Not a purchase, but Home Assistant is easily the most enjoyable gadget and piece of tech I’ve had in years. It’s ridiculously flexible and can do just about anything you can imagine.
I’ve been able to automate dumb devices (like an old top-of-the-line receiver) and give them smart features rather than spending thousands to replace them. Occupancy detection saves energy by changing thermostat settings when people aren’t home, and lights come on when we’re 60’ from the front door after a walk. Multiple leak detectors and a temperature sensor in the fridge let us know when something’s wrong before damage occurs. We get notifications when the dryer and washer cycles are complete allowing us to complete the laundry in one day instead of two.
The system is configured to change change interior light brightness and hue based on time of day so at 7PM we have bright room lighting and at 2AM it’s very dim. We get immediate notifications of package deliveries. Firewall settings are dynamically changed so devices that require Internet access only have it when they are actually in use. Integrations exist for VLC, Spotify, Jellyfin, Paperless, Apple, TVs, alarm systems, solar power systems, routers, automobiles, and hundreds of other brands and devices.
Yes, much of the same can be done with connected appliances, lights, and other smart devices, but what’s different about Home Assistant is all control and storage can be local. We have no cloud or corporate services involved for any of this. Google, Apple, Amazon and Samsung can’t one day decide to pull the plug on things we’ve already paid for.
The big problem with Home Assistant is there are so many uses you can easily end up spending way too much time tinkering and never get anything else done.
How much work was it to set all that up and how much did it cost? I’ve messed around with home assistant, but found the upfront cost (in time and money) a bit high for automating a handful of things.
I’m planning to install it on a spare old RPi2. I hope it’ll be powerful enough. I have Broadlink RM pro that I can’t wait to use without the horrible proprietary app for it.
It’s likely going to be struggling with that hardware, but it should give you a look at the UI and some of the features. I’ve spent years running Home Assistant and am still learning new things all the time, which IMO is one of the best things about it.
Not a purchase, but Home Assistant is easily the most enjoyable gadget and piece of tech I’ve had in years. It’s ridiculously flexible and can do just about anything you can imagine.
I’ve been able to automate dumb devices (like an old top-of-the-line receiver) and give them smart features rather than spending thousands to replace them. Occupancy detection saves energy by changing thermostat settings when people aren’t home, and lights come on when we’re 60’ from the front door after a walk. Multiple leak detectors and a temperature sensor in the fridge let us know when something’s wrong before damage occurs. We get notifications when the dryer and washer cycles are complete allowing us to complete the laundry in one day instead of two.
The system is configured to change change interior light brightness and hue based on time of day so at 7PM we have bright room lighting and at 2AM it’s very dim. We get immediate notifications of package deliveries. Firewall settings are dynamically changed so devices that require Internet access only have it when they are actually in use. Integrations exist for VLC, Spotify, Jellyfin, Paperless, Apple, TVs, alarm systems, solar power systems, routers, automobiles, and hundreds of other brands and devices.
Yes, much of the same can be done with connected appliances, lights, and other smart devices, but what’s different about Home Assistant is all control and storage can be local. We have no cloud or corporate services involved for any of this. Google, Apple, Amazon and Samsung can’t one day decide to pull the plug on things we’ve already paid for.
The big problem with Home Assistant is there are so many uses you can easily end up spending way too much time tinkering and never get anything else done.
How much work was it to set all that up and how much did it cost? I’ve messed around with home assistant, but found the upfront cost (in time and money) a bit high for automating a handful of things.
I’m planning to install it on a spare old RPi2. I hope it’ll be powerful enough. I have Broadlink RM pro that I can’t wait to use without the horrible proprietary app for it.
It’s likely going to be struggling with that hardware, but it should give you a look at the UI and some of the features. I’ve spent years running Home Assistant and am still learning new things all the time, which IMO is one of the best things about it.