this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2023
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Home Automation
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Home automation is the residential extension of building automation.
It is automation of the home, housework or household activity.
Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), appliances, security locks of gates and doors and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security.
Warning: Working with electricity can result in injury, property damage, or even death if it is not done properly. Please keep this in mind while assisting others. If you are not sure about what you are doing, hire a licensed professional.
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What is the ultimate end goal?
You probably aren't going to find a "doorbell" that will seamlessly connect to a relay... as a "doorbell" isn't designed to do that.
What you can do is find a wireless button and a smart relay and a way to link them together, that will probably need an intermediary (zigbee hub.)
What I want to do is make a wireless doorbell placed on my back gate trigger my house's mechanical doorbell chime via a relay. Running wiring to this location would be difficult, especially without making a mess of it. And I have enough stuff that eats batteries to worry about already so I'd very much like to avoid that.
So why not use the electronic chime the doorbell comes with? Well, apart from a personal preference for the sound of a mechanical chime, range has proven to be a problem. The distance from the back gate to a central location in the house where the chime can be heard everywhere is enough that the button doesn't seem to actuate it reliably. It does work for the most part, but it misses events often enough that it's a problem, and I've tried a few different units too.
With some kind of relay receiver though, this would be a non-issue as I could put the receiver in the attic on the far edge of the house (the wireless doorbells do seem to work reliably with the receiver in this area) and easily tap in to existing wiring that goes to the mechanical chime.
Since this is a doorbell, it's also important that it looks like a doorbell so people who approach my house from that side (very common since my driveway is back there) will actually ring it. It also needs to be weatherproof because it will be exposed to rain. That's why I really don't want to go with some kind of DIY button here.
I'm open to suggestions though. If you have a better idea, let me know!
What about a kinetic light switch instead of a doorbell? They work with mains electricity rather than a relay, but it might be closer to your needs. If you fiddle around enough, you could find a self-compatible set of doorbell and switch where you could pair a doorbell button to a light switch unit.
Or you could use the light switch button (some are ip65, apparently) and draw a doorbell symbol on it. Some industrial units I've been to have a massive button as a doorbell at the gates.
The problem with light switches is that they are latched relays that typically only output line voltage, whereas I need a momentary relay that passes through 16V AC from the doorbell transformer. Do you know if some way to adapt this to my needs?