Smart Home Gear

[FN-GM]

Hello,

 

I am looking at some smart home stuff. I want the ability to turn on lights remotely via an app.

Not sure what type of lights yet. Maybe the smart bulbs or a smart plug. I am renting so I can’t modify sockets, switches etc.

 

Also maybe a smart air conditioning remote so I can warm the house before I arrive.

 

Does anyone have any recommendations please?

 

Thanks.

[TechMonkey]

Ikea bulbs are great. You could get their hub unless you have another already. LED strips are a good option if you want to add some extra lights.

 

I have gone for bulbs in lamps, switches for main lights, but I understand that is not an option for you. You could control the lamps by getting some smart plug adapters, but they just give bulk to the socket.

 

Do you have an voice assistant already?

[paulkerton]

I've got KASA and Philips Hue and they all work great.

I hear good things about the Ikea kit too.

[FN-GM]

Ikea bulbs are great. You could get their hub unless you have another already.

 

Do you need the hub?

 

Do you have an voice assistant already?

 

I don’t have one. I don’t really intend to get one.

[paulkerton]

I don’t have one. I don’t really intend to get one.

 

Oh you should. There's something so wonderfully Star Trek about asking your voice assistant to change the lights.

You can even set Alexa to respond to "Computer...."

[TechMonkey]

Do you need the hub?

 

You don't have to have theirs, you do have to have one. There are some cheaper bulbs that you connect direct to the bulb but they are generally not great and a pain to work with. You can get Wifi bulbs, so just access through a portal but they are often slower (longer round trip) and not as great an experience (personal preference)

 

Smart things is one other hub, or you are looking at something like Home Assistant or Hass.io.

 

Voice assistant does give you easier spontaneous control, though in the end you will probably end up using routines triggered by external inputs. It is nice to have the option to trigger with a command. I have a "Shut it down" command for when I head to bed. It turns bedroom lights on a low setting and gives me three minutes before it turns off everything downstairs. You could assign it to a button press though, have one mounted near the door or your favourite chair.

[FN-GM]

Thanks for the replies. This is completely new so I did t have a clue what I was doing.

[TechMonkey]

Thanks for the replies. This is completely new so I did t have a clue what I was doing.

 

I've only just started myself. Got a load of bulbs from Ikea. I got an Alexa Plus so had a basic hub in that and went from there, need to get some more light switches and then I am pretty sorted for lights. I am going to setup HA at some point, need to get a mini server first though. It will run on a Raspberry Pi but not very responsive apparently.

 

Once I have that I'm going to look at sensors, for things like doors, washing machine, light levels and movement.

 

The biggest issue I find is that the sensors all seem to be Chinese and there is just a multitude and you can never tell what will work and what doesn't.

 

If you want some ideas I've found these two YouTube channels informative but not overly crazy (well Hibbert is a bit but enjoyably so)

Hibbert Home Tech - https://www.youtube.com/user/wolfsweb

Smart Home Solver - https://www.youtube.com/c/SmartHomeSolver

Edited September 15, 2020 by TechMonkey

[HPlum78]

TCP https://www.screwfix.com/c/electrical-lighting/light-bulbs/cat8350001?brand=tcp

 

No hub required and is compatible with Alexa/ Google.

 

I know you say you are not able to change socket faces but BG do a nice smart socket:

https://www.screwfix.com/search?search=Bg+smart

 

Again no hub needed and compatible with Alexa and Google.

 

Oh and both of these companies are open to updates and suggestions as I have had a number included in releases of the software.

 

You can configure routines for both lights and sockets (if done in the apps these are pulled into alexa) not noticed any real difference between these and the ones I have a hub for TBH. I have a routine called lights out, all out and automation events that call these routines like sunrise and sunset if one of the Ring devices detects motion and have even been experimenting with a RPi PRI connected up an all.

Edited September 15, 2020 by HPlum78

[JJonas]

I have a mixture of Lifx and Phillips Hue.

 

Lifx is in my main living areas. Hue is in the bedrooms and just white bulbs

 

Lifx are quite expensive but you don't need a hub. Hue you will need a hub.

 

I control the whole system through Alexa

[sted]

ive got various ikea smart home stuff. You need the hub if you want to app/google/apple contol it if you jsut want remote switches you dont need the hub. ive got a couple of types of bulb most are the 3 colour dimable ones the hall/landing are just dimable (dont need to colour change those so i went the cheap option and they are both on 1 shared switch as well). also got a plug thats currently plugged into a desk fan but is usually plugged into the electric blanket and a smart blind in the bedroom. it all works pairing devices can be a bit of a pain as you have to pair remote to hub then remote to device but once its done thats it. the hub i just plugged into usb and network from my router so no plug for it as such

[chazzy2501]

I'd go the zigbee amazon route. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08B5YNKW3/ref=gw_uk_desk_h1_aucc_ld_qh_0720_noprice?pf_rd_r=QJH5B6532CW1NEQ6XBPM&pf_rd_p=eca6e266-cb2b-46f2-90cc-27fefabdc5e2&th=1

 

These have a nice sound and a built in zigbee hub. zigbee has 2 way communication and a mesh style network, more stuff = better connection. I have a mix of osram and hue, (you don't need philips software crud) just have the echo find it

 

I have automated my lights, so my bedroom lamp comes on at 20 minutes before sunset. (as it knows sunset time day by day) Also I have a pasta routine that make my study light turn on when the pasta has been on for 45 minutes. ("computer pasta sauce") as you can change the trigger word to computer for the startrek nerd in you and other dork stuff.

 

The amazon ecosystem is quite good, with drop in and the blink security cameras work with the firestick (if you get one) "show me outside"

Edited September 15, 2020 by chazzy2501

[FN-GM]

Thanks for the responses folks. A few of the suggestions are not available in Australia (A common problem here!). However IKEA is so it looks like that will be the route to go down.

 

Thanks

[HPlum78]

An easy fix @FN-GM would be relocate to the UK I don't want to hear your problems just give me solutions. You should be able to get some kind of travel allowance if your place values you, I mean it could be quite direct depending on where you locate? And on the upside you will be able to check that your lights, sockets and the likes are just how you expect. :-p Edited September 16, 2020 by HPlum78

[Davit2005]

I have HomeAssistant and Alexa configured to talk to Phillips Hue, Hive and Logitech Harmony etc. Then harmony can talk to TVs and Audio Video equipment. I could remove Alexa and use the front end of HomeAssistant to do it all too.

 

It has been a year or 2 since I set it up by following guides on the Internet but it is quite reliable with Alexa.

[strawberry]

I like the ikea stuff. Bulbs are cheap enough and remotes are different but easy to setup. I have several where my house had electrics retrofitted so only one light switch in a big room, and a motion sensor in the loo. Nice thing with the big remote is that is has a magnetic case for the wall so you can relocate the switch where you want. Easy as pie to setup with a voice assistant and you can set routines.

[Reverend_Dan]

I have a mix of bulbs Hue, Ikea and Gledopto https://gledopto.aliexpress.com/ All through hue hub on zigbee and Alexa's for voice controls. The gledopto is a knock off hue but half the price. But the best thing i ever bought was the various Hue sensors in the house. Appart from the bedrooms I haven't touched a light switch in a couple of years. Best thing is landing one and toilet one trigger at a 8% light with no blue in from 10:30pm-6am,m so if you have to get up for a pee it doesn't wake you up.

[PyROm]

Using alexa with Phillips hue bulbs in the house and gledopto controller paired with generic 12v rgb strips for garden (would use 24v to reduce amperage if I did it again). Alexa smart plugs to control garden fountain/christmas lights (finding being able to set them to come on 10 minutes before sunset in alexa routines made me more happy then it should have) and some internal desk lamps. Also have a full Honeywell Evohome system setup and using it through alexa so can set temperature in each room. I have used 433mhz send/receive modules with esp8266 (arduino esque) to control a ceiling fan and pickup our generic wireless doorbells (and trigger alexa doorbell routine when they do).

[penfold]

Jumping in on this thread. I have a question to all those who have replied on this thread. What did you do which made the biggest impact for the least cost? Is there anything you would do differently?

 

I'm firstly looking at controlling lights and automating stuff to ensure that lights are turned off when not in use. I already have google home hub so would be looking at things that can connect. From what I have read, changing bulbs is going to be very expensive to replace all of the bulbs I have in my house. I am not interested in dimming or chaning the lights, just a simple on/off. This is why I have just started to look at smart switches. I've watched some of the videos linked in this thread, but starting from scratch means everything is looking very expensive. So, what was your best investment, or the first thing you would recommend? And how did you roll it out - did you replace with smart tech as your bulbs died or you just upgraded working items?

[sted]

if you dont want dimming etc you might be as well off getting smart switches rather than smart bulbs. Best investment its hard to say i never started out trying to make a smart home. i just wanted to be able to turn off the bedroom light without getting up so i got an ikea light with remote. i bought a google home out of sheer curiosity. i then noticed there was an ikea gateway that had app and google home control and came with 2 bulbs so did the living room. then get a plug so i could turn on the heated blanket before i went to bed. then they did a blind and at some point i intend to replace the other 2 that i can with smart blinds (main window is too big) and more plugs so my phone only charges 3 hours per night, the spare room heater as its timer is crummy and one for the game pc so i can turn it on / off without leaning down lol

[penfold]

I need a plug timer for an electric heater and it occurred to I could get a smart adapter to plug into the socket to give me remote control as well as the automation. Then I thought about the electricity bill which has a high amount of "always on" devices. But like everything, when you start looking into something it becomes more complex the more you want to do.

 

I think I may just go for the smart plug and then go from there.

[sted]

just be aware that once you start you may end up stuck to one vendor (like im loathe to not use ikea stuff) as i would either need multiple apps/bridge/gateway devices etc and thats too much hassle imo

[caffrey]

One thing I don't understand with these bulbs is that they are all E27, anyone know if you can get pendant converters to convert bayonet to edison ? (and I don't mean adaptors)

[sted]

One thing I don't understand with these bulbs is that they are all E27, anyone know if you can get pendant converters to convert bayonet to edison ? (and I don't mean adaptors)

my assumption was few places use bayonet all mine i think are in adapters i might of replaced the hall fitting as that had a weird 4 pin low energy bulb in

[TechMonkey]

You can get convertors, oddly some of the cheapy bulbs come with them. They just (obviously) add some bulk to the fitting so may peep out of some shades. Though Screwfix were trying to tell me the Edison fixing was being phased out!

 

Have to say, now winter is here bulbs and lights are my best use. It is nice to come home to lights on. It is nice to not have to go around the house at the end of the day, or if I am going out. It is the classic automation tale, it is nice to have consistency with minimum effort. If my blinds were compatible I would be a very happy chappy. The only other nice one is a smart plug on a room deodorizer/smelly spreader. It is nice to come home to a nice waft!