Smart home products
 

Who has them? What do you have?

We got a Nest thermostat a few months ago and we just completed our first cycle on the gas bill with it for an entire month. The results are pretty awesome. It’s been a pretty cold winter this season and despite that our gas bill has been greatly reduced. Compared to the same time period last year our bill was about $80 less. We will see how consistent the savings are but the early returns are nice. It’s also convenient for ease of use with the app.

We also have three Google mini speakers. They are pretty handy. One of the best things is using them as whole home surround sound.

So has anyone else started incorporating smart home products?

I have two Blink security camera systems (indoors and out) that I'm happy with. Not sure if that counts as a "smart" system or not, but the cellular video notifications and arm/disarm are nice.

We’ve got a Ring doorbell, the Nest AC and heating with Nest smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and multiple Amazon Echoes that all the lights and TV’s are connected to. I don’t know how any of this shit works. It’s all the wife’s doing. If a Maximum Overdrive situation ever takes place, I’m ****ed.

I just called and got qualified for the free nest thermostat kcpl offers. Getting installed next month. Going to get a Roomba soon and thinking about getting Google Home.

My wife really wants a Ring doorbell. One thing I think we will get later this year are some smart plugs. The reason being that when we put out Christmas decorations in the house turning on the lights is annoying. But telling Google to turn them on would be pretty handy.

As for the smart light bulbs, I’m not sure what to think about those given the cost.

The Google mini speakers and Amazon echo dots are relatively similar as far as I can tell. One thing though is that as of now the Echo can stream your Sirius radio if you have that but Google cannot. I understand google sound quality is supposed to be better which is why chose them. They each have the smart screen hub option as well but I don’t know which one is better.

One thing that’s annoying with the speakers is that you can’t play your phone music on all of them at once due to compatibility issues. Hopefully that will change at some point.

We are really just scratching the service with what we have. It sounds like you guys are going for every function possible which I know there are tons of ways the devices can communicate. Does your wife like it or is it something that was a good idea but has since become either annoying or not utilized often?

Blink outdoor cameras, and echo dots controlling lamps/Blink system is all I've done so far. I was going to do a Nest thermostat but my house was built in the mid-90's and my thermostat doesn't have a C wire. I know there's a way around that but I haven't felt like messing with it. I'm going to upgrade my whole HVAC system within the next year though.

Honeywell WiFi thermostat, Ring doorbell and security system, WiFi garage door openers. WiFi outside garage and front porch lights (that I never touch).

Take off your thermostat and look inside your furnace and see if there's a wire in the bundle that isn't connected to the thermostat or furnace controller board. Probably blue. If there is one, connect it to C terminal on the controller board (there's going to be another wire already on there, that's okay) and verify 24VAC at the thermostat end with a meter. Connect it to the C terminal on the thermostat. Good to go!

Damn wish I was smart , I still flip on a switch when I want lights on

I just bought an echo. I plan on adding smart plugs, light switches, thermostat and ring. I'll have to do one thing at a time since the Mrs isn't fully on board yet. I figure, if I can ease her into it, she'll eventually come around.

She loves it.

I've got an automatic garage door thats pretty neat. It's got a button on the wall in the garage you can just push and the door goes up by itself as well as down if you want it closed.

the best part though are the remotes. I have one in both vehicles and you can actually just sit in your vehicle and make the door open or close.

Sure beats the hell out of lift the door manually.

We have the nest and Amazon Alexa. I'd like to get the nest protect and some cameras