Every home automation needs a brain, called a hub, to process all the data that’s coming in. Then it will act according to the rules you set up. The most powerful, and also the hardest is Home Assistant. You can install it on an old desktop or laptop. I have mine running on a junk laptop that I got for free. This HA lets you integrate things from a variety of manufacturers, from dirt cheap to expensive. IF you go this route, you will need a Zwave USB stick if your sensors use Zwave protocol. For most users, the easiest is to buy something off the shelf such as the Samsung SmartThings hub. This ST will let you integrate things from medium to expensive hardware. Luckily this hub works with zwave and zigbee and other sensors so there is no need to buy adapters as with HA. Amazon links to products. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
Sensors and smart devices to buy
- Door sensor lets you know when things are open or close. This $25 model has temperature and vibration built in as well. I put it on my front door because sometimes UPS does not ring but they do knock and set the vibration alert to my phone.
2. A water leak sensor is great for vacation or AirBNB houses. At home, I put this near toilets and water heater. My brother learned the hard way when 1 of his water supply line leaked for days in the pool house.
3. Motion sensor can be used for presence detection. Automations are set to have things activated or deactivated when the sensor sees you.
4. Fire and carbon monoxide is an absolute must for everyone. Get instant alerts on your phone when you are not home. Or set up alerts to send to close relatives when you are on an extended vacation.
5. Schlage smart deadbolt allows you to assign different unlock codes to different users. Have a code for contractors instead of keys and delete the code when the job is done. Have a code for a kid so you can be alerted when that code was used at 3pm and not at 3am.
6. Security cameras system should be high on the list but I understand they are expensive for a lot of people. If you already have one, it will integrate nicely with your other devices as seen below.
Devices to buy and how they work together.
Example 1: Smart light switch (3 way) with dimmer helps us smoothly navigate the house at night without blindingly bright lights. When the front door equipped with door sensor opens at night, turn light on 30% bright using these dimmable LED lights. With motion sensor….if I walk in further in the living room, turn lights up to 100%
We converted dumb light switch to smart for $11 thanks to these Shelley1. Example 2: when motion is detected, turn on the lights. If no motion is detected within 8 mins, turn lights off.
Convert dumb things to smart things, and get them online thanks to the ESP8266 chips. I got my dumb doorbells online within 20 mins of tinkering and the result was staggering! Example 3: when doorbell rings, take a picture from the security camera outside, send it to my phone. Have lights on the 2nd and 3rd floor flash on and off to get people’s attention. I don’t always hear the bell on the 2nd or 3rd floor when music is playing loudly. But now I will know whether I should run to get UPS deliveries or just ignore another religious nut trying to convert me.
The price for all of this is easily over a grand and truly daunting at a glance if you are trying to set everything up within a week. Start slow. Go at your own pace. We started automating our house 5 years ago starting with the alarm system and security cameras. Once the first baby arrived, we ramped up automation seeing how it can alleviate a lot of mundane tasks and we haven’t stopped since.