# Home automation



## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

Talk to me ??

Anybody got anything :thumb:


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## xxil (Mar 27, 2015)

If your developing it yourself, check out OpenHAB (https://github.com/openhab/openhab2)


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## bjarvis2785 (Oct 4, 2008)

Depends on how automated you want to get i suppose.

I'm currently planning mine, so aside from a couple of Belkin WeMo switches (1x for my fish tank light and 1x for the table lamp in the lounge) i've not yet got anything.

The fish tank switch is just setup as a straight on/off timer.
The lounge lamp is set to come on at 45mins before sunset, then turn off at 22:30.
I can then control each of them individually from my iPhone if required.

Next addition will be Phillips Hue lights, but not kitting out the whole house just yet due to cost.
I will be looking to combine the Hue lights with a SmartThings motion sensor, so that i can place the motion sensor on the landing and at night if one of the kids get up it will turn on the bathroom light at say 50% dimmed. Then turn off again after 2 mins of no motion.

I'm tempted by a Nest thermostat, but the lack of integration with HomeKit is stopping me there. Same as the Nest Protect.

Other than that, i'm waiting around for somebody to release a *decent* HomeKit enabled Kettle and Coffee Machine.

It's quite easy to get carried away with it all, and you could end up buying stuff that yo don't really need.
So you're best off working out where things could improve (like my lounge lamp... i kept forgetting to turn it off, so now it's just automated) and go from there.


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

bjarvis2785 said:


> Depends on how automated you want to get i suppose.
> 
> I'm currently planning mine, so aside from a couple of Belkin WeMo switches (1x for my fish tank light and 1x for the table lamp in the lounge) i've not yet got anything.
> 
> ...


I'm sure i have seen a Coffee maker in Curry's that you can send a text to to start it brewing coffee/use via an app.Think it was about £130 or so but even so, if it takes 20 minutes to brew a coffee and your commute is 20 minutes, it would be ready by the time you got home


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

Ive just literally had Tado installed yesterday and still getting to grips with it. I've also just fitted the hue lights and they are really good.


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## Franzpan (Mar 2, 2009)

This would help me when I forget to turn the coffee machine off.

left it on once all day whilst at work. Very lucky it didn't boil dry as it has no autofill for the boiler.


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## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

danwel said:


> Ive just literally had Tado installed yesterday and still getting to grips with it. I've also just fitted the hue lights and they are really good.


was looking at Tado will be interested in how you get on


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## bjarvis2785 (Oct 4, 2008)

muzzer42 said:


> I'm sure i have seen a Coffee maker in Curry's that you can send a text to to start it brewing coffee/use via an app.Think it was about £130 or so but even so, if it takes 20 minutes to brew a coffee and your commute is 20 minutes, it would be ready by the time you got home


Yeah, there's a couple about, with one of the best being the Belkin WeMo enabled Mr Coffee... but that's a US product.
I'm wanting something that's specifically HomeKit enabled. That way i can automate things more (like using my location data from my phone to know when to turn on the machine etc).


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## bjarvis2785 (Oct 4, 2008)

danwel said:


> Ive just literally had Tado installed yesterday and still getting to grips with it. I've also just fitted the hue lights and they are really good.


Out of curiosity what was the key factor behind installing the Tado?

I'm wondering because of course a lot of the marketing is around energy saving by learning how you use the heating and if anybody is in the house etc etc.
However, i'm not overly taken on that, and so i'm looking at a Smart Thermostat more for the convenience of adjusting the heating manually, but remotely.


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

I have a smart-lock, it's great, you go out the house and never worry about keys.....or have them digging into your leg....as with most people with conversional keys a back-up plan is advised in case you lose your keys.....or there is a massive EMP event (or your battery dies).

I have a multi-room sound system and media server which you can play on different TVs or iProducts.


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

WHIZZER said:


> was looking at Tado will be interested in how you get on


Will report back in a week or so


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

bjarvis2785 said:


> Out of curiosity what was the key factor behind installing the Tado?
> 
> I'm wondering because of course a lot of the marketing is around energy saving by learning how you use the heating and if anybody is in the house etc etc.
> However, i'm not overly taken on that, and so i'm looking at a Smart Thermostat more for the convenience of adjusting the heating manually, but remotely.


Honestly, I like a gadget and it was mentioned in another thread on here. I like the idea of being able to control the heating while I'm away as I work away for 6 weeks at a time. I like the accuracy of the thermostat.

If I'm honest it doesn't do a great lot more than my standard thermostat and I am not one that has the heating on a lot so do at the moment actually find myself turning the whole heating off and just leaving the hot water part of it on.

Will it save me money? Probably not for the most part given the way I use my heating. However that said during winter months it should do as it only heats the house when I'm in 
Did I need it ? Definitely not

I was kind of where Whizzer was in that I wanted to get some automaton in the house and am so far building up with tado, hue lighting and sonos.

The hue lighting is amazing and although it's not massively functional it is worth it to be able to turn lights in while I'm away at work to give the impression someone is in


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## Pittsy (Jun 14, 2014)

Mrs P brings me a cuppa sometimes:thumb:


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