How hard is it to DIY this plumbing job yourself?

[FlyerInHi]

Flu, did you look at smart valves?

Here’s a retrofit kind your can integrate with your home automation.

[Coronita]

[quote=FlyerInHi]Flu, did you look at smart valves?

Here’s a retrofit kind your can integrate with your home automation.

Funny you should mention that. I was talking about this with a coworker last week. But more about sticking a flow meter on it…..

Things are still pretty expensive.. And fundamentally I am cheap…

I think the right solution is getting an actual electronic shutoff value, not using a motor to drive move a shutoff valve. After all, god knows what happens if the valve is stuck and a motor that sits on top of it just tries to force it close.

That said, I’m actually not someone totally into home automation. The way I look at it, the more automation you add, the more suspectible your exposing yourself to vulnerabilities. For things that don’t really matter (like monitoring), that’s fine.
I would never have a remotely controllable door lock into the house, for example.

Garage doors are fine since I don’t store anything valuable in a garage, and my cars are always locked even inside the garage. And the door into the house is also always locked and is an old school deadbolt. On top of that, I do have about 24 sensors connected to my burglar alarm. Each room has glass break, motion sensor, and door/window sensors for redundancy (I admit I went overboard), and I have cameras both inside and outside that triggers when anything crosses a perimeter well before anyone is close enough to any of the windows or doors..

[spdrun]

Wouldn’t a burglar just wait till you’re not home, kick down the door, or bust a window and steal a few expensive things before the cops had a chance to get there?

Also, not sure if a cloudfree door lock (say one that communicates with a phone via Bluetooth and requires a private key stored on the phone + code entry) would be less secure than an old-school key.

[FlyerInHi]

Flu, I agree on the automated valve. Still too expensive for the good kind.

My lifestyle is different. The 2 most important things to me are door lock and thermostat. Since I have several condos, when I’m not in residence, I just let my friends and relatives use them so they don’t go to waste. Love my Schlage locks. I can change the codes remotely and let the cleaning lady inside. Smart thermostat is important so people don’t let the HVAC running for weeks. I’m now working to replace all the light switches and adding sensors to the door and windows.

I leave my important papers and real valuables at my parents’, so my condos are almost like hotel rooms.

Just got Apple TV and playing with HomeKit.

Spd, you can do cloud free using Bluetooth LE because the smart phone has that protocol built in. Schlage Sense is Bluetooth LE.
Problem is that the App requires you create an account and it will report to the cloud. Maybe there is opportunity for developers to come up with a totally cloud free system for the privacy conscious.

[Coronita]

[quote=spdrun]Wouldn’t a burglar just wait till you’re not home, kick down the door, or bust a window and steal a few expensive things before the cops had a chance to get there?

Also, not sure if a cloudfree door lock (say one that communicates with a phone via Bluetooth and requires a private key stored on the phone + code entry) would be less secure than an old-school key.[/quote]

Well first of all, I have an iron security front door. Second, breaking window would be loud and wake up my extremely nosey neighbors. Third I really don’t have valuables to steal at home. The response time from sdpd to my house is pretty quick since I had a few false alarms.
Last, if I was a burglar, I’d hit the other houses that don’t have a burglar alarm.

Since my street has a lot of families that are home all the time, that helps too.

[Coronita]

Well I am glad many of you like connected devices that depend on things like BLE and wifi even though I won’t use them.

I guess I’ll be mployed a lot longer than I thought.

I think I’ll try to get a schlage lock with BLE and hook up my over the air packet sniffer to see just how secure those things are.

[equalizer]

Flu,

What brands of camera are you using?

I was going to buy Nest Thermostat, but went with Honeywell because Nest has complaints about temperate not being accurate!

I bought Lutron Caséta Wireless switches because I trust switch from electrical company instead of a tech company. The hub was a pain to get connected but I don’t have to worry about quality of the switches. BTW, Lutron tech support is 24/7 US based. Switches are expensive, $50+, but I called on a Friday night and they diagnosed a three way switch problem was caused by my wiring mistake. Ten minutes later and working!

[FlyerInHi]

I have both Nest and Honeywell.

Nest has more temp variation to save energy. Nest has occupancy sensor and auto away which great is there are people coming and going all day. In non-san Diego climate that can save a lot of energy.

At my main apartment I use Honeywell. I like the color screen which makes it more jetsons modern. But the thermostat clicks which is old world and sounds low tech.

I have lutron who has their own communication protocol, but for I’m beginning to try GE which supports generic z wave.

Flu, iron security door in CV?

[spdrun]

Clicking means a relay vs a solid-state switch. Mechanical relays are arguably better — they provide a lower-resistance path for the control current.

This is important if you’re controlling something like a wall heater that uses a low-voltage thermopile vs a 24V transformer to provide the control current.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=spdrun]Clicking means a relay vs a solid-state switch. Mechanical relays are arguably better — they provide a lower-resistance path for the control current.

This is important if you’re controlling something like a wall heater that uses a low-voltage thermopile vs a 24V transformer to provide the control current.[/quote]

Yeah. In a small apartment clicking is kinda jarring. Maybe not in a 3000sf house where the thermostat is in a hallway.

I always liked home automation since I was a kid. Dreamed of automated home with flying saucers. Only in the last few years have we made progress.

Last year, i bought house with window AC. I put in a relay to control AC with Nest. I wanted my tenants to feel like they are living in 21st century.

[Hobie]

Christ Brian. You get bent about a relay clicking and you have a loud ass window AC and think your tenant is impressed with the Jetsons. Might you imagine what they are saying behind your back?

[FlyerInHi]

Hoboe, the thermostats are in different locations.

I was pleasantly surprised that the new LG window ACs are not “window shakers” anymore. Better than no AC. Not a bad option, through the wall.

[moneymaker]

A flood sensor tied to a system with a main water shutoff would be a good idea.Along with a camera that takes pictures when someone walks up to the front door. I already have an attic fan that turns on based on temperature but to have it measure humidity too would be cool.

[plm]

Not nearly handy enough to do something like this myself but I would like to test if my water regulator failed. After replacing two toilet refill kits in less than a month, I think the water pressure is too high, seems higher than before.

So I need to buy a pressure monitor kit and measure the water pressure, then try reducing the water pressure by turning a screw counter clockwise. I can measure at the outside hose bib?

And if it doesn’t go down then I need a plumber to change the regulator.

Thanks

[Hobie]

Home Depot sells water pressure gauge ~$12. The pressure nut is double nutted meaning you have to loosen the lock nut first, then loosen the pressure bolt. Flow some water and recheck gauge. Easy.

You might keep an eye on the gauge when someone in the house turns on faucet. Should be same pressure. If it drops=bad regulator.

If you guys are so inclined, and want to spend about $400, you can install another pressure regular just after the meter. This will reduce the pressure to the landscaping. Advantage is less atomization at the spray heads. Bigger raindrops=more gets on the ground.

Another way is the install a smaller pressure reducer at the beginning of each sprinkler manifold.

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