With temperatures hitting -21°F (-29°C), our building’s heat failed. My smart home setup let me manage this from afar. I watched the temperature drop and ran ceiling fans and the AC blower to circulate air. The thermostat remained “on,” so glycol stayed moving through the radiators to prevent frozen pipes. There wasn’t anything more I could’ve done in person. After a few hours, the heat is finally back on and the plants look OK.
Category: Smart Home
At least Google’s still on speaking terms with the dishwasher
The GE app on my phone had forgotten our appliances, so I spent too much time unsuccessfully trying to reconnect the oven via Wi-Fi. Oddly, Google Assistant still recognizes the dishwasher, allowing me to ask Google about the wash cycle status, a feature we use two or three times a year. As for the oven, not only had the app forgotten about its “smart” access, but I had, too.
My science project: optimizing a vent fan
Built a dashboard to compare humidity and temperature in the closet beside our front door to another room. It also displays outside conditions and the status of the closet’s vent fan, providing the data needed to optimize its run times.
Smart home upgrade for snowbirds
Spent the afternoon making the home of friends smarter. Like us, they’re snowbirds who head to warmer places during the depths of winter. After setting up a plant watering system for them previously, today’s project included configuring two cameras, and installing smart wall switches and water leak sensors.
Checking on an economical plant watering system for a neighbor
Checked on a neighbor’s plant watering system. I set it up for them in December, and it’s been working perfectly for six weeks. The controller (with a built-in pump), tubing, and drippers cost around $35. The only drawback is the controller’s battery, which needs recharging about once a month. An $8 smart plug allows them to remotely initiate charging from Arizona.
Adding a Shutoff Valve to Our IoT
We have moisture sensors under appliances and sinks connected to our Internet of Things to alert us of leaks. Now, I’m aiming to automate the water shutoff process. Working with this ceiling space today was quite a challenge while exploring ways to install motorized overlays to control the valve levers. Unfortunately, there’s no space to automate the hot water valve, but I may have better luck with the cold water valve.
Happy Grass, Smart Watering
Relaxed day: walking, reading, troubleshooting, …. Here I’m troubleshooting a plant watering schedule on a Hubitat home automation hub. I finally set up schedules for a water pump that irrigates the long line of grasses on our balcony. Back in the day, a plug-in mechanical timer would’ve done the job.
Rolling Green, Smart Scenes
Built a project box for wirelessly controlling lights on our mobile green wall via our Zigbee mesh network and Hubitat hub. Now, these lights seamlessly join lighting scenes controlled by voice, app, or household events.
When Tech Says “No”
I’ve now replaced all of our smoke detectors, including this one in the kitchen that also detects carbon monoxide. They’re connected to the Internet and Google Home, but I can’t silence false alarms with a voice command like “Hey Google, STFU” because UL standards disallow that.
Google’s Love Bug
When we leave our home we tell Google to turn off all the lights. In recent times, Google has decided to play cool jazz once the lights are out. This morning I reviewed the settings and concluded this is a bug. We’ll now avoid Google’s attempts at romance by using a different voice command.