One thing I find super helpful is to always automate with odd numbers that people wouldn’t use. Like 99%, 49%, 1% ect for things like brightness or blind level. This way the Automation can check if the current state was automated and can continue to adjust. But if someone has set the lights in the kitchen to 100%, the automation doesn’t adjust those lights. Or if someone mid day closed their blinds fully, the automation don’t then open them. Then nightly at 2am I have an automation that resets things in the house back to an automated position, any blind that is set to 100% motors to 99% or if at 0% adjusts to 1% (not even audible). Any lights that are still on get turned off, fans set back to a desirable state, ect.
Another great video, Reed! One thing that works really well for bathrooms is "wasp in a box" logic. If the motion sensor has been triggered and the door is closed, someone is definitely still in there and needs the lights on (even if they're sitting on the toilet watching UA-cam videos). So configure the automation to only turn off the lights if the motion sensor is clear and the door is open.
The problem is when it's just me and my wife we don't close the toilet door because our cat has it's litterbox and food there and he likes to do his stuff when we do. I had to abandon the wasp in a box concept even though it's a very compelling one
@@jeisonsanchez4842 I have a toilet seat sensor for just this reason. I attached an open close sensor to the toilet lid. It works as long as everyone closes the lid after they're finished.
I have the most convoluted set of scenes for my bathroom automations using dummy switches but it now works 100% of the time. Very satisfying when you finally sort out all the embarrassing… lights off or on scenarios
You covered all the issues I've faced and addressed. I have also added a pre arm state so when walking past certain rooms in the right conditions the next room will light up 50% of what the current target brightness for 5 seconds and then either turns off with no confirmed motion or go to the target brightness (and colour) with confirmed motion. Also when the delayed turning off I have made it go to 50% brightness for 30 seconds before fading to off to give ample time to move a bit more. I'm currently in the process of installing espresense onto mant esp32s and will have one in the roof space above each room to further add to the functionality.
using timer helpers really helps. motion events just reset the timer, and the timer finish is what turns the lights off. makes it very easy to have multiple events which can reset the timer.
1:07 another problem I found with these Lutron motion sensors is that a) some models don’t have an ambient light sensor so will turn on even during the day and b) glass shower doors seem to reflect the IR sensors so even though the switch is facing into the bathroom, people walking by while the door is open can trigger the lights
Awesome video as always. I need to purchase dimmable light soon. Also i have made "dumb /fake" lights and once I say "I am cooking" it turns on the fake light in the kitchen and as long its on - the real lights will never go off automatically. They can be turned off manually with the switch or by saying "I am done cooking"
I have motion sensors in my bedroom and it’s perfect. I have two motion sensors. One looking at the whole room, and one installed under a piece of furniture, able to see only at floor level. At night, only the one at floor level turns on the light, at 15% intensity. The light remains on for about 15 seconds after both sensors see no motion (so one sensor is used to turn light on, but both keep the light on afterwards). Motion in the bed during the night has never turned on the light. During the day, both sensors turn on the light at 100% intensity. One could wonder why not use a floor-level sensor only. It's because it's difficult to scan the whole room at floor level with furniture in the way.
@@FreDePeuter I simply suggested an alternative method to accomplish the same thing without using two sensors. You can take it or leave it. If it doesn't help you I'm sure some other people who want to accomplish something similar will find it useful.
@@TyDaSpace Please do tell, how do you accomplish having your bedroom lights turning on *only* when you're getting out of bed at night, and not when you're just being active in bed? With just one room sensor....
@@FreDePeuter having just the single sensor next to the bed. When motion is detected after bedtime i.e getting up from bed, only turn on the low light. Any other time, turn on whatever light you want. You can combine it with your TV(if you have a smart tv or smart plug) in the room as well or contact sensor on your bedroom door. So many other ways to instead of wasting it on two sensors. I don't know about you but I'd rather spend less for more. If 2 sensor is what works for you then by all means but two motion sensor. As I said in my previous post, I was offering an alternative solution so I'm not sure why you are on the offensive side. Calm your tits.
@@TyDaSpace I think you're not getting the concept the original post.... Not being offensive, just got annoyed at your plug for your channel posting on someone's concept that you didn't grasp. My tits are fine thankyouverymuch ✌
Automation Kill Switches are something several automaters have mentioned, and they are a life saver when you live with other people. Sometimes automations just don't work that well when you have visitors and you need to have that kill switch
my biggest improvement was binning all my sonoff PIR sensors and using mm wave sensors instead (Tuya zy-m100). For the beds im using load cells for bed presence detection preventing the lights coming on if someone's in bed
I’ve been using the WiZ SpaceSense feature in a bedroom for a couple of weeks… so far so good. There is one WiZ bulb each in two floorstanding fixtures, spaced across the room from each other.
A mistake I made was not putting motion sensors up to the seeling (using Phillips Hue btw). This works amazing and the angles are the best, it's practically 360° view.
YoLink Smart Outdoor Motion Detector I've put these in my (long) driveway. And they work fantastic. So when delivery/guest/coming home at night. I have them turn all the front/driveway/porch/garage accent ,etc turn on to full brightness for 12 minutes. Then go back to normal state for the time/scheduled before.
Having different light-off delays is a great idea I've been meaning to implement for a while. In Home Assistant you can achieve this in a single automation using the choose: action
Reed as the authority on diy smart home your persistence in integrating it with your family is what I really enjoy about your content. I think I've posted about how I think smart home is isnt selling as well as it could because it's not marketed as the saviour of marriage. Lots of my friends think smart home is just talking to a smart speaker to turn on and off hue lights. And that's what they have. However the power of automation applied correctly is infinitely more useful. Vibration pressure and contact sensors are some of the knick knacks that are a real game changer. Specifically if you live with a spouse and family and like me you live in a 3 story where one floor is seldomly used but is necessary to access to enter/leave. But your bedrooms are on the top floor. And in the middle of the night your spouse asks oh... Can you check if we turned off the lights downstairs? Or is the garage door open? (This interaction alone is the sole destroyer of marriages I garauntee it) Smart home automation is actually a solution you can buy to fix an otherwise uninhabitable state of mind. I'm talking about the same effects as curing clinical depression.
I find that PIR motion sensors seem to work best on the ceiling in the middle-ish of the room. That way you're always walking across it. It's not usually practical to do this, however.
Reed, have you tried adding your hallway and garage motion sensors to binary sensor groups in Home Assistant? This can simplify your automations for those two areas while achieving the same effect you described in the video. I’ve done this in a couple places in my home and it works great.
@@VirtualReviewer In Home Assistant, navigate to Settings > Devices & Services > Helpers. Then click "Create Helper", choose the "Group" option, and then choose "Binary sensor group". In the "Members" section of that window, add all the motion sensors you want to include in the group.
@@namannik Sorry to ask such a novice question, but what should the automation look like once you have created that Group. I have three motion sensors in my garage and I have never been able to figure out how to get them to work together!
@@grg2106 In your automation, use a State trigger. In the State trigger, for the Entity, choose the group you created. Depending on what the automation does, you'll probably want to choose either "On" or "Off" in the "To" drop-down menu. (On = motion was detected, Off = no motion was detected)
I'm still using all these ua-cam.com/video/m_7lUFt6YOI/v-deo.html the one sensor I didn't include in that video is the Aqara motion sensor and that works great too.
With my motion lights in some areas, I saw something setup in a work place that I just thougth was a little bit cool, so I did the same thing at home. instead of turning straight off, they dim to about half brightness, then will turn off another 2 minutes after that. It had the added bonus of adding that time where I can move to reactivate full brightness, but I just did it because I thought it was a cool effect :).
I use Smartthings and the multiple sensor one is a great tip ; i use it for my stairs and the light never goes out on "accident" anymore. If "both" sensors detect no motion anymore for 2 minutes the lights turn off. Perhaps another tip is "do not use a motion sensor" .. in some cases a open/close sensor can be more suitable.. For example that pantry you have; if the door is open the light is on. And if it's closed it turns off after 2-3 minutes.
I got one quick question, and I would be happy to pay you to discuss this solution : Thank you so much for all your amazing videos ! I'm renovating my home from A to Z. I will put all wall switch concealed in the wall with philips 4 gang round switch to controle all light bulbs over home assistant. Where I do not have a solution is for the concealed stairs (in the wall every 3 steps) lights. How could I get them to be smart. Cabled switched that would work on motion sensor ? If yes, which one ? Or do you know any wall concealed light that could do ? Thank you so much !
Great video! So my problem is setting this up for certain people, mainly me and a roommate. We both have iPhone's and Apple Watches, can this be done with geofencing?
something many forget, in my experience, is PIR and pets, it can drive you nuts if you don't use conditions. My cat loved to go to the kitchen, just to turn the light on, not kidding, and then he walked out super proud. So now, the kitchen light can only be turned on if some other parameter is met like a light in my living room is on or special time of day and so on
Mike Maxwell over at Hubitat is working on getting the milimeter sensors that are zigbee, they have some that are like a recessed can light, so you don’t have random crap attached to the wall
I really like your home automation videos, thank you so much. So, would you say then you prefer the smart light switches on the wall over smart bulbs for automating lights coming on and off for a room like a kitchen?? I live in an older remodeled home where the neutral wire is not available for me. So I have had to use smart light switches that I can control via Zigbee, which work great. I haven't used the Lutron you mentioned, it seems like those might be better?
Very informative! Thank You. How might you suggest me setting up a little led light of some sort (your recommendeation please) over a framed piece of art that comes on when someone passes by? Appreciate your expert guidance!
I have one single motion sensor set up to enable a single lamp in our hallway at night. I have it set to turn on only when the light level is dark, and the light also turns on when someone comes home after sunset. It’s been nice to have the hallway light come on when it’s needed.
Lights turning on due to motion is the best thing I ever setup. I actually forgot how useful it was until I went to my parent's place and kept forgetting they didn't have smart lighting and I had to find the light switch 🤣 Not watched the 2nd channel vid yet, but ideally you don't want to use the delay in the automation to turn off the lights, as it doesn't survive well if the home assistant is rebooted/network blip. I've started using a timer (and the event when it elapses) instead to better ensure it turns off when it should.
Here’s my disaster. I got a light bulb that detects motion using microwaves but it works through the thin walls in my house! In the end I put it in the closet but even then it was turning on the light in the closet when I turned over in bed at night. It was great for creating that haunted house vibe.
One of the things that bothered me most after getting deep into Smart Home Automation is that so many of my sensors run on batteries. I swap enough batteries as it is, I really don't want to play Battery Butler forever. Fortunately some sensors come with Hard Wire connections. However, like the battery-backed emergency lights in my home, I would like it if a manufacturer would make sensors and devices that are battery AND hard-wire connected. I realize that if the power is out, what difference would it make if my sensors had batteries. But I try to be doubly prepared in all things that I do (like how you have physical switches for the sensor-controlled lights). EVERYTHING that I can have on Battery backup, is on a backup, including my house. Even though the town wherein I live, is pretty reliable on power, I still don't want to rely 100% on them. Believe it or not, I'm not a Doomsday Prepper, I just don't like to have to rely on a system that neither knows my name, nor really gives to sh!ts about me
Instead of having various conditions on when to turn lights on/off if motion is detected, I simply turn on/off the motion sensor automations. This way I feel like I am more flexible when adding new things because I don't need to edit known working automations and can track down issues easier
I loved the war of stare at the end :p i totally feel it bro! Great video, it resonates so well with some of things i did for my use cases.. For the living room lights I use Chromecast state to check if the TV is running instead of energy monitoring plug.
Great tips. I also did some of these mistakes. Whats bothering me is which cheap motion sensor to get. I have the one from sonoff but they are not that reliable
Great video. My Dad installed a Motion censor at the top of the star case going up. It just controls two small wall sconces at the top of the steps going to the left and right room. the lights comes on and off before you get to the top. Not sure what he was thinking or why he did not put in two way switch in the staircase. Gonna try a some smart witches beceuse I can get a light in to hallway using wires there and I can get access to light switches at the bottom and one up top in the bed room. For now I just gonna put in a batter LED MC light.
My garage lights automation failed to understand when I was working under my car, which is not a good instance to automatically turn off the lights. So, I added an NFC tag to toggle the automation off or back on. That was a tricky but fun addition to the system. The NFC tag is essentially a virtual switch. I believe I'll be replicating the functionality in my bathroom and elsewhere using a button, or more likely a Zooz ZEN34 remote controller, which can be added right next to the wall switch, like you can with the Caseta Pico remote.
I've done something like this with the Timer in the laundry room. We don't have motion sensors in there, and I didn't want everyone to leave the light on, so I set up a 10 Minute timer with an override. A long press of the switch will disable the timer, and then it will re-enable the timer when the light is manually turned off. Generally, 10 Minutes is long enough to do what needs doing in there -- but the option is there if we need it. (I think I'm the only one who uses it, TBH)
Great points! I've got a smart light issue I'd like to solve, but haven't figured it out yet. In my living room I have 2 smart light switches (for separate bulbs) and a smart bulb - all connected to HomeAssistant. I'm looking for a way when I change the brightness on one of the physical switches for the other 2 lights to match the new brightness level (i.e. 50%). I can do this by asking Alexa to set the lights to a given level, but I've yet to figure out doing it just with a switch.
Throw out the bulbs if they do grouping and do grouping with Mesh BT bulbs or group to a common WIFI brand. They share and ensure all same setting on al as groups
If there is a particularly strong blow of wind my basement door moves. This triggers the first ever motion detector I installed. Same applies of the front door is opened. There are ventilation bricks into the basement and essentially it sees the main air pressure. If I was doing again I’d make sure it can’t see any doors. Unfortunately it needs to turn on if the front door is open.
I bought the Withings bed sensors based on the recommendations from your channel, not too keen on the IFTTT integration. Any chance you have a video on integrating them with Homeassistant? I can't ever get stuff integrated when I try to figure it out based on the HA pages and forums.
Believe it or not I just got my first wireless motion sensor. My WeMo motion sensors work* with Google now too. I'm waiting for when my Reolink cameras will be able to turn on or off lights when the camera sees or doesn't see a human form.
You linked the HSM200, have you used it? I have two and they both make a terrible high pitch whine. The custom support says it normal. They also register the built in LED turning on/off as motion...
I have one in my bedroom, just angled up a little, so it only turns on the lights if I am standing up. The dog does not trip it. So, when I get up and it's late, it goes on dim to help me get across the room without tripping over the dog. And if it's daytime, it goes on bright to help me see what I am doing.
My problem with #4 is that Alexa does not allow for multiple conditions on a routine. I have to have four routines that will turn on my garage lights (both entrance doors, camera detects motion, the motion detector in the corner detects motion), but I cannot duplicate that with "no motion" since each routine would operate independently and could turn off the light when I'm in front of the other sensor. How do you get around this with Alexa?
So, my "dream" motion sensor set-up is somehow having a system that can detect where in a room i am (very accuratly) and do automation based on that. Rather than current tech of each sensor being simple "do i see someone or not" something like distance sensor but in 2D rather than 1D(more of a cone but you get my point) so far im unable to find such system, or anything even trying. Wiz lights "Space Sense" solution gave me some hope based on it's name but after guick googling i don't think it's that. Even if it's bad or doesn't work properly. Having a starting point of how such tech is talked about / advertised, would be huge help.
Yeap, I agree dumb motion sensor are more reliable and cheaper for things like Pantry, mud rooms, or closets. Little concerned about sitting under ultrasound 24/7/365 affects on the body.
What I find is that the women in my Family like automated lighting when it works but have a very very low tolerance for it when its not perfect. This has made automated lighting in some rooms like the Kitchen, Hall and Landing, easy and 100% successful. The Living Room, well lets just say that is still a work in progress.
@SmartHomeSolver what system do you use to handle the slow fade of the lights? I'm just in the very beginning phase of setting up some Lutron Caseta Diva switches, but I've learned that you can't change the ramp down speed unless you have the way more expensive RA2 or RA3 systems instead... Is there a non-native way to make them dim more slowly? Or something I'm overlooking perhaps?
A Smart Home is one where you do NOT need a dashboard, buttons or anything else to control them UNLESS there's an unusual (edge case) scenario. It's one that is able to understand what you're trying to do before you do it. AI may, someday, help with that but in the meantime, someone will have to write those automations.
One caveat I've found with some motions (looking at your Hue) is they only report updated Lux levels on motion. So your logic can be using outdated lux levels.
Question on #6 can you create these kinds of automations with Apple Home or do you have to build up something like Home Assistant in order to have this level of control?
@@fredericfaure5958 idk how they do it but there has to be some intentional computing going on. Probably your alarm system is designed to detect people, not motion. Your cat might want light especially if they're trying to find toys they've hidden.
I use Philiphs hue motion sensor in the kitchen. This turns on the central light (innr smart colour E27 bulb ) and the work desktop lighting (2 led smart colour strip). The motion sensor has 2 rechargeable AAA batteries. I don't understand why sometimes it only turns on the light with the reduced brightness. It can be very annoying when it turns on with 10-30% brightness. What could be the reason for this? Sometimes it also happens that it turns on and then immediately reduces the brightness.🤨 in the normal case, it would turn on, reduce the brightness at a programmed half-time, and then turn off. That is how it worked before.😌😌Thanks for your advance, idea.
This video should be required watching for anyone wanting to automate lights. Like me! Thanks man, and thanks to Paul Hibbert for recommending your videos. Also, love how you show just how the Wife Approval Factor actually works 😂
Oh man, the number of times my wife has moaned about the motion lights. But the she gets used to them and moans when I fix them 😂 It's a lose-lose situation
So I just installed a Philips Hue ceiling light today. A motion detector can detect motion, but is there any way to extend the time since a person was last detected at a specific location? I mean, if I move to the table, I'm definitely going to stay there.. So the light has to be on until I change position. Is ultrasound the only solution?
My mistake was thinking the Hue detector is a motion detector, when in fact it is a heat detector. Annoying when the thing that should have turned the lights on is a door opening.
Mistake 2 isn't a mistake in my case. since I use it to turn of selective lights. [yes for 1 sensor I need to 3D print a barrier, so its range is more limited. but overall having it automatically turn off lights in rooms I am not is great] [I only have 4 rooms with smart sensors], and all other are either manual, or motion [hallway/toilet/bathroom]. Which is especially useful because my house isn't that big. and having rooms where I am not, turn off automatically, is quite nice. [I just have those tradfri on/off buttons, in a lot of places to turn on lights for rooms I am gonna go to/connecting rooms]
With our cats, and me being on a separate sleep schedule from my wife, I'm not sure we want that except maybe in the back entrance to our house where we come and go most often.
Yeah currently struggling with garage light. It has motion sensor at the switch but my garage big and when I am on far side it turns off. I want to install a dual motion sensor but not sure or do go about it. Also have several series of lights. It’s pretty frustrating.
You can group up motion sensors into a group with Hubitat or a helper group in Home Assistant, that's how I handled our landing light so its switched from upstairs or downstairs when somebody begins climbing the stairs.
so with motion sensors and smartlightbulbs. do you leave the switch on? doesnt the electric bill go up by having the lightswitch on but the bulbs are off?
How do use Withings sleep pad for pressure detection in Amazon Alexa?? I saw a two second reference to it, but no detail would be interested to see how you connect to it
How do those mmwave sensors work with dogs in the house? I have 4 staffies, and my pet immune PIR sensors detect the dogs better than it detects people (it apparently has something to do with their body temp) so I am at a loss for what kind of motion stuff to look at.
AHHH YES! Some LOVE for old tech Nokia 5110 and 3210 (T-Shirt)... I remember those days! Anyway, some very useful info there, planning to help a friend with their lighting setup as their lad (a typical teen) CONNNNNNSTANTLY leaves lights on all around (and in this current financial climate (even though they are all LED bulbs, every little helps) 🤔😏 (also a subscriber to our old mate Paul Hibbert)👍 😎🇬🇧
Philips Hue motion detector turns lights on automatically only at night, Hue wall remote switch or Siri turns them off (or on) anytime "Hay Siri turn lights off/on in workshop". This works best for me in my basement workshop.
Here's the other video, where I show how I set up some of the motion light automations: ua-cam.com/video/1yEja8CL-5w/v-deo.html
I have the same black control for the Ceeling fan, I will like to know how to do that fan smart, or at least the LED light.
Eve mention sucks automation never works
So, the thing I love about this channel is the involvement you get with your family. I think that really helps make it more authentic.
It was high noon ...or high midnight in this case.
the ending was hilarious
One thing I find super helpful is to always automate with odd numbers that people wouldn’t use. Like 99%, 49%, 1% ect for things like brightness or blind level. This way the Automation can check if the current state was automated and can continue to adjust. But if someone has set the lights in the kitchen to 100%, the automation doesn’t adjust those lights. Or if someone mid day closed their blinds fully, the automation don’t then open them. Then nightly at 2am I have an automation that resets things in the house back to an automated position, any blind that is set to 100% motors to 99% or if at 0% adjusts to 1% (not even audible). Any lights that are still on get turned off, fans set back to a desirable state, ect.
I have been doing this for the last 10 years. Unfortunately, no smart hub or smart device manufacturer has come up with a solution yet.
Another great video, Reed! One thing that works really well for bathrooms is "wasp in a box" logic. If the motion sensor has been triggered and the door is closed, someone is definitely still in there and needs the lights on (even if they're sitting on the toilet watching UA-cam videos). So configure the automation to only turn off the lights if the motion sensor is clear and the door is open.
I'm about to do that. I already have a motion sensor in there, but it's currently disabled because I don't have the door sensor
Unfortunately, not all family members believe in closing the door. I would need a toilet seat sensor as well.
The problem is when it's just me and my wife we don't close the toilet door because our cat has it's litterbox and food there and he likes to do his stuff when we do. I had to abandon the wasp in a box concept even though it's a very compelling one
@@jeisonsanchez4842 I have a toilet seat sensor for just this reason. I attached an open close sensor to the toilet lid. It works as long as everyone closes the lid after they're finished.
Great idea!
I have the most convoluted set of scenes for my bathroom automations using dummy switches but it now works 100% of the time. Very satisfying when you finally sort out all the embarrassing… lights off or on scenarios
You covered all the issues I've faced and addressed.
I have also added a pre arm state so when walking past certain rooms in the right conditions the next room will light up 50% of what the current target brightness for 5 seconds and then either turns off with no confirmed motion or go to the target brightness (and colour) with confirmed motion.
Also when the delayed turning off I have made it go to 50% brightness for 30 seconds before fading to off to give ample time to move a bit more.
I'm currently in the process of installing espresense onto mant esp32s and will have one in the roof space above each room to further add to the functionality.
using timer helpers really helps. motion events just reset the timer, and the timer finish is what turns the lights off. makes it very easy to have multiple events which can reset the timer.
1:07 another problem I found with these Lutron motion sensors is that a) some models don’t have an ambient light sensor so will turn on even during the day and b) glass shower doors seem to reflect the IR sensors so even though the switch is facing into the bathroom, people walking by while the door is open can trigger the lights
Awesome video as always.
I need to purchase dimmable light soon.
Also i have made "dumb /fake" lights and once I say "I am cooking" it turns on the fake light in the kitchen and as long its on - the real lights will never go off automatically. They can be turned off manually with the switch or by saying "I am done cooking"
I have motion sensors in my bedroom and it’s perfect. I have two motion sensors. One looking at the whole room, and one installed under a piece of furniture, able to see only at floor level. At night, only the one at floor level turns on the light, at 15% intensity. The light remains on for about 15 seconds after both sensors see no motion (so one sensor is used to turn light on, but both keep the light on afterwards). Motion in the bed during the night has never turned on the light. During the day, both sensors turn on the light at 100% intensity. One could wonder why not use a floor-level sensor only. It's because it's difficult to scan the whole room at floor level with furniture in the way.
@@TyDaSpace Read @mmmikeyyy 's post properly instead of trying to plug your channel. His idea for a floor sensor is great in the bedroom :)
@@FreDePeuter I simply suggested an alternative method to accomplish the same thing without using two sensors. You can take it or leave it. If it doesn't help you I'm sure some other people who want to accomplish something similar will find it useful.
@@TyDaSpace Please do tell, how do you accomplish having your bedroom lights turning on *only* when you're getting out of bed at night, and not when you're just being active in bed?
With just one room sensor....
@@FreDePeuter having just the single sensor next to the bed. When motion is detected after bedtime i.e getting up from bed, only turn on the low light. Any other time, turn on whatever light you want. You can combine it with your TV(if you have a smart tv or smart plug) in the room as well or contact sensor on your bedroom door. So many other ways to instead of wasting it on two sensors. I don't know about you but I'd rather spend less for more. If 2 sensor is what works for you then by all means but two motion sensor. As I said in my previous post, I was offering an alternative solution so I'm not sure why you are on the offensive side. Calm your tits.
@@TyDaSpace I think you're not getting the concept the original post....
Not being offensive, just got annoyed at your plug for your channel posting on someone's concept that you didn't grasp.
My tits are fine thankyouverymuch ✌
Automation Kill Switches are something several automaters have mentioned, and they are a life saver when you live with other people.
Sometimes automations just don't work that well when you have visitors and you need to have that kill switch
my biggest improvement was binning all my sonoff PIR sensors and using mm wave sensors instead (Tuya zy-m100). For the beds im using load cells for bed presence detection preventing the lights coming on if someone's in bed
What about when you stick a load of things on the bed though, which I’m very liable to do…
Exactly the ZY-M100 is amazing.
The humor in your videos is a breath of fresh air. Love the channel.
I’ve been using the WiZ SpaceSense feature in a bedroom for a couple of weeks… so far so good. There is one WiZ bulb each in two floorstanding fixtures, spaced across the room from each other.
A mistake I made was not putting motion sensors up to the seeling (using Phillips Hue btw). This works amazing and the angles are the best, it's practically 360° view.
I love how americans also make spelling mistakes
Great video. The tip to fade the light first is excellent
Really enjoyed this video Reed. Always love the incorporating of your wife and her reactions.
YoLink Smart Outdoor Motion Detector
I've put these in my (long) driveway. And they work fantastic. So when delivery/guest/coming home at night. I have them turn all the front/driveway/porch/garage accent ,etc turn on to full brightness for 12 minutes. Then go back to normal state for the time/scheduled before.
Having different light-off delays is a great idea I've been meaning to implement for a while. In Home Assistant you can achieve this in a single automation using the choose: action
great list! i've learned most of these myself over the years of home automation, but this can help newcomers!!
Reed as the authority on diy smart home your persistence in integrating it with your family is what I really enjoy about your content.
I think I've posted about how I think smart home is isnt selling as well as it could because it's not marketed as the saviour of marriage.
Lots of my friends think smart home is just talking to a smart speaker to turn on and off hue lights. And that's what they have.
However the power of automation applied correctly is infinitely more useful. Vibration pressure and contact sensors are some of the knick knacks that are a real game changer.
Specifically if you live with a spouse and family and like me you live in a 3 story where one floor is seldomly used but is necessary to access to enter/leave. But your bedrooms are on the top floor. And in the middle of the night your spouse asks oh... Can you check if we turned off the lights downstairs? Or is the garage door open? (This interaction alone is the sole destroyer of marriages I garauntee it)
Smart home automation is actually a solution you can buy to fix an otherwise uninhabitable state of mind. I'm talking about the same effects as curing clinical depression.
I find that PIR motion sensors seem to work best on the ceiling in the middle-ish of the room. That way you're always walking across it. It's not usually practical to do this, however.
Reed, have you tried adding your hallway and garage motion sensors to binary sensor groups in Home Assistant? This can simplify your automations for those two areas while achieving the same effect you described in the video. I’ve done this in a couple places in my home and it works great.
How would one go about this exactly?
@@VirtualReviewer In Home Assistant, navigate to Settings > Devices & Services > Helpers. Then click "Create Helper", choose the "Group" option, and then choose "Binary sensor group". In the "Members" section of that window, add all the motion sensors you want to include in the group.
@@namannik You are a scholar and a legend. Thank you, Alan!
@@namannik Sorry to ask such a novice question, but what should the automation look like once you have created that Group. I have three motion sensors in my garage and I have never been able to figure out how to get them to work together!
@@grg2106 In your automation, use a State trigger. In the State trigger, for the Entity, choose the group you created. Depending on what the automation does, you'll probably want to choose either "On" or "Off" in the "To" drop-down menu. (On = motion was detected, Off = no motion was detected)
Great video. I’m trying to put motion sensor lights in my kitchen. Yours seem to work pretty well. What would you recommend?
I'm still using all these ua-cam.com/video/m_7lUFt6YOI/v-deo.html the one sensor I didn't include in that video is the Aqara motion sensor and that works great too.
The ending 🤣👌
With my motion lights in some areas, I saw something setup in a work place that I just thougth was a little bit cool, so I did the same thing at home. instead of turning straight off, they dim to about half brightness, then will turn off another 2 minutes after that. It had the added bonus of adding that time where I can move to reactivate full brightness, but I just did it because I thought it was a cool effect :).
I use Smartthings and the multiple sensor one is a great tip ; i use it for my stairs and the light never goes out on "accident" anymore. If "both" sensors detect no motion anymore for 2 minutes the lights turn off. Perhaps another tip is "do not use a motion sensor" .. in some cases a open/close sensor can be more suitable.. For example that pantry you have; if the door is open the light is on. And if it's closed it turns off after 2-3 minutes.
I got one quick question, and I would be happy to pay you to discuss this solution :
Thank you so much for all your amazing videos !
I'm renovating my home from A to Z.
I will put all wall switch concealed in the wall with philips 4 gang round switch to controle all light bulbs over home assistant.
Where I do not have a solution is for the concealed stairs (in the wall every 3 steps) lights.
How could I get them to be smart.
Cabled switched that would work on motion sensor ? If yes, which one ? Or do you know any wall concealed light that could do ?
Thank you so much !
Did you figure this out? I have someone who might be able to help you.
Great video! So my problem is setting this up for certain people, mainly me and a roommate. We both have iPhone's and Apple Watches, can this be done with geofencing?
something many forget, in my experience, is PIR and pets, it can drive you nuts if you don't use conditions. My cat loved to go to the kitchen, just to turn the light on, not kidding, and then he walked out super proud. So now, the kitchen light can only be turned on if some other parameter is met like a light in my living room is on or special time of day and so on
Mike Maxwell over at Hubitat is working on getting the milimeter sensors that are zigbee, they have some that are like a recessed can light, so you don’t have random crap attached to the wall
motion lights have been kicking my ass in the kids bedroom & garage! time to re-do my setup
I really like your home automation videos, thank you so much. So, would you say then you prefer the smart light switches on the wall over smart bulbs for automating lights coming on and off for a room like a kitchen?? I live in an older remodeled home where the neutral wire is not available for me. So I have had to use smart light switches that I can control via Zigbee, which work great. I haven't used the Lutron you mentioned, it seems like those might be better?
Awesome tips, will try some of these in my home. I definitely fit into some of the nuisance list in the beginning of the video.
Great Vid! I had to disable all my motion automations because I failed to share with my in-laws and they thought we had ghosts 😂
Very informative! Thank You. How might you suggest me setting up a little led light of some sort (your recommendeation please) over a framed piece of art that comes on when someone passes by? Appreciate your expert guidance!
I have one single motion sensor set up to enable a single lamp in our hallway at night. I have it set to turn on only when the light level is dark, and the light also turns on when someone comes home after sunset. It’s been nice to have the hallway light come on when it’s needed.
The only “son in-law” that you know of.😮
Lights turning on due to motion is the best thing I ever setup. I actually forgot how useful it was until I went to my parent's place and kept forgetting they didn't have smart lighting and I had to find the light switch 🤣
Not watched the 2nd channel vid yet, but ideally you don't want to use the delay in the automation to turn off the lights, as it doesn't survive well if the home assistant is rebooted/network blip. I've started using a timer (and the event when it elapses) instead to better ensure it turns off when it should.
Here’s my disaster. I got a light bulb that detects motion using microwaves but it works through the thin walls in my house! In the end I put it in the closet but even then it was turning on the light in the closet when I turned over in bed at night. It was great for creating that haunted house vibe.
One of the things that bothered me most after getting deep into Smart Home Automation is that so many of my sensors run on batteries. I swap enough batteries as it is, I really don't want to play Battery Butler forever. Fortunately some sensors come with Hard Wire connections. However, like the battery-backed emergency lights in my home, I would like it if a manufacturer would make sensors and devices that are battery AND hard-wire connected.
I realize that if the power is out, what difference would it make if my sensors had batteries. But I try to be doubly prepared in all things that I do (like how you have physical switches for the sensor-controlled lights). EVERYTHING that I can have on Battery backup, is on a backup, including my house. Even though the town wherein I live, is pretty reliable on power, I still don't want to rely 100% on them. Believe it or not, I'm not a Doomsday Prepper, I just don't like to have to rely on a system that neither knows my name, nor really gives to sh!ts about me
Instead of having various conditions on when to turn lights on/off if motion is detected, I simply turn on/off the motion sensor automations. This way I feel like I am more flexible when adding new things because I don't need to edit known working automations and can track down issues easier
I loved the war of stare at the end :p i totally feel it bro! Great video, it resonates so well with some of things i did for my use cases.. For the living room lights I use Chromecast state to check if the TV is running instead of energy monitoring plug.
Great tips. I also did some of these mistakes.
Whats bothering me is which cheap motion sensor to get. I have the one from sonoff but they are not that reliable
I've been using more Aqara motion sensors lately and they work well for the price.
Not my place but there Tuya sensors below $8.00 that are Zigbee and HA compatible. They work well.
love your videos. always some great ideas and i like how you walk through lessons you learned. keep it up!
Great video. My Dad installed a Motion censor at the top of the star case going up. It just controls two small wall sconces at the top of the steps going to the left and right room. the lights comes on and off before you get to the top. Not sure what he was thinking or why he did not put in two way switch in the staircase. Gonna try a some smart witches beceuse I can get a light in to hallway using wires there and I can get access to light switches at the bottom and one up top in the bed room. For now I just gonna put in a batter LED MC light.
My garage lights automation failed to understand when I was working under my car, which is not a good instance to automatically turn off the lights.
So, I added an NFC tag to toggle the automation off or back on. That was a tricky but fun addition to the system. The NFC tag is essentially a virtual switch. I believe I'll be replicating the functionality in my bathroom and elsewhere using a button, or more likely a Zooz ZEN34 remote controller, which can be added right next to the wall switch, like you can with the Caseta Pico remote.
I've done something like this with the Timer in the laundry room. We don't have motion sensors in there, and I didn't want everyone to leave the light on, so I set up a 10 Minute timer with an override. A long press of the switch will disable the timer, and then it will re-enable the timer when the light is manually turned off. Generally, 10 Minutes is long enough to do what needs doing in there -- but the option is there if we need it. (I think I'm the only one who uses it, TBH)
Omg..last 10 seconds!! The best!
Nice video, very humorously done, like the ending LOL:)
Great points! I've got a smart light issue I'd like to solve, but haven't figured it out yet. In my living room I have 2 smart light switches (for separate bulbs) and a smart bulb - all connected to HomeAssistant. I'm looking for a way when I change the brightness on one of the physical switches for the other 2 lights to match the new brightness level (i.e. 50%). I can do this by asking Alexa to set the lights to a given level, but I've yet to figure out doing it just with a switch.
Throw out the bulbs if they do grouping and do grouping with Mesh BT bulbs or group to a common WIFI brand. They share and ensure all same setting on al as groups
Reed, love your videos, channel... and your t-shirts. Where do you buy them from? :)
If there is a particularly strong blow of wind my basement door moves. This triggers the first ever motion detector I installed. Same applies of the front door is opened. There are ventilation bricks into the basement and essentially it sees the main air pressure. If I was doing again I’d make sure it can’t see any doors. Unfortunately it needs to turn on if the front door is open.
Man! That is rough! The only son-in-law and no longer the best son-in-law. You made me laugh!
Great tips!! Thanks for the info...
I'm moving into an older house and am excited to smart home-ify it! I'm hesitant on the motion sensors because what if ghosts set them off 😱
How do you dim the lights? Do you use smart bulbs?
Nice info, great final 😂
I bought the Withings bed sensors based on the recommendations from your channel, not too keen on the IFTTT integration. Any chance you have a video on integrating them with Homeassistant? I can't ever get stuff integrated when I try to figure it out based on the HA pages and forums.
Great advice, thanks!
Love it! Thanks for the tips!
Believe it or not I just got my first wireless motion sensor.
My WeMo motion sensors work* with Google now too.
I'm waiting for when my Reolink cameras will be able to turn on or off lights when the camera sees or doesn't see a human form.
You linked the HSM200, have you used it? I have two and they both make a terrible high pitch whine. The custom support says it normal. They also register the built in LED turning on/off as motion...
I have one in my bedroom, just angled up a little, so it only turns on the lights if I am standing up. The dog does not trip it. So, when I get up and it's late, it goes on dim to help me get across the room without tripping over the dog. And if it's daytime, it goes on bright to help me see what I am doing.
Would you invest in Aquara or Eufy?
Thanks Reed.
what bulbs do you use for your dimmable switches?
Homeassistant has grouped sensor option these days :) you can group them and don't have to use a condition
My problem with #4 is that Alexa does not allow for multiple conditions on a routine. I have to have four routines that will turn on my garage lights (both entrance doors, camera detects motion, the motion detector in the corner detects motion), but I cannot duplicate that with "no motion" since each routine would operate independently and could turn off the light when I'm in front of the other sensor. How do you get around this with Alexa?
So, my "dream" motion sensor set-up is somehow having a system that can detect where in a room i am (very accuratly) and do automation based on that. Rather than current tech of each sensor being simple "do i see someone or not"
something like distance sensor but in 2D rather than 1D(more of a cone but you get my point)
so far im unable to find such system, or anything even trying.
Wiz lights "Space Sense" solution gave me some hope based on it's name but after guick googling i don't think it's that. Even if it's bad or doesn't work properly. Having a starting point of how such tech is talked about / advertised, would be huge help.
The son-in-law joke was a good one 👍
Yeap, I agree dumb motion sensor are more reliable and cheaper for things like Pantry, mud rooms, or closets.
Little concerned about sitting under ultrasound 24/7/365 affects on the body.
Hey there, which application are you using to do all your automations?
Can we use both regular manual switch for a light and also a motion sensor as well for that same light to on and off?
What I find is that the women in my Family like automated lighting when it works but have a very very low tolerance for it when its not perfect. This has made automated lighting in some rooms like the Kitchen, Hall and Landing, easy and 100% successful. The Living Room, well lets just say that is still a work in progress.
@SmartHomeSolver what system do you use to handle the slow fade of the lights? I'm just in the very beginning phase of setting up some Lutron Caseta Diva switches, but I've learned that you can't change the ramp down speed unless you have the way more expensive RA2 or RA3 systems instead... Is there a non-native way to make them dim more slowly? Or something I'm overlooking perhaps?
A Smart Home is one where you do NOT need a dashboard, buttons or anything else to control them UNLESS there's an unusual (edge case) scenario. It's one that is able to understand what you're trying to do before you do it. AI may, someday, help with that but in the meantime, someone will have to write those automations.
Yes it is possible now
One caveat I've found with some motions (looking at your Hue) is they only report updated Lux levels on motion. So your logic can be using outdated lux levels.
Question on #6 can you create these kinds of automations with Apple Home or do you have to build up something like Home Assistant in order to have this level of control?
How about swapping all those batteries?
Good resumé! I wonder how you would do to avoid motion detection on cats or dogs?
You don't, this empowers your pets to control the lights. I suppose the wifi detection would work for non-birds.
Putting the sensor further back on the shelf to reduce downward sensing?
But my alarm system has special motion detectors that do not detect my cat. I presume these sensors must exist for smarthome systems ?
@@fredericfaure5958 idk how they do it but there has to be some intentional computing going on. Probably your alarm system is designed to detect people, not motion. Your cat might want light especially if they're trying to find toys they've hidden.
A "person dector" ues a camera and a bit of "AI-like" processing
Any change you can share how to temporary disable the motion sensor(s). Thx
I use Philiphs hue motion sensor in the kitchen. This turns on the central light (innr smart colour E27 bulb ) and the work desktop lighting (2 led smart colour strip). The motion sensor has 2 rechargeable AAA batteries. I don't understand why sometimes it only turns on the light with the reduced brightness. It can be very annoying when it turns on with 10-30% brightness. What could be the reason for this?
Sometimes it also happens that it turns on and then immediately reduces the brightness.🤨
in the normal case, it would turn on, reduce the brightness at a programmed half-time, and then turn off. That is how it worked before.😌😌Thanks for your advance, idea.
This video should be required watching for anyone wanting to automate lights. Like me! Thanks man, and thanks to Paul Hibbert for recommending your videos. Also, love how you show just how the Wife Approval Factor actually works 😂
Oh man, the number of times my wife has moaned about the motion lights. But the she gets used to them and moans when I fix them 😂 It's a lose-lose situation
Ide bagus 👍 jadi bisa lebih nyaman dan peraktis
So I just installed a Philips Hue ceiling light today. A motion detector can detect motion, but is there any way to extend the time since a person was last detected at a specific location?
I mean, if I move to the table, I'm definitely going to stay there.. So the light has to be on until I change position.
Is ultrasound the only solution?
My mistake was thinking the Hue detector is a motion detector, when in fact it is a heat detector. Annoying when the thing that should have turned the lights on is a door opening.
Mistake 2 isn't a mistake in my case.
since I use it to turn of selective lights.
[yes for 1 sensor I need to 3D print a barrier, so its range is more limited. but overall having it automatically turn off lights in rooms I am not is great]
[I only have 4 rooms with smart sensors], and all other are either manual, or motion [hallway/toilet/bathroom].
Which is especially useful because my house isn't that big.
and having rooms where I am not, turn off automatically, is quite nice. [I just have those tradfri on/off buttons, in a lot of places to turn on lights for rooms I am gonna go to/connecting rooms]
With our cats, and me being on a separate sleep schedule from my wife, I'm not sure we want that except maybe in the back entrance to our house where we come and go most often.
Yeah currently struggling with garage light. It has motion sensor at the switch but my garage big and when I am on far side it turns off. I want to install a dual motion sensor but not sure or do go about it. Also have several series of lights. It’s pretty frustrating.
You can group up motion sensors into a group with Hubitat or a helper group in Home Assistant, that's how I handled our landing light so its switched from upstairs or downstairs when somebody begins climbing the stairs.
Thanks for the video, of topic question where did you get that cool retro tech shirt?
www.threadless.com/shop/@threadless/design/retro-technology-black-variant/mens/t-shirt/regular?color=light_blue#m
As always, good stuff. And you married way up my friend.
so with motion sensors and smartlightbulbs. do you leave the switch on? doesnt the electric bill go up by having the lightswitch on but the bulbs are off?
How do use Withings sleep pad for pressure detection in Amazon Alexa?? I saw a two second reference to it, but no detail would be interested to see how you connect to it
How do those mmwave sensors work with dogs in the house? I have 4 staffies, and my pet immune PIR sensors detect the dogs better than it detects people (it apparently has something to do with their body temp) so I am at a loss for what kind of motion stuff to look at.
can you tell me what motion sensors work to trigger routines on the google home app?
What ceiling lights do you use? I switched to LED can lights and the dimming is horrible with caseta switches
AHHH YES! Some LOVE for old tech Nokia 5110 and 3210 (T-Shirt)... I remember those days!
Anyway, some very useful info there, planning to help a friend with their lighting setup as their lad (a typical teen) CONNNNNNSTANTLY leaves lights on all around (and in this current financial climate (even though they are all LED bulbs, every little helps) 🤔😏 (also a subscriber to our old mate Paul Hibbert)👍 😎🇬🇧
Philips Hue motion detector turns lights on automatically only at night, Hue wall remote switch or Siri turns them off (or on) anytime "Hay Siri turn lights off/on in workshop". This works best for me in my basement workshop.
Can you share how you created the disable motion on/off switch? I'm trying to do that exact thing right now. 6:33
you everr figure this out?