Wow, what a journey it’s been since starting this home automation project from scratch! Here’s what I love most about it:
- It’s free and open-source – no hidden costs or locked features.
- Massive community support – countless contributors constantly adding value.
- Privacy-first and local automation – no need for cloud connections, ensuring data stays private.
- Supports a vast array of devices and protocols – eliminates the need for dozens of apps to control different devices.
- Unified system – allows devices to “talk” to each other, creating a truly smart mesh.
- Flexibility and hackability – if a feature doesn’t exist yet, it can be custom-built and integrated. There are no limits!
First Automation: Smart Radio Charger
It all started with a small problem I had at home. We use two radios (walkie-talkies) – one in the ground-floor kitchen and one upstairs in the office – for quick communication with the kids and my wife. It’s great for avoiding shouting across the house, but keeping them on chargers all the time was damaging the batteries. Here’s why:
- Constant charging is terrible for battery health.
- Using a simple timer wasn’t effective – if the radio wasn’t in the dock at the scheduled time, it would die.
- Proper charging needs to be dynamic – too short, and it’s undercharged; too long, and it overcharges. Ideally, batteries should stay between 40-80%.
This is where home automation saved the day. Here’s how I solved it:
- Used a smart plug to monitor power consumption.
- Automatically cut power at ~80% charge by analyzing wattage. The radio’s power consumption drops as it nears full charge, making it easy to time the cutoff for a near-perfect 80% charge.
- Kicked off the next charging cycle ~12 hours later. Through trial and error, I found this interval works best for our usage. If the battery drops below 40% due to heavy use, it’s still safe and never fully discharges.
- Added additional rules to detect if the radio was in the dock, ensure uninterrupted charging cycles, and prevent power from being cut too soon.
Now, the radios are always ready to use, batteries stay healthy, and the process is completely automated. I love how smart and efficient this solution is!
Next Project: Smart Washing Machine
This one’s a game-changer. I converted our basic washing machine into a smart one using:
- A smart plug to monitor power consumption.
- A proximity sensor to check if the door is open or closed.
With some automation magic, I now get a notification when the washing is done. Even better – an LED strip in the kitchen turns green to remind me to transfer the laundry to the dryer. No more smelly, forgotten clothes!
This automation even got full spouse approval! My wife isn’t into all the techy stuff, so I keep automation subtle. But she truly appreciated this upgrade – no more guessing when the washing is done.
Final Thoughts
These small projects are just the beginning, but they’ve already made a big difference in daily life. It’s incredible how much you can achieve with smart home automation when you combine creativity, practicality, and some tech tinkering!
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