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this post was submitted on 30 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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If you have light fittings with removable light bulbs, I’d suggest buy one or two smart bulbs to ‘test the waters’, and see if it’s what you want. You can stick to white light only bulbs for simplicity or try RGB bulbs.
You’ve got two main options in the long run: smart bulbs, and smart switches. The main connection/communication protocols are wifi, zigbee, z-wave, and bluetooth. Here’s a very brief list of pros and cons for each:
Smart bulb pros:
- Easier/simpler to get started with: you just need to take the dumb bulb out, put the smart one in, and you’re up and running.
- Variety of options at many price points: many people swear by Philips Hue, due to colour accuracy and brightness. You can find much cheaper options with varying degrees of quality however - I can vouch for Ikea Tradfri bulbs for cost and performance.
Cons:
- You need to leave a light switch on to retain smart controls/schedules.
- The cost can add up when you have lots of lights you’d like smart control over.
Smart switches pros:
- Cost. The switch can be pricey, depending on type and brand. However, for example if you have one switch for say 6 downlights in a large room, a smart switch is much more cost effective.
- Simple/clean operation: whether you have an all in one smart switch, or an in-wall switch, you can use the wall switch as you always have in addition to smart controls via voice assistants/smart phone. It doesn’t matter if your housemate/spouse turns the light off at the wall.
Cons:
- Installation is less than simple: if DIY installation is legal in your country, you need to know your way around mains voltage devices or you risk killing yourself. If DIY is not legal you need to pay a professional or void your insurance.
- Some all in one solutions are very expensive and can lock you into an ecosystem.
You can use a smart switch and smart bulb together, if you find the right switch. If you combine a Zigbee based switch and light bulb, you can decouple the wall switch from the relay and bind it to the light bulb. Doing this allows you to turn off the wall switch, send a turn off command to the bulb, all while leaving the bulb powered on.