home alarm system.

Obviously, the right answer is to have a hard wired and hence resilient alarm system, and not to rely on a software based system like HA.

For a hobbyist or a tinkerer however, HA can do most of the work for you. All you need are triggers, whether it be window/door sensors or movement sensors, it can be expanded on for the level of functionality you need.

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

Lizard1977

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#3154792 2-Nov-2023 08:44

So it was a bit of a let down yesterday. Turns out the house alarm they were installing is capable of being linked via an app (Elite Cloud), but the hardware is an additional $450+GST and the app costs $2/month. I decided to pass for now, so it's a pretty "dumb" system, with a couple of motion sensors and a siren. I'm pretty skeptical of the value of a house alarm which just makes a loud noise. In my experience, when they go off they tend to get ignored. Someone breaking into my house might get startled, but if no-one knows to check up on it, then it's not doing much good. When I have some time to dig into it, I might look at what I can do with it.

Also, the electricians were unfamiliar with the Shelly relays and had other jobs to go to, so they didn't install them as I hoped they might. I'll have to find an electrician of my own to install them. But in anticipation of getting them installed I decided to update HA (haven't done it for a while) and ended up breaking my Local Tuya setup and had to spend a couple of hours diagnosing the problem. Everything is back to normal, but I clearly need to have a proper think about my smart home setup and do some better planning.

robfish

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#3154821 2-Nov-2023 11:30

If your HA is working you can still set up an Intruder Alarm (probably using sensors you already have).

Mine simply detects motion from any of my internal sensors and if my wife and I are not home it turns all of my lights on, sounds a local alarm and sends me an email.

Rob

SpookyAwol

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#3155862 4-Nov-2023 16:20

Lizard1977:

I decided to update HA (haven't done it for a while) and ended up breaking my Local Tuya setup and had to spend a couple of hours diagnosing the problem. Everything is back to normal, but I clearly need to have a proper think about my smart home setup and do some better planning.

I kinda went off Tuya devices due to the setup required and went down the shelly path for wired devices and zigbee for plugs / sensors. But half the fun is trying ;)

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