Read the statement by Michael Teeuw here.
Thermostat...
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@cowboysdude I second what @pyrosmiley says… I have the Nest, and it’s expensive, and not as smart as it claims to be. For example, when you first set up the Nest, it’s supposed to automatically create a schedule for you based on what you set the temperature to be over the first week. What I ended up with was a verbatim record of me adjusting the thermostat up and down as I tried to figure out that “just right” temperature – a daily schedule of me making about a hundred half-degree temperature changes. (granted, it was a new house, new furnace and new thermostat all in one shot… so your results might be better than mine, as you probably already know what a good temperature for your house is). As far as connectivity with other devices, I haven’t really found a useful feature other than the presence detection that is able to recognize when no one is home. I use that to automatically lock the doors if they are not locked already, and to turn off the lights. Otherwise, it’s just a really nice-looking pricey thermostat.
Definitely check out the Ecobee. You get all of the features of the Nest in the Ecobee for about $100 less. I’d say the only thing the nest has over the Ecobee is how it looks, but of course that is subjective.
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@j.e.f.f Thanks for the input. I have been reading a lot and talked to a few people who also aren’t totally impressed by NEST either. Yes they look fantastic but I’m more into function then looks :) Ecobee is the place I keep coming back to over and over again… I’m also doing a lot of reading about home bridge… I like how yours all works together and that’s the direction I’m heading in. I can/could use the ecobee schedule to accomplish similar things that you are doing. That’s my thought.
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@cowboysdude I haven’t used the Ecobee myself, but I tie everything together with a Wink hub, which by the looks of it supports all of the Ecobee models. I’m not sure what sensors the Ecobee has above and beyond temperature monitoring, but if it has things like the presence sensor, it will be available as a trigger in Wink.
I would imagine other hubs like SmartThings and HomeBridge would behave in a similar manner.
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@cowboysdude Found this plugin for HomeBridge that supports Ecobee 3:
https://www.npmjs.com/package/homebridge-ecobee3-sensors -
@j.e.f.f @cowboysdude Just a quick heads-up: I have a very basic homebridge setup and while it works very well as intended, all it really does is provide a HomeKit interface for stuff that doesn’t have one. For automation or remote access, you’ll still need to have a spare iPad or an Apple TV.
As I do not, I’m actually in the process of trying to decide about setting up OpenHAB or Home Assisstant, which act more as a stand-alone hub for getting smart home stuff to play together. Both will also work with nearly any smart thermostat out there.
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@pyrosmiley A little more insight on this. You’ll need an iPhone or iPad to directly control devices, set up automation and address devices using Siri. Ability to do this from MacOS (e.g.: Macbook or iMac) does not yet exist (Thanks Apple…).
You’ll need a 3rd or 4th gen Apple TV or an iPad to enable remote access to your devices. This is not necessary for the automation to work, but it is necessary to, for example, unlock your doors from outside your home WiFi network.
And while there’s quite a bit you can do with HomeKit, I don’t really like Apple’s approach to Home Automation. The Home app is poorly organized, and allows very little customization. Also automation has been hit-or-miss for me when I try to set things up in
HomeKit. Instead, I automate everything through Wink, then use HomeBridge to extend Siri control to my devices. But otherwise I don’t use HomeKit as my primary control center, nor do I tend to buy specific HomeKit enabled devices. -
@pyrosmiley said in Thermostat...:
I have two nests, and tbh I can’t fully recommend them. My friend LOVES her Ecobee— take a look at those.
I`ve forgotten about Eco, they are pretty nice too
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@j.e.f.f Thanks! Just want to tie things together without all the struggle… tried an open source Therm could not get it working so that’s why I’m asking others what they’re using…
So what door lock[s] are you using? I have been looking at Lockitron.
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@cowboysdude said in Thermostat...:
So what door lock[s] are you using? I have been looking at Lockitron.
I have been looking at Home Depot. :-)
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@cowboysdude said in Thermostat...:
@j.e.f.f Just want to tie things together without all the struggle…
I’m afraid that is pie-in-the-sky thinking… none of the manufacturers are thinking this way, so getting everything to work together nicely is an uphill battle.
One approach is to choose your SmartHub first, then buy devices that work with it. That’s more or less what I did. The Wink Hub primarily works with Z-Wave and Zigbee devices, as well as Lutron’s ClearConnect protocol.
I’m using Schlage Connect locks which are Z-Wave devices - they work great with the Wink HUB. Schlage also makes the Sense, which works over BlueTooth. It won’t work with the Wink Hub, but I believe it is already HomeKit enabled.
Now for the kicker… when I said you’re in for an uphill battle, here’s just ONE example of a gotcha I ran into. I’m using Lutron Caseta smart dimmers, which can be paired with the Wink Hub. They can ALSO be paired with Lutron’s own SmartHub. But any one dinner cannot be paired with both. When a dimmer is paired with the Wink Hub, it is available to be automated amongst other devices connected to the Wink. However, it’s responsiveness is noticeably slower when you control the light through the Wink app. When connected through Lutron’s Hub, control is instantaneous AND it natively supports HomeKit, but you can’t automate with other devices. So you need to choose which is most important to you - automation or speed and Siri.
You’re other option is to buy whatever you want and then tie everything together with HomeBridge and do your automation in HomeKit, but as I said previously, my success rate going that route had been hit or miss.
I have not yet played around with Home Assistant but it might offer some solutions for you too.
In any case, the point I’m trying to make is automating your home is a labour of love. It’s not easy and it can be particularly frustrating, especially when you want to make it easy for everyone else in your home.
