Smart home essentials

[Chz]

Our 12 year old Samsung sMaRt TV is still working just fine with all the usual apps plus Plex

That's probably the dividing line then. Our 2010 model, nothing works but it's relegated to the spare room with a Chromecast on it so it doesn't matter.

 

[xenon]

I have Hive (which is supplied by British Gas), essentially there are 3 boxes, Box A is wired in between the boiler and its main power switch, it basically acts as a remote on/off switch turning the boiler on and off on commands from Boxes B & C, it has a manual override button on it for when the technology fails.
Box B is the only one that's visible and is in the hallway, it's a rather stylish looking thing with a shiny front and a dial, it serves as the thermostat and the schedule controller, it has a somewhat clunky menu that you can use to set desired temperature and on/off windows plus a couple more override buttons.
Box C (in Chz Q it is hidden behind the TV) and plugged into the main router by an ethernet cable. This connects to the internet so that I can remotely connect to Hive via the App on my phone which offers me a number of clever functions.
First is I can program schedules on Box B using the super slick interface on the App, you can check the status of your Hive from your phone and it has a rather clever system where it tracks where my mobile is and turns the heating on/off depending on how far from home I am though I've never used this. And of course it works from anywhere in the world.
Alexa has a Hive skill so it is logged into my Hive account and we can control the CH just by ordering Alexa to do it. (Being married to the world's neshest woman this is very definitely a double edged sword)

Thanks. I think I'm gonna have to ask an electtrician or whoever installs this stuff. Tried Googling but all the Hive stuff I've seen so far talks about gas boilers, setting temprature, marketting blurb and is doing my head in. As these are electric heaters with manual thermostats, how can setting the temp centrally effect them.

The boiler however, I want to be able to set the temp on. Currently it's not hot enough for my liking anyway.

 

[Gromit]

Fully smart.

I'd say the essentials are:

Ring door bell - useful for security (when in and out) and parcel delivery (when out).
Thermostat - I went with Netatmo (no subscription required)
Thermostat radiator valves - Netatmo
Phillips hue bulbs - lights
Motion activated light and camera - back off the house.
Powered blinds - bedroom & conservatory - with thermal blinds it saves quite a bit of heating energy
ETA I missed thermal curtains operated by two Switchbot robots (linked to a daylight sensor)
Smart plugs - turn off non essential electrics at night. TV, Xbox etc.

Non essential

TV cabinet with a powered blinds as OH has phobia of black screens (thanks to Poltergeist the movie.

 

[WouldBe]

Thanks. I think I'm gonna have to ask an electtrician or whoever installs this stuff. Tried Googling but all the Hive stuff I've seen so far talks about gas boilers, setting temprature, marketting blurb and is doing my head in. As these are electric heaters with manual thermostats, how can setting the temp centrally effect them.

The boiler however, I want to be able to set the temp on. Currently it's not hot enough for my liking anyway.

Not sure you could control electric heaters (directly) from a hive type device as they are only designed to switch a small current to get the boiler to turn on and you'd only be able to operate 1 electric heater.

 

[danski]

Thanks. I think I'm gonna have to ask an electtrician or whoever installs this stuff. Tried Googling but all the Hive stuff I've seen so far talks about gas boilers, setting temprature, marketting blurb and is doing my head in. As these are electric heaters with manual thermostats, how can setting the temp centrally effect them.

The boiler however, I want to be able to set the temp on. Currently it's not hot enough for my liking anyway.

Probably best speak to an electrician.

It’s likely the heaters are controlled by pilot wire. This is an extra wire run to each heater to allow central control. Can be a bit of a pain.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Powered blinds - bedroom & conservatory - with thermal blinds it saves quite a bit of heating energy

Powering stuff that doesn't need to be powered is the opposite of saving energy.

 

[Mation]

The light switches in the lounge and dining room are set up to provide 'moods' depending on how many times they are pressed.

Realised that this is what I've got in the bedroom, in 'really obvious shit...' news (I've moved in to parent's flat, and there are lots of things with no information or instructions and with which parent is unable to help.)

There are two ceiling lights, each with a central main light, surrounded by a border of low light that cycles through various colours. One press of the wall switch during the day activates one of the main lights, and three presses turns that off and the border on. At night, it seems to be the other way round. This was all very confusing when I discovered it.

Then, last night, one press of the wall swtich turned on both main lights, the second of which I had assumed over the last few months not to be working. Two main lights was like the glare of a thousand suns, but after about a dozen presses, I got it back to one light with only the border on, which is what I'd been going for. I did find a remote control the other day, that looks like it must be for some smart lighting system, presumaby this one. I did press several buttons to see if anything would happen, but it didn't at the time. However, I'm guessing that something I pressed activated the second light. Possibly. The remote doesn't have anything useful like a brand name on it, so I don't know what to search for.

Anyway. I've changed my vote to be like dessiato

It's fucking crazy to me that this kind of shit has become normalised for devices beyond desktop machines. Whatever the fuck next? You have to download updates for your sodding toaster?

I had an idea for a short story in which someone came home to find that they couldn't get in for an unknown amount of time, because Wndows Update had decided that door security needed updating (after 2am ) for their protection. But I haven't got round to writing it.

If Mation doesn't mind the hijack, can I ask you people about Hive?

Situation is. I have all electric for heating and hot water.

There is a Haustman timer controlling when power is supplied to the water tank and panel heaters. Each heater has it's own on / off switch and a temp control.

I want to replace the Haustman with something I can use. (It has shitty old rubber buttons, so even if I could see it, they don't reliabily work.) I'm fed up with the heating not being on when I want it. Working from home and typing is actually quite difficult some mornings with cold hands. I'm sitting there wearing a fleece and whooly hat. I could ask a sighted friend to change the timer but is not ideal, obv I want control dam it... (I believe the Hive app is accessible.)

Not at all! Everything is electric here, too, with panel heaters with separate controls. It would be really good to know more (anything) about what to do with them, and how to control the boiler.

 

[scifisam]

Several of my bulbs are smart bulbs. The bedroom ones are really useful - you can be lying down in bed all comfortable, reading or whatever, and then turn the lights off. Same in the morning, if you have to get up in the dark. The bathroom light can be dimmed once I'm lying down relaxed in the bath - having a dimmable bulb there is really nice, and the only other way would involve rewiring the flat.

It also means I can have a lamp in a place where the switch is almost impossible to reach, so I can make use of a small space. Plus kitchen light switch is behind the door because I had to have the door rehung to be able to have a fridge and still open the door, and it's massively annoying having to open and close the door just to turn the light on or off, especially in a room you pop in and out of a lot.

The flat is always occupied, but theoretically it'd be handy to be able to have the lights turn on to give the appearance of someone being at home if I were away on holiday.

I use my Echo for the same as most of the things Crispy uses their for - alarms, timers, music, putting appts and reminders in the calendar, calculations, adding to the shopping list. It's surprisingly useful for all those things. I now dislike having to open my phone, go to the calendar and type stuff in when I need to add things that come up while I'm at my GF's place.

Music is one of the big ones, especially because you can have them play the same music across the whole home. The audio quality is far better than I expected too.

Two devices means I can use one to speak to my daughter on the other one from the other floor. For me that's particularly handy, obviously, but I think it would be for a lot of people. I have also used it to have a three-way conversation with one person on the phone with her on speakerphone and me dropping in to Alexa from a different city.

Smart fridges are pointless, but that doesn't mean all smart stuff is pointless. Also I don't care if other people don't have it, and they shouldn't care if I do.

Doesn't matter if Alexa's listening in. If anyone wanted to listen in, they'd be doing it via my phone already.

 

[scifisam]

Powering stuff that doesn't need to be powered is the opposite of saving energy.

Just FYI, Frank, smart home stuff is massively useful for people with disabilities. It's fine to not want them but looking down on people who use them is a failure of empathy.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Just FYI, Frank, smart home stuff is massively useful for people with disabilities. It's fine to not want them but looking down on people who use them is a failure of empathy.

I can well see that, but most of this stuff is not designed/marketed as independence aids for people with disabilities. Most of it seems to be aimed at running down people's independence, rather than enhancing it.

 

[MickiQ]

Doesn't matter if Alexa's listening in. If anyone wanted to listen in, they'd be doing it via my phone already.

It listens for the wake word and doesn't transmit anything back to server until that has been spoken. There has been some dispute over Amazon's reluctance to come clean with how long they keep the recordings for however I'm not really bothered if Amazon have got a 1000 recordings of me saying "Alexa play Smooth Radio" or Alexa switch on the bedside lamp"

 

[Leafster]

Realised that this is what I've got in the bedroom, in 'really obvious shit...' news (I've moved in to parent's flat, and there are lots of things with no information or instructions and with which parent is unable to help.)

There are two ceiling lights, each with a central main light, surrounded by a border of low light that cycles through various colours. One press of the wall switch during the day activates one of the main lights, and three presses turns that off and the border on. At night, it seems to be the other way round. This was all very confusing when I discovered it.

Then, last night, one press of the wall swtich turned on both main lights, the second of which I had assumed over the last few months not to be working. Two main lights was like the glare of a thousand suns, but after about a dozen presses, I got it back to one light with only the border on, which is what I'd been going for. I did find a remote control the other day, that looks like it must be for some smart lighting system, presumaby this one. I did press several buttons to see if anything would happen, but it didn't at the time. However, I'm guessing that something I pressed activated the second light. Possibly. The remote doesn't have anything useful like a brand name on it, so I don't know what to search for.

Anyway. I've changed my vote to be like dessiato

The thing with the bedroom lights working differently at night actually makes sense to me. The idea is that if you get up in the night you might not want to disturb anyone in the same room so the lights come on at a lower level. During the day you'd probably only want to switch the bright lights on.

It's something my smart home can do (if I had two sets of lights in the bedroom) and it's what my electrician has done in his house. He also put secondary lower brightness lights in the upstairs hallway so that anyone who gets up during the night and uses the hallway, won't inadvertently wake up someone in a different room if their door is open to the hallway by having bright lights shining in.

I have wondered if I should create a user manual for my house as I'm beginning to suspect some of the stuff isn't quite as obvious as I think. Most people work out fairly quickly that some of the lights are activated by movement but I have had to explain several times how the kitchen extractor works as it isn't that obvious. I've also caught visitors staring for far too long at the touch-sensitive table lamps wondering where the switches are!

 

[scifisam]

I can well see that, but most of this stuff is not designed/marketed as independence aids for people with disabilities. Most of it seems to be aimed at running down people's independence, rather than enhancing it.

That's not true in either respect though. And the "aim" (which is always to make money) is not identical with the way people use it, anyway.

 

[pesh]

Powering stuff that doesn't need to be powered is the opposite of saving energy.

Automating the closure of thermal blinds if done right will absolutely save heating energy, certainly when you’re not home when they need to be closed.

 

[Leafster]

Powering stuff that doesn't need to be powered is the opposite of saving energy.

It's probably fair to say that some automated stuff doesn't save energy but even then, as it's been pointed out, there could be other reasons for automating it.

However, one of the reasons for automating blinds and curtains is that it can save you money. You can lose heat through windows especially when it's very cold outside so being able to automate them reduces the heat loss. If you're at home you could close them in the old fashioned way but, if you're not, the house is losing heat unnecessarily. Similarly, opening them when it's sunny can increase your passive solar gain and that can also save you money. Admittedly, you would have to consider whether the energy used in automatically opening and closing them outweighs the extra energy used to heat somewhere if you didn't.

Conversely, if you live in a hot climate you might want to reduce the amount of heat entering your house so having reflective blinds might also reduce the need for AC.

ETA: or what pesh just said!

 

[Gromit]

.A

Powering stuff that doesn't need to be powered is the opposite of saving energy.

A few pence in electric is saving pounds in gas. You have to do the full cost benefit analysis.

You'll say 'remember to do it by hand'...

... Only we weren't remembering.

Plus as it's linked into a daylight sensor the saving are optimised.

 

[MickiQ]

.A

A few pence in electric is saving pounds in gas. You have to do the full cost benefit analysis.

You'll say 'remember to do it by hand'...

... Only we weren't remembering.

Plus as it's linked into a daylight sensor the saving are optimised.

and 40% of the UK's electricity now comes from renewable sources such as wind, wave and solar.

 

[WouldBe]

The thing with the bedroom lights working differently at night actually makes sense to me. The idea is that if you get up in the night you might not want to disturb anyone in the same room so the lights come on at a lower level. During the day you'd probably only want to switch the bright lights on.

I've got a double light switch at the side of the bed. Nearest switch turns on the 40W bedside light the other turns on the 60W main light.

 

[WouldBe]

Automating the closure of thermal blinds if done right will absolutely save heating energy, certainly when you’re not home when they need to be closed.

Although if you're not home you shouldn't need the heating on.

 

[Gromit]

and 40% of the UK's electricity now comes from renewable sources such as wind, wave and solar.

Hopefully more sooner rather than later.

We looked at a heat pump bit guy said in all honesty we'd be getting him back ina year and asking him to put a boiler back in. Not an ideal house for a heat pump.

 

[Gromit]

Although if you're not home you shouldn't need the heating on.

Yes an no. Frost mode is a good idea.
Less heating but it's still some heating.

I've set this a continent away because I forgot when I left the house.

 

[pesh]

Although if you're not home you shouldn't need the heating on.

Sure, but thermal blinds can be used to trap the heat provided by the sun in the room once it sets.

 

[Callie]

Sure, but thermal blinds can be used to trap the heat provided by the sun in the room once it sets.

The bedrooms at the back of mine get the sun from close to sunrise until gone midday... It warms the rooms up nicely.

 

[Silas Loom]

TV cabinet with a powered blinds as OH has phobia of black screens (thanks to Poltergeist the movie.

Does she know your house was built on an Indian burial ground?

 

[WouldBe]

Yes an no. Frost mode is a good idea.
Less heating but it's still some heating.

I've set this a continent away because I forgot when I left the house.

You can get frost stats for boilers anyway for only a few quid not hundreds and if the weather is that cold it would be a good idea to have a 'frost' setting already activated.

 

[kittyP]

My parents have the Hive home thermostat and I have the app on my phone for when I'm there.
It is very handy and makes sense.
It's about the only thing I'd want in my home if I could afford it.

Smart fridges, dishwashers, kettles, even toasters ffs, seem silly.
It's not hacking as such if be worried about but just an extra element to go wrong and cost more to fix/replace.

I understand why someone might want smart lights but, unless I became physically disabled, nah, not for me.

And Alexa etc give me the creeps.

 

[WouldBe]

It's not hacking as such if be worried about but just an extra element to go wrong and cost more to fix/replace.

Gas bill might be expensive if someone turns your heating on full blast while you're away on holiday.

 

[kittyP]

Gas bill might be expensive if someone turns your heating on full blast while you're away on holiday.

Sorry I meant I wasn't worried about hacking with the other devices listed.

Unless you think I'm going to turn on my parents heating while they're away

 

[Mation]

Sorry I meant I wasn't worried about hacking with the other devices listed.

Unless you think I'm going to turn on my parents heating while they're away

Shits n giggles?

 

[Mation]

Good urbans to see that the top poll results are Ludditis and exasperation, with 'don't have/don't want' at 54.5%, and 'fuck sake' at 29.1%