Discussion about general home automation ideas and projects, home automation protocols like Z-wave, Zigbee, Matter, etc, and home automation software and hubs like HomeSeer, Home Assistant, OpenHAB, Homey.
Inovelli.
A little more pricey but they are super reliable and give you a TON more options than most.
For example, the light switch to my basement stairs has a “double click” both on and off. This allows me to “double click” to turn off all the lights in the basement in one go from the main floor.
What a spectacular little help that simple thing has been.
This is what I went with and god they are amazing. Automations can be made for pressing up, down, and the configure buttons for a hold, single, double, triple, quadruple, or event quintuple press.
The only challenge is remembering what all of your automations are! But I use the double press automation daily to save me from running downstairs to turn off the lights and could not be happier with this product!
The key is not to overdo it.
In theory I could automate triple clicks or more things with the config button, but I chose to just stick with the double clicks.
….. the config button on a single press “pauses” everything on the basement tv so that I can call the kiddos without yelling.
Because I already paused their tv lol.
They don’t like that one as much as I do.
lol I like that pause button idea!
Agreed to not overdo it. I’m trying to coach my SO on every automation so she can appreciate the added convenience too, which means keeping the automations logical and simple.
My one exception to this is two light switches that will turn all lights in the house on or off with a quadruple press, in case I’m on my way out the door or to bed and want to make sure I turn off any lights I forgot about. That one I figure has to be hard enough to press that someone can’t accidentally turn on the bedroom lights in the middle of the night.
The only thing inovelli is missing is presence detection. I have two of their upcoming mmWave switches on preorder that should take care of that though!
. I have two of their upcoming mmWave switches on preorder
Same here. They look like such a cool technology!
I would have been tempted to get them everywhere but will have to see - I don’t think my switches are well placed for presence detection or at least not in the rooms I care most about
That's a cool feature!
I like the controllable status LED bar!
I haven’t figured out what to do with it yet, since I’m still installing the switches, but some sort of notification ought to be handy.
As a related example, if I walk past an Alexa device and notice it’s yellow, I can ask “Alexa, what’s your notification?”. I’m picturing something similar with the switches, except there are more colors and flashing to add context. They may be discreet, but they’re also everywhere. Since switches tend to be near room entrances or you may even use them, I think they’d be noticeable
If you come up with a good idea for it, let me know.
I never figured out what to do with it.
I figured having them everywhere is key for notifications . One is easy to miss if you’re not in the room, but if they’re everywhere, you’re bound to notice it.
Maybe yellow for low batteries anywhere or change filter or something
I’ve got some Shelly and some Zooz switches. Both work pretty well. Neither are zigbee but saw you were open to Shelly in your other comment
I've been using the Jasco Enbrighten Zigbee switches for a couple years and they're great.
Does it have to be zigbee? I like Shelly switches!
No it doesn't. They look nice