ᐅ Which Smart Home System to Choose – Special Requirements Present…
Created on: 24 Mar 2021 18:58
Z
zoe_willssmart
Hello,
unfortunately, I only realized towards the end of renovating my old house that smart home systems involve much more than just radiator thermostats and window sensors...
The more I looked into the topic, the more I noticed what I already have or want, and now I’m completely lost about what makes sense and how everything can be combined. So, the question is which wireless standard to use, since running cables is no longer an option.
What do I want to control remotely and make smart?
- Of course, the radiator thermostats, which should automatically turn down when I open a window—or when my partner tilts one open (which he likes to do, grr). I also want to be able to inform the system via an app whether I’m coming home or not, so heating isn’t wasted unnecessarily.
- Window sensors / handles: I want the app to show whether the windows are closed, tilted, or fully open. Maybe even a warning light near the door if I’m about to leave and something is still really open.
- In the hallway, I want lights that automatically turn on when I walk past, but of course only if it’s not bright enough. And at night, I don’t want floodlight intensity—just a comfortable level of light.
- Some switches are in awkward places, and running cables from there would be… well, forget it with these walls. So a few smart modules inside existing switch boxes and sticking a switch somewhere else should be possible with any system, right?
- Smoke detectors: Since my new drywall (plasterboard) walls have become quite soundproof, they need to network together and sound alarms in other rooms. It would be great if you could silence them via app and check which detector triggered first. (Have you ever jumped out of bed half-asleep because of an obvious false alarm, had to fetch a ladder, and pull down that annoying device from 3 meters (10 feet) high just to turn it off? I hate that…)
- Velux roof windows—specifically IO Homecontrol: aside from Somfy, they don’t seem to be controllable by default with other systems. Velux apparently offers an additional device (a hub? bridge? whatever), but can I integrate that anywhere? At least I’d like automatic shading to close when it gets unbearably hot indoors in summer. It would be great to have a network setup that opens my roof windows briefly when the air quality is very poor, instead of just blinking a warning like the Bosch Twinguard does. And, ideally, automatic shading plus opening/closing the windows depending on temperature—so it doesn’t get like a greenhouse during the day or too chilly in my attic at night.
- Outdoor irrigation: I’d like to connect irrigation to keep my flower pots watered on weekends or during holidays. There is a water connection available, and I could run power if needed. I have no clue whether I should go with a standard irrigation controller, something from Gardena, or a Raspberry Pi... At the moment, I’m thinking about setting up a hydroponic system, where a Raspberry Pi monitoring water parameters remotely might be the most practical solution. Do you have any ideas?
- Music: Since some of my stereo systems have broken down, I’m considering what else I could use besides the one tower with a CD player and the annoying music alarm clock. Years or decades ago I might have put my CD collection on a NAS to play in different rooms, but that’s probably not state-of-the-art anymore... Maybe, just maybe, it would make sense to just put a Bluetooth speaker in the bathroom and hobby room, which could be controlled remotely somehow. I actually don’t want Alexa/Siri/whatever listening devices in the house, but I might make an exception for the bathroom. How else do you control something like this if not through a phone? Do you keep an extra tablet there just to select music?
Questions, questions...
And to make things more complicated (otherwise you’d just say Zigbee):
I’m actually leaning toward Bosch—not only because I prefer rechargeable batteries for environmental reasons rather than disposable mini batteries, but also because I want to store my data locally on a device rather than somewhere in the cloud.
I guess integrating that with a Raspberry Pi will be difficult, right?
So if anyone can shed some light on this, I’d be very grateful for any information 🙂
unfortunately, I only realized towards the end of renovating my old house that smart home systems involve much more than just radiator thermostats and window sensors...
The more I looked into the topic, the more I noticed what I already have or want, and now I’m completely lost about what makes sense and how everything can be combined. So, the question is which wireless standard to use, since running cables is no longer an option.
What do I want to control remotely and make smart?
- Of course, the radiator thermostats, which should automatically turn down when I open a window—or when my partner tilts one open (which he likes to do, grr). I also want to be able to inform the system via an app whether I’m coming home or not, so heating isn’t wasted unnecessarily.
- Window sensors / handles: I want the app to show whether the windows are closed, tilted, or fully open. Maybe even a warning light near the door if I’m about to leave and something is still really open.
- In the hallway, I want lights that automatically turn on when I walk past, but of course only if it’s not bright enough. And at night, I don’t want floodlight intensity—just a comfortable level of light.
- Some switches are in awkward places, and running cables from there would be… well, forget it with these walls. So a few smart modules inside existing switch boxes and sticking a switch somewhere else should be possible with any system, right?
- Smoke detectors: Since my new drywall (plasterboard) walls have become quite soundproof, they need to network together and sound alarms in other rooms. It would be great if you could silence them via app and check which detector triggered first. (Have you ever jumped out of bed half-asleep because of an obvious false alarm, had to fetch a ladder, and pull down that annoying device from 3 meters (10 feet) high just to turn it off? I hate that…)
- Velux roof windows—specifically IO Homecontrol: aside from Somfy, they don’t seem to be controllable by default with other systems. Velux apparently offers an additional device (a hub? bridge? whatever), but can I integrate that anywhere? At least I’d like automatic shading to close when it gets unbearably hot indoors in summer. It would be great to have a network setup that opens my roof windows briefly when the air quality is very poor, instead of just blinking a warning like the Bosch Twinguard does. And, ideally, automatic shading plus opening/closing the windows depending on temperature—so it doesn’t get like a greenhouse during the day or too chilly in my attic at night.
- Outdoor irrigation: I’d like to connect irrigation to keep my flower pots watered on weekends or during holidays. There is a water connection available, and I could run power if needed. I have no clue whether I should go with a standard irrigation controller, something from Gardena, or a Raspberry Pi... At the moment, I’m thinking about setting up a hydroponic system, where a Raspberry Pi monitoring water parameters remotely might be the most practical solution. Do you have any ideas?
- Music: Since some of my stereo systems have broken down, I’m considering what else I could use besides the one tower with a CD player and the annoying music alarm clock. Years or decades ago I might have put my CD collection on a NAS to play in different rooms, but that’s probably not state-of-the-art anymore... Maybe, just maybe, it would make sense to just put a Bluetooth speaker in the bathroom and hobby room, which could be controlled remotely somehow. I actually don’t want Alexa/Siri/whatever listening devices in the house, but I might make an exception for the bathroom. How else do you control something like this if not through a phone? Do you keep an extra tablet there just to select music?
Questions, questions...
And to make things more complicated (otherwise you’d just say Zigbee):
I’m actually leaning toward Bosch—not only because I prefer rechargeable batteries for environmental reasons rather than disposable mini batteries, but also because I want to store my data locally on a device rather than somewhere in the cloud.
I guess integrating that with a Raspberry Pi will be difficult, right?
So if anyone can shed some light on this, I’d be very grateful for any information 🙂
S
Stefan00125 Mar 2021 12:21Is there a clear overview showing which “higher-level” control system manages which systems?
Schimi179125 Mar 2021 12:38Isn’t it possible to integrate various systems under one roof using Google Assistant? Assuming you want to leave this task to Google.
Only to a limited extent and rather rudimentary. So, far from an intelligent home. It is just one building block of a whole system and should not be understood as a top-level control unit, but rather somewhere in middle management.
@Stefan001
Every manufacturer of such a system always has an overview of the possibilities on their website. An overview of all systems is rather ineffective because it is already outdated as soon as it is published.
@Stefan001
Every manufacturer of such a system always has an overview of the possibilities on their website. An overview of all systems is rather ineffective because it is already outdated as soon as it is published.
Z
zoe_willssmart26 Mar 2021 15:23Thanks, that tip about the overarching system is very helpful!
I had only heard of io-broker before, but I wasn’t familiar with nodered and hadn’t figured out where it fits in.
I was more concerned that everything might get too complicated and was thinking of just finding a manufacturer that handles it all.
Is there already an overview here in the forum of what’s available, or what is this level called so I can search for it better?
Also, should I expect longer response times if everything first has to be transmitted to the central control unit, or can subsystems connect efficiently via Zigbee and similar protocols?
I had only heard of io-broker before, but I wasn’t familiar with nodered and hadn’t figured out where it fits in.
I was more concerned that everything might get too complicated and was thinking of just finding a manufacturer that handles it all.
Is there already an overview here in the forum of what’s available, or what is this level called so I can search for it better?
Also, should I expect longer response times if everything first has to be transmitted to the central control unit, or can subsystems connect efficiently via Zigbee and similar protocols?
untergasse4326 Mar 2021 17:08Mediola might be worth taking a look at as well....
Isolated systems don’t connect directly. The communication between these systems is managed by the central unit or controller. You will always experience some processing delays, sometimes more, sometimes less. However, with current wireless protocols, these delays are very minimal or barely noticeable. Reception issues or signal strength problems can still occur when using wireless communication, depending on how crowded the frequency band is.
In your case, things will be complicated either way. Generally, useful search terms might be “smart home visualization” or “IoT gateway.” But as mentioned, nothing comes easy, and it will likely involve extensive tinkering if you want to do it yourself. There are no ready-made, out-of-the-box solutions. I would be less worried about speed and more concerned about the risk that one of the many involved manufacturers might change their interfaces at some point—then you’re back to square one. This is always the case when trying to integrate so many separate products as smoothly as possible.
The easiest approach is probably to bring together only those devices branded with “Alexa” or “Google.” That has almost become a standard. Of course, you then have to use Alexa and Google services—and be willing to do so.
Isolated systems don’t connect directly. The communication between these systems is managed by the central unit or controller. You will always experience some processing delays, sometimes more, sometimes less. However, with current wireless protocols, these delays are very minimal or barely noticeable. Reception issues or signal strength problems can still occur when using wireless communication, depending on how crowded the frequency band is.
In your case, things will be complicated either way. Generally, useful search terms might be “smart home visualization” or “IoT gateway.” But as mentioned, nothing comes easy, and it will likely involve extensive tinkering if you want to do it yourself. There are no ready-made, out-of-the-box solutions. I would be less worried about speed and more concerned about the risk that one of the many involved manufacturers might change their interfaces at some point—then you’re back to square one. This is always the case when trying to integrate so many separate products as smoothly as possible.
The easiest approach is probably to bring together only those devices branded with “Alexa” or “Google.” That has almost become a standard. Of course, you then have to use Alexa and Google services—and be willing to do so.
zoe_willssmart schrieb:
finding a manufacturer who can handle everything.Such a manufacturer does not exist, and that is not the point. VW also does not produce all parts themselves but uses suppliers. It is the same here. You just need a coordinator to bring everything into harmony.