ᐅ What exactly is a smart home, and is it possible to retrofit one?
Created on: 15 Jun 2021 14:41
P
Pacc666
Hello,
I am currently in the process of building a house and have come across the topic of smart homes.
Smart home technology is quite a complex subject, and I am asking for help because I can’t figure it out on my own.
What exactly can a proper smart home do?
I think I only need a very basic smart home or simply remote control for my house.
What I want to have:
Control of roller shutters with rule creation, for example, always open them 30 minutes after sunrise but not before 7 a.m.
Lighting control via smartphone or voice (Philips Hue lamps will be installed in the living room for ambient lighting)
Window sensor for the sliding patio door so my roller shutter doesn’t accidentally lock me out
Video doorbell that notifies me on my phone when I’m at home
Smart sound system in the living and dining area, for example, for internet radio
Maybe later, control of underfloor heating
I definitely want to be able to create rules or scenarios (for example, cinema mode = lower the living room shutters to x % and dim the lights in the living and dining area and activate the ambient lighting)
What I don’t need:
Motion sensors (since I have a dog, they would be triggered all the time anyway)
I’m sure there are many other features I haven’t listed.
I don’t actually need an overly intelligent house.
I just want a few nice quality-of-life improvements.
For now, I want to find out what a proper smart home can actually do to see if I’m missing any functions that might be interesting for me.
I am currently in the process of building a house and have come across the topic of smart homes.
Smart home technology is quite a complex subject, and I am asking for help because I can’t figure it out on my own.
What exactly can a proper smart home do?
I think I only need a very basic smart home or simply remote control for my house.
What I want to have:
Control of roller shutters with rule creation, for example, always open them 30 minutes after sunrise but not before 7 a.m.
Lighting control via smartphone or voice (Philips Hue lamps will be installed in the living room for ambient lighting)
Window sensor for the sliding patio door so my roller shutter doesn’t accidentally lock me out
Video doorbell that notifies me on my phone when I’m at home
Smart sound system in the living and dining area, for example, for internet radio
Maybe later, control of underfloor heating
I definitely want to be able to create rules or scenarios (for example, cinema mode = lower the living room shutters to x % and dim the lights in the living and dining area and activate the ambient lighting)
What I don’t need:
Motion sensors (since I have a dog, they would be triggered all the time anyway)
I’m sure there are many other features I haven’t listed.
I don’t actually need an overly intelligent house.
I just want a few nice quality-of-life improvements.
For now, I want to find out what a proper smart home can actually do to see if I’m missing any functions that might be interesting for me.
A basic question for the original poster: How far along is the construction?
From reading the first post, it seems to be mainly about a remotely controlled house. However, to me, that is not a smart home. It only becomes smart when many sensors are used and various functions run automatically through appropriate programming. Whether you want this is a personal decision, and you should be prepared to invest the necessary money. I think it’s important to get involved in the planning early on, not just after the shell of the building is completed. Having a reliable partner and being actively involved yourself is also essential.
From reading the first post, it seems to be mainly about a remotely controlled house. However, to me, that is not a smart home. It only becomes smart when many sensors are used and various functions run automatically through appropriate programming. Whether you want this is a personal decision, and you should be prepared to invest the necessary money. I think it’s important to get involved in the planning early on, not just after the shell of the building is completed. Having a reliable partner and being actively involved yourself is also essential.
Obermuh schrieb:
Apple HomeKit could handle all of this if you make sure to choose roller shutter motors that are HomeKit compatible. It probably works with Alexa as well, but I have no experience with that. But that’s exactly what you shouldn’t do… Why would anyone want to give control over their own house or electrical system to a third party (or even many)?
Tarnari schrieb:
Back to the original question from the OP. What’s “smart” about that? Exactly, nothing at all. It’s a mess of systems that somehow sort of work together with lots of screen juggling and conjuring the great Apple.
And once the warranty/support expires, the gadget gradually ends up in the trash.
Mycraft schrieb:
But that’s exactly what you shouldn’t do… Why would anyone want to give a third party (or even many) control over their own house/electrical system?
Definitely not, absolutely nothing. It’s a zoo of systems that somehow work together to some extent, with a lot of hassle around the screen and summoning the big apple.
And once the warranty/support period is over, the gadget gradually ends up in the trash, I wouldn’t put it quite so bluntly. But yes, there are dozens of systems, and you have to ask yourself what performance you really want. “Smart” is nonsense. Comfort (whether KNX at its best, or Alexa) should be a personal choice.
You have to make a choice: rotary dial, push-button phone, or touchscreen.
Most consumer-grade systems already fail when it comes to reliably detecting presence or absence. Not to mention whether the present person is authorized, and I won’t even start on activity and status recognition—these systems are far behind or haven’t even considered that such functionality might be needed.
Most consumer-grade systems already fail when it comes to reliably detecting presence or absence. Not to mention whether the present person is authorized, and I won’t even start on activity and status recognition—these systems are far behind or haven’t even considered that such functionality might be needed.
Mycraft schrieb:
You have to make a choice: rotary dial, push-button phone, or touchscreen.... or voice control. 😉 I think the requirements mentioned aren’t unrealistic, and nowadays there are really dozens of systems that can do this. If you’re planning everything from the start anyway, I would of course recommend choosing a system that covers all points (well). But you can also use separate systems for each area, as long as you don’t need interoperability.Thanks for all the responses.
I don’t think I need a fully integrated smart home.
For example, I wanted to avoid motion sensors since I have a large dog that would probably trigger them all the time.
What do you think about the Weberhaus smart home system? It’s based on EnOcean technology.
I find the EnOcean technology interesting, especially in places without a power supply. For the blinds, I was thinking of flush-mounted switches, which are automatically powered.
What’s important to me is that everything still works the traditional way with push buttons, but also supports rules and small automations.
Apparently, my expectations aren’t that high 🙂
I don’t think I need a fully integrated smart home.
For example, I wanted to avoid motion sensors since I have a large dog that would probably trigger them all the time.
What do you think about the Weberhaus smart home system? It’s based on EnOcean technology.
I find the EnOcean technology interesting, especially in places without a power supply. For the blinds, I was thinking of flush-mounted switches, which are automatically powered.
What’s important to me is that everything still works the traditional way with push buttons, but also supports rules and small automations.
Apparently, my expectations aren’t that high 🙂
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