ᐅ Retrofitting Roller Shutters for Smart Home Integration in Renovated Older Buildings

Created on: 15 Aug 2022 14:30
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Westfale0101
Dear smart home experts,

We are currently working on the electrical installation and would like to install flush-mounted smart home switches on the ground floor and most of the upper floor. Our family uses the Homematic system, but the external additional module is a drawback. We want to avoid using that.

We will also have additional rocker switches (open/close) in the rooms. Still, we want to use the exposed walls to enable smart home control for the roller shutters without major extras.

When searching on Google, the finesell SmartHome roller shutter module 4-pack for €99.99 is regularly shown. It can be used without an external additional module and works with apps such as SmartLife.

Questions:
1. What do you think about this offered set and the app?
2. Are there any worthwhile alternatives?
3. How do you assess the SmartLife app?
4. How does the pairing process work?
5. Integration with Apple HomeKit is probably not possible (but also not a requirement)?

Hopefully, you can shed some light on this.

Best regards!
Patricck11 Oct 2022 21:33
As mentioned before, we did this using Loxone.
The possibilities are almost limitless, and there is a relatively easy way to integrate third-party products (Homematic, miele@home, etc.).

I am not a big fan of systems that carry the name of well-known companies but somehow have nothing to do with the manufacturer.
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Westfale0101
12 Oct 2022 10:03
All right, thank you. I find the overall package quite expensive compared to, for example, the Bosch system, which is more intuitive for me to understand. Maybe there are additional suggestions or answers to the (other) questions 🙂
Araknis12 Oct 2022 11:10
In this case, it is definitely overkill, but Patricck always recommends this, no matter the requirement 🙂
Patricck12 Oct 2022 12:16
Araknis schrieb:

In this case, it's definitely like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but Patricck always recommends this, no matter the requirement 🙂

Well, it's just because it's possible and because it works ‍♂️
Araknis12 Oct 2022 13:00
Okay, you can also solve it with KNX or Crestron. However, it is equally unnecessary in this case.
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JaiBee07
13 Oct 2022 00:50
I will implement exactly the same with the Shellies.
They have been available for a while, offer devices that work well, provide a reasonable price-performance ratio, and have a supportive community where you can get help if problems arise. Additionally, in case of need, alternative firmware can be installed on the hardware.

Yes, they use wireless (Wi-Fi), so good network coverage inside the house is necessary. But that is something you usually plan for nowadays (e.g., at least one Wi-Fi access point on the ceiling per floor).
You can control them remotely via the cloud, but this is not mandatory (the cloud function can be disabled).

I tested the Shellies for over 2 years on the pool pump control in my previous house, and they worked completely reliably, despite relatively poor Wi-Fi coverage in the garden.