Smart Home Advice

gpt

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Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice with regards to starting to get some smart controls in my own home and I am at the very beginning.

1) I have a nest hub max and a nest mini (both freebies, one from Vodafone, one from Spotify). Is looking for Google assistant compatible devices a good place to start, or are there generally better individual devices out there?

2) the main reason for my enquiry at this time. My heating controls and valves throughout my house are worn and in need of replacing. Smart trvs with zonal controls and timing controls will be my first investment. Are there any favourites out there worth looking at?

3) the next investment would be a smart lock for the front door (were replacing that too) and security cameras on the house. Again from my previous questions, are there good devices out there that will all link with Google assistant? Or should i not get hung up on Google in order to keep a broader search.

Blind and lighting controls would likely be the final option on my current list.


Thanks to anyone who chips in with the info 😊
 
If you're looking to control heating, lighting, blinds and security you might want to give some serious thought as to whether a better solution for you would be to consider a more comprehensive whole house approach. It will give you more coordination and control.

Take a look at Loxone (www.loxone.com/enen/) as it would probably suit what you need and can be added a bit at a time. I have Loxone in my house but will declare that I am a Loxone registered partner too.

Happy to provide what advice I can but there are other systems out there too.
 
I agree that the OP should look at a more integrated solution with some sort of Home Automation control, but I think that it is a huge leap from where he is going from a Nest Hub to Loxone.

For a Loxone setup, for everything that the OP is looking for He would need a budget of between £5,000 - £10,000 using Loxone and that Loxone is not a self install product, so would require installation (hence some of the above costs) and ongoing maintenance. (Prices based on last time I worked with a Loxone installer, so may be off a little).

Loxone is a great product and offers fantastic integration, but it is firmly in the Crestron, Control4, AMX camp of installer only systems, normally installed in the higher end residential properties.

I would suggest that the OP may want to also look at some of the more affordable DIY options, such as HASS, Homeseer, Hubitat, Fibaro, Homey, Vera etc in the tens to a few hundred pounds category.
 
I agree that the OP should look at a more integrated solution with some sort of Home Automation control, but I think that it is a huge leap from where he is going from a Nest Hub to Loxone.

For a Loxone setup, for everything that the OP is looking for He would need a budget of between £5,000 - £10,000 using Loxone and that Loxone is not a self install product, so would require installation (hence some of the above costs) and ongoing maintenance. (Prices based on last time I worked with a Loxone installer, so may be off a little).

Loxone is a great product and offers fantastic integration, but it is firmly in the Crestron, Control4, AMX camp of installer only systems, normally installed in the higher end residential properties.

I would suggest that the OP may want to also look at some of the more affordable DIY options, such as HASS, Homeseer, Hubitat, Fibaro, Homey, Vera etc in the tens to a few hundred pounds category.
5 to 10k is certainly well beyond my budget. The heating for example, had it been standard radiator valves, it is likely something we would have done ourselves. I was hoping to spend no more than 1k on 4 smart trvs, a controller and the installation. I was hoping to do this before Christmas and maybe getting extra discount during any kind of "black Friday" period. The front door and smart lock would wait until the start of next year/spring with the lighting and blind control coming as and when as there is no immediate issues with those items in my home at the moment.
 
SmartHome is just some Input/output board connected to the Wi-Fi network. I manage to control everything in my home for 100£ (typical price of an IO board), these IO board are beginning to be accessible to not technical user. You can be inspire by the link Turn android phone into security system and try to press the price down of your provider.
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I would look at a diy solution initially. It suits (especially my pocket!) me not to be tied to a particular brand or framework. I run Raspberry Pi and esp32 hardware, the latter module costs a fiver to give you an idea.
Take a look at esphome and the Home Assistant network for ideas...
 
FYI Amazon UK has approx 50% discount on TADO smart home heating systems for the next 14 hours. (Possibly again on Black Friday.)

I just changed my home to Tado from Nest because Nest ain't never going to do individual smart radiator valves. Had a couple of snags with getting the Tado set up, but overall quite happy with it. Overpriced at full price but got it at 50% on Prime day.

Damp / humidity monitoring in each room (with the smart TRVs) is a godsend in this crappy rainy winter weather.
 
FYI Amazon UK has approx 50% discount on TADO smart home heating systems for the next 14 hours. (Possibly again on Black Friday.)

I just changed my home to Tado from Nest because Nest ain't never going to do individual smart radiator valves. Had a couple of snags with getting the Tado set up, but overall quite happy with it. Overpriced at full price but got it at 50% on Prime day.

Damp / humidity monitoring in each room (with the smart TRVs) is a godsend in this crappy rainy winter weather.

Thanks for the heads up! I was waiting until a bit nearer black friday but will have a look at this now!
 
Drayton Wiser is a lower price option for heating. I have 8 TRVs and a Hub. Been running for a year or so.
 
My own suggestion would be to look for complete discrete working systems for your main must-have functionality, with systems that offer some sort of integration path for wider connectivity.

Heating, hot water, and lighting controls must be pretty much 100% reliable and be able to operate fully stand-alone without the integration layer/internet connection, and with user controls that are reasonably accessible.

It’s all well and good making all the magic happen within the integration layer, but you don’t want to be left cold or in the dark because of a network/internet/server issue and having no simple way to bypass the issue without pulling it all apart or bypassing wiring connections etc!
 

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