Recently, I watched NetworkChuck’s video “your home automation SUCKS!!” that got me fired up about trying out Home Assistant.
A few years back, when home automation started to gain traction through easy-to-use apps like Tuya and Google Assistant, I dove in and automated parts of my house just for fun. I set up smart lights, plugs, automated Christmas lights, party ball, music, light scenes and bunch of other stuff. It was a blast, even if it came with plenty of challenges, and somehow, I managed to pull it all together (all through mobile apps, such as Tuya, Google Home, etc).
At the time, it was all just playful experimentation – no serious automation like security or heating control, although I did briefly connect a portable radiator to a temperature sensor. But this was a one-off test, not an attempt to automate the entire heating system. My family and I had a great time, especially with the voice-activated scenes: “Hey Google, let’s party!” and the lights and music would go wild. Or, “Hey Google, let’s relax,” and the room would turn cozy and calm.
While it was fun, I saw the limitations. The tech then didn’t feel solid enough for serious projects like full-house heating control or a security system.
When we moved to our new house, I decided to keep things “dumb simple” and skip the smart home automation. I wanted a clean, simple setup – and it worked… but, honestly, it’s kind of boring! Don’t get me wrong; we have plenty of tech around here, just nothing in the realm of home automation… until now.
Then, Chuck’s video opened my eyes. Home Assistant is an incredible platform – open-source, fully local, with no cloud dependency. I have complete control over the automation workflows, and the level of customization and coding it offers goes way beyond anything I’d used before. And best of all, it’s DIY, which perfectly fits my love for exploring and learning.
So, I’m diving into Home Assistant OS – actually, pretty much right now. Let the fun begin!
What do you think?