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 🙂
zoe_willssmart schrieb:
why iobroker and mediola? why not just one? Before I started using iobroker, I was still using the Homematic system. That’s when I first came across visualization with mediola. However, since the license for Homematic from mediola was too expensive for me, I never implemented it. Then I switched to iobroker. It comes with built-in visualization, but in my opinion, it’s not as user-friendly as mediola’s. With iobroker, you have to build a lot yourself, whereas with mediola, much is already pre-made. The mediola license for iobroker costs only 1€ (about 1 USD), so I didn’t have to think twice. Also, I wasn’t able to integrate my surveillance camera with iobroker, but that was due to the camera model. That’s why I stayed with mediola for the time being. Eventually, however, I plan to switch to iobroker’s visualization.
untergasse4330 Mar 2021 11:50zoe_willssmart schrieb:
I’m just a bit concerned with brokers and so on that it might turn into a time-consuming hobby instead of a smart home that runs smoothly in the background... I could quote myself here... what you are planning is not simple, and either you pay someone else for their time or you invest it yourself. Please let go of the idea that there is a system that can handle all your wishes “smoothly in the background” without much effort. That simply doesn’t exist.
I also think you should first consider exactly what you want. A room schedule can help with this. From that, you can determine what is needed.
In my opinion, the most cost-effective option is multiple standalone solutions like Shelly devices combined with iObroker or HomeAssistant, as already mentioned. If this cannot or should not be implemented by yourself, or if budget is not an issue, then either find someone who can integrate several systems or look into whether there are systems that meet your requirements (KNX RF, Loxone Air, EnOcean, etc.).
In my opinion, the most cost-effective option is multiple standalone solutions like Shelly devices combined with iObroker or HomeAssistant, as already mentioned. If this cannot or should not be implemented by yourself, or if budget is not an issue, then either find someone who can integrate several systems or look into whether there are systems that meet your requirements (KNX RF, Loxone Air, EnOcean, etc.).
Hello zoe_willssmart,
we are running an older Raspberry 3+ with IO Broker. From my experience, it runs very stably (unless I overload it again) and can integrate many platforms under one roof.
You already mentioned Zigbee. Normally, like with Openhab and similar systems, you only need one Zigbee USB stick plugged into the Raspberry—not a separate hub for each system. You just need to watch out for the maximum number of devices the stick supports. After installing the appropriate instance on IO Broker, you can get started.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend relying on a closed, single-system solution, as it is too inflexible. For example, our IKEA motion sensor (Zigbee) detects when the cat is at the patio door, the Xiaomi window contact (Zigbee) reports the door is closed, and in that case IO Broker turns on a lamp (Wi-Fi / Tasmota) in the living room. Three different systems are controlled by one server, and everything runs locally without any cloud dependency.
In the morning, while still in bed, you shake the Xiaomi Cube (Zigbee) and the coffee machine in the kitchen turns on (Wi-Fi, Tasmota). Turning the Cube around switches on the bedroom light (Shelly). Alternatively, IO Broker can check a linked iCal calendar (Google) for specific entries and switch the coffee machine on (and off again after a preset time).
The RF receiver kindly picks up data from the neighbor’s weather station and shares it with the irrigation instance, which also looks at the weather forecast and opens the solenoid valves connected via Wi-Fi for the appropriate times.
If you rely on just one system, you quickly hit limits because the available hardware from that vendor doesn’t cover everything yet, so you need a second system that usually can’t communicate directly with the first one.
By the way, we don’t use any visualization. I started setting one up once, but now everything runs so automatically that there’s no need to use a tablet anymore.
The IKEA Zigbee devices run on AAA batteries. The Xiaomi batteries look better and are higher quality but are smaller. It’s important, of course, to have hardwired Zigbee devices that act as repeaters (lamps, sockets, etc.).
For devices further away, I use Wi-Fi (Shelly and Sonoff / Tasmota) because Zigbee doesn’t have a very long range. My favorite, though, is wired devices (Modbus or MQTT), but that’s no longer an option for you.
In any case, you need something like IO Broker, Openhab, or similar, or else you’ll end up with many hubs and even more apps on your phone.
Best regards
we are running an older Raspberry 3+ with IO Broker. From my experience, it runs very stably (unless I overload it again) and can integrate many platforms under one roof.
You already mentioned Zigbee. Normally, like with Openhab and similar systems, you only need one Zigbee USB stick plugged into the Raspberry—not a separate hub for each system. You just need to watch out for the maximum number of devices the stick supports. After installing the appropriate instance on IO Broker, you can get started.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend relying on a closed, single-system solution, as it is too inflexible. For example, our IKEA motion sensor (Zigbee) detects when the cat is at the patio door, the Xiaomi window contact (Zigbee) reports the door is closed, and in that case IO Broker turns on a lamp (Wi-Fi / Tasmota) in the living room. Three different systems are controlled by one server, and everything runs locally without any cloud dependency.
In the morning, while still in bed, you shake the Xiaomi Cube (Zigbee) and the coffee machine in the kitchen turns on (Wi-Fi, Tasmota). Turning the Cube around switches on the bedroom light (Shelly). Alternatively, IO Broker can check a linked iCal calendar (Google) for specific entries and switch the coffee machine on (and off again after a preset time).
The RF receiver kindly picks up data from the neighbor’s weather station and shares it with the irrigation instance, which also looks at the weather forecast and opens the solenoid valves connected via Wi-Fi for the appropriate times.
If you rely on just one system, you quickly hit limits because the available hardware from that vendor doesn’t cover everything yet, so you need a second system that usually can’t communicate directly with the first one.
By the way, we don’t use any visualization. I started setting one up once, but now everything runs so automatically that there’s no need to use a tablet anymore.
The IKEA Zigbee devices run on AAA batteries. The Xiaomi batteries look better and are higher quality but are smaller. It’s important, of course, to have hardwired Zigbee devices that act as repeaters (lamps, sockets, etc.).
For devices further away, I use Wi-Fi (Shelly and Sonoff / Tasmota) because Zigbee doesn’t have a very long range. My favorite, though, is wired devices (Modbus or MQTT), but that’s no longer an option for you.
In any case, you need something like IO Broker, Openhab, or similar, or else you’ll end up with many hubs and even more apps on your phone.
Best regards
Z
zoe_willssmart2 May 2021 10:35Thank you all for your detailed answers! I’ll probably spend the summer reading up even more on the topic while relaxing in my hammock. My neighbor also gave me some good advice this week and pointed me towards Home Assistant, because he thinks that for someone like me who doesn’t want to program, the Io Broker might not be the most user-friendly solution, lol.
It looks like it will really end up being a DIY setup with a lot of Zigbee and a bit of EnOcean running on a Raspberry Pi or a NAS. And maybe during the next electrician visit, I’ll add a few Shelly devices.
Instead of tinkering and soldering to get the Velux system under control, I might just go with the Velux Bridge as the only additional device (if I can hide it somewhere discreetly).
Thanks to everyone who pushed me in the right direction with their information!
It looks like it will really end up being a DIY setup with a lot of Zigbee and a bit of EnOcean running on a Raspberry Pi or a NAS. And maybe during the next electrician visit, I’ll add a few Shelly devices.
Instead of tinkering and soldering to get the Velux system under control, I might just go with the Velux Bridge as the only additional device (if I can hide it somewhere discreetly).
Thanks to everyone who pushed me in the right direction with their information!
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