Home Automation Ideas that Save Me 6+ HOURS a week!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Roborock anniversary sale starts 8/29: bit.ly/3OCsY7v Send this video to someone who's been a smart home denier!

[@Gremlin256]

What code are you using @8:38 please :)? or what tool? Thank you :)

[@365daysinparadise]

So how does it work with the mop attachment and carpets? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@PatrickBulteel]

@@Gremlin256 That's Home Assistant. Free / Open Source and amazing! What you see there is the "Traces" part - it shows how an automation or script ran. The different branches it took and is very helpful in aiding with troubleshooting.

[@ThomasHonig-c1q]

What program or software do you use to make those automations, ik want to make automations like you do but I don’t know how…

[@ThomasHonig-c1q]

@@Gremlin256do you know what program he is using to make his automations?

[@brainwater]

I automated lighting up my room to wake up at sunrise... and promptly got much better at sleeping in the light.

[@BookTube0ne]

As someone who was born with Cerebral Palsy affecting my left side I don't even need to touch a lamp or light switch as motion sensors do it for me

[@karasummers7286]

As home automation progresses it will become increasingly beneficial to to folks with physical disabilities and folks with memory issues just to start.

[@mcomeslast]

Yes! I’m a disabled vet and can get extra lighting on so I don’t fall. I need more motion sensor set ups!

[@nitroplayzrobloxandotherga780]

Oh well, I hope you live a good life buddy.

[@billwilson6826]

@@karasummers7286so true. We forget that luxuries for some are huge benefits to others.

[@PrimalEdge]

the benefit of automating a lot of tedious tasks so that your mind is free to focus elsewhere is incalculable. Time in hours is (IMHO) just part of the equation. GREAT video!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks! I completely agree about being able to focus on other things.

[@curtisbme]

lol.. So you are free to spend those cycles trying to deal with them for when the automation isn't working or is working but you or a family member doesn't want it to or thinking about other automations or watching youtube videos on home automation.. .

[@notureaveragemiss]

Mental fatigue is real! Especially with covid, my brain is tired from all the extra decisions

[@سعیداکبرزاده-غ7ه]

putting that LTT easter egg in a video now needs really big balls, kudos! :)))

[@droguk1]

As energy prices increased in the last year, I find it is useful to remember there are over 8000 hours in a year (24 * 365) so automations to turn on and off can help save you money as well as time

[@teakrose8613]

Ok we NEED a tutorial on the phone automations! That seems so key!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I wrote out some steps in the description, but I’m planning to do another video with lots of phone automations too!

[@samadmirza301]

@@SmartHomeSolverNeed one for the damn Ring Alarm!!! it should turn on when it knows all the phones have left and disarm when at least one phone is back. Sadly I don't have Home Assistant yet 😥

[@PatrickBulteel]

​@@samadmirza301 What are you waiting for? Home Assistant is free and waiting for you! Once you set it up, even if just on a VM to play with, you'll wonder why you waited so long. You can then copy the config to deploy on a more "permanent" install. Quit reading this message! Go install it! 😜

[@SpyingRadish]

Do you have a video or are planning to make a video on the cost of setting up all these automation? From moving into an empty house to having all rooms automated.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I don't know if I've done a video like that yet. That could be fun to do though.

[@sudheer7595]

When i woke up at midnight for washroom my lights will glow slowly that feeling u have at that time is insane ❤

[@izznice6969]

I fully agree, since I installed, Smart switches I no longer have to worry about lights being left on. Certain lights are programmed to go off automatically after so many minutes and I absolutely love it. Especially my Tailwind garage door. I absolutely love that and I highly recommend it.

[@garethjones5068]

Fantastic video Reed, really drives home the benefits of home automation for the most valuable resource any of us have TIME

[@NicolasPatate]

I mean you could also turn off the lights when you're leaving a room too lol

[@SmartHomeSolver]

For sure. But I'm mainly counting the time when all the lights need to be turned off. Or if you have to stop what you are doing and adjust the lights.

[@sicilianbambino]

Do you have 3 AC units in your house? If not, why are the 3 controllers for Ecobee? Thank you

[@jack5mikemotown]

one big thing also not mentioned is how much nicer it is not being constantly interrupted having to do tasks and how much time and energy THAT takes. plus, i enjoy automation. i HATE vacuuming, turning the lights off at night, etc

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I agree completely. Even if the same savings was 0 at least I’m doing something I enjoy!

[@notureaveragemiss]

Problem solving is fun esp when there is no negative consequences. Oh darn I can't figure out how to make an automation work the way I want. Oh well

[@mrykhoek]

I would love to see a breakdown of all your automations!

[@msbgone]

I just added watering the lawn to my automation log. Turns it on and off on a set schedule. I can skip it or it knows if it is raining and will not go. Not perfect, still have to make sure the sprinklers are out and make sure it is no leaking.. I will also disconnect in the winter.... Cool vid!

[@guyresh]

our old irrigation system had an outside "rain sensor" that would prevent the irrigation system from turning on when "wet"

[@Nick-mi4cg]

Hi, I'm writing from Italy and here we have skyrocketing hub and raspberry prices, and I was wondering if you knew any other way to approach the world of Home Assistants, even something small to manage a dozen devices; and thanks for all your videos, always precise and at the same time pleasant

[@suzycarby7436]

Would love to see more on how to get the notification that the washer/dryer are finished. I need that!

[@zajlord2930]

bit random but as you were talking about that vacuum cleaner avoiding stuff, why isnt there such thing that pushes stuff like this aside? like if it made a pile in middle of room and then moved it so it vacuums even under it. it could have some claws/walls that would just pop out when pushing stuff aside at beginning and it could use existing pressure sensors so it would try to move a sofa. but prop stupid idea

[@rapha5586]

Had me with Barbenheimer already.

[@ThomasHonig-c1q]

What program or software are you using? I want to make some automations like you but I don’t know how

[@usmcboyd]

Can you show how you are doing the alarm in HA with the Ring keypad?

[@aoifen7289]

That music playlist 😍

[@_DROM_]

Automations are really good to save money on the electricity bills. Smart plugs and bulbs, as well as relays are a life saver here in Australia. With the plugs and relays you can avoid turning on devices and white goods during the peak hours (that will cost a lot more money to run them). Lights can be scheduled to turn on and off, as well as other devices, like air purifiers or dehumidifiers, that we really need in Brisbane. Air fryers are also a great alternative to the conventional oven. Automations save me time and money, so I'm more than happy with them.

[@whitenuttergoku7310]

Until ifttt want subscription

[@_DROM_]

@@whitenuttergoku7310 I can't complain about something that doesn't exist yet. I don't get charged subscription or membership. Security cameras do, if that's what you're referring to. I heard Eufy and Ring are pretty expensive, one with devices, the other with services offered.

[@Bogysmusic]

That's obviously the best wifey math ever! 😄 Thanks a lot!

[@TechDude351]

Not the LTT sub with the current situation 😂

[@VikDesai]

Big fan! I've been watching your stuff for ages. Can we get some more of the siri shortcut stuff?

[@salilkansal4988]

How does the ring arm/disarm automations work? Is the disarm when home really secure and what happens if my phone is stolen and thief comes home with my phone?

[@Lester_Dominguez]

What is that tablet device you are holding in your video?

[@colel6678]

I'm waiting until the robot vacuum has a connection for the water line to refill the clean water, and a return line to empty the water into the kitchen or washing machine drain. And most important, I want to see all the dirty stuff like hair and everything else it mops up combined with the stuff it sucks up and empty all of that into a drain. Meaning no bags or anyting else to change/ empty out. Complete automation!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

That would be amazing 😮

[@sloppyjoe1315]

It's honestly helped me a lot and I still have so much more to automate

[@markheatherington8367]

Cool and helpful video. IMO cool lighting effects and the like are automated homes. Efficiency is what qualifies as a "smart home." Thanks

[@diegogarciar]

How did you linked the Ring Alarm with HomeAssistant? I used MQTT but the alarm status is not always updated on HomeAssistant

[@braingrenade]

I’ve been trying to keep my automations in the HomeKit ecosystem. But it’s proving difficult. Am I just torturing myself by doing this? I want to automate my irrigation but there are not many homekit comparable systems. Also nobody stays on a set schedule in my house. Am I wasting my time trying to do this?

[@twobluestripes]

Would love to see more phone automation tips!

[@NelsonMarto]

Hi, I have one question to you, how to get notification in the night about a baby crying, before all house and neighborhood be waked up. I have small baby has you, more or less. But a simple tapo câmera seems not enough. Thanks

[@SmartHomeSolver]

We use a kid’s Echo Dot since they have a feature to listen for crying. It’s actually really sensitive! So I set up an automation that alerts me if she’s crying and the door’s closed and lights are off.

[@NelsonMarto]

@@SmartHomeSolver thank you. I tried an echo show 5, for that. But in my case it didn't work very well. Too slow, my baby is crying faster than the automation. :) I was thinking in some kind of sensor... But thank you 🙏

[@ronm6585]

Lol. Thanks Reed.

[@TristanBurgener]

the xbox start up sound always triggers something in my wife lol

[@jeffwest4325]

What garage door smart controller do you use?

[@klookfilm]

Wow I've always believed in automation and optimization but when you lay out the math like that it's insane to think how much time these "minor" tasks actually accumulate.

[@ericknudson5577]

Great video! Keep up the good work

[@aleiaslumen9748]

For me setting up and bug fixing my smart home took at least as much time as it has saved me. But I'd rather spend my time creating an automation for it than pressing the same light switches or remote buttons over and over again.

[@ypark2877]

Time savings not so much issue as a backup to forgetting something. Like leaving garage door open equals bugs, snakes, thefts. Lights all off. Save water and electricity by using a smart button for a five minute activation instead of running recirc pump for hours a day. Safety having some lights come on out front as we walk up driveway.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I agree completely! There are lots of benefits.

[@Oskar-up7zb]

Please more shortcuts and where can I get this shortcut

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I put some steps in the description if you want to set up that shortcut specifically

[@Oskar-up7zb]

@@SmartHomeSolver Smart Home Solution Thank you so much! I appreciate your content and your ideas are excellent.

[@aliciawang-u2g]

Great insight!!

[@elisalindsey5385]

I've subscribed. With the list above are those all the recommended products? When I researched Lutron (I own and love) I also liked how they appeared to have better information security. With the recommendations above, are they based on user experience or is that a consideration too (I don't want people collecting data on me unnecessarily - it's weird)? It is hard to validate unless you review a confidential audit report. Also, I'm trying to elevate now or get a plan together. I'm confused by the Echo. I thought I watched a video that recommended a pixel tablet and a few other things because it had a better dashboard. Which do you recommend? Pixel Tablet, Echo or Nest Hub Max? I'll try to find the video, I"m on my laptop now but before I was on my phone and couldn't find the save button. If you see this and comment thank you!!

[@andreyv1]

a lot of those tasks could be done from a phone app instead of walking to different rooms. Not as convenient as automations, but not as time wasteful as physically going to the device to turn it on/off.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Yes, so that would still count as your smart home saving you time since the apps are making it way more convenient!

[@enib3179]

Is there something similar on android to stop wasting time?

[@gavhuggy]

Hi can you help, i have one alexa account with two groups each group represents a location so one home in UK and the other in Portugal. all the devices in uk are in the uk group and same for portugal right that all works. as both homes have lots of names the same in both groups so devices reacte in both homes yes i could put a UK or PT as a prefix but not practical, my idea was to somehow use a presence sensor or mobile tracker to locate me and only use the devices im the group i am good idea but i am not sure how to get it to work thanks for the help

[@herrhyde]

my house is 126 squared meters, so it doesn't take too long :D

[@robdh4]

+1 Tasker

[@adiaz9201]

My smart google thermostat knows when I leave and returning home

[@FabiiFK94]

more tasker please ;)

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@pawlos101]

Do you feel like s8 is upgrade comparing to s7maxv?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

In some ways it is but in some ways it's actually not. The s8 doesn't have a camera on the front so you can't view it remotely. Which could be a good thing if privacy is a concern but it could be a bad thing if that's a feature you like. Everything else is more of a minor update and in my opinion not worth upgrading if you already have the s7 maxv and are happy with it.

[@adolfoparodi2523]

Make tutorial for the automations

[@TheNathanlockhart]

Who cares about time savings? I automate for peace of mind and lowered mental load. I don't have to manage battery charge cycles, remember to close the garage or turn off the lights, worry about the basement flooding, or the freezer failing, etc. It lowers my stress even if the savings in time are negligible.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Yes the peace of mind and less things to remember are both so nice!

[@EsotericArctos]

The irrigation could take even longer time if you had to water manually and did not have an irrigation system installed

[@JWW855]

X-box does have some educational content on it. I support the time on X-box

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Haha good point!

[@DaveSomething]

I save electricity, so that's nice... I was going to waste my time anyway, but now I can fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way! #PinkFloyd

[@htowngirl68]

Ps5 for the win

[@afaf4568]

1

[@samadmirza301]

I think Reed meant play PS5 eh to each his own. 🤷‍♂ I tried to get my wife watch this so she knows I am not full of Sh!t. She watched about 30sec into it and said, "I don't have time for this" 🤦‍♂

[@SmartHomeSolver]

The PS5 is a great and I almost got one but I wanted to play the Halo master chief collection for nostalgia. Haha your wife 🤣

[@samadmirza301]

@@SmartHomeSolverI get it. I am a Gran Turismo guy so I had to go PS5 ... Sadly no time for video games. Back to Smart Home Stuff! 😄

[@pianoplayeh]

I love all of this so this is not meant to be a criticism of you, but I just have to observe that this has got to be the biggest “first world problems” thing I have ever seen. “Aw man it’s such a pain to adjust my three HVAC zones. I’ve got so many rooms in my house it takes me 2 and a half minutes to turn off all the lights.” 😂 but hey, we’re living in the first world so 🤷🏻‍♂️ someday maybe I’ll have a house big enough that my wife will see the point of all my automations 😆

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Haha I definitely think a lot of home automation is first world problems, including this video for sure 😅 But we all have busy lives and never enough time, so why not automate the little things and free up our brain for other tasks?

[@pianoplayeh]

absolutely!

[@SylvainMenard]

Nice, but all these gadgets cost a lot of money.

[@ewenbruce5851]

You can't 'save' time. Time is not a commodity.

[@shadowx26]

2nd

[@DjBlaaack]

This is so stupid and such a stretch for a video. Literally every service tells you when your package has arrived so why would you need to "get up and check a few times a day"

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Yes if you like push notifications turned on for all those apps then that would also work. I personally don't like push notifications turned on for most apps because they end up spamming me.

[@MrBearfaced]

Where you live they might but here they might just shove them under a bush, throw them over a wall, or say you weren't home and take it to a depot in the next town. Avoiding that last one is definitely a time saver! 🤣

[@Jrdnpont]

Ridiculous

[@jayjay84827]

First

[@g0mikese]

As an automation engineer in the IT space the rules I follow for automating a process for a client are: (Time it takes to manually complete a task) x (Number of times the task will be done in the next 2 years) If the above is more than the time it takes to automate the thing, it's automatically worth doing. There's other considerations too, such as removing human error from a long process, ensuring things are standardized for the client, etc that also come in. But the above is a base consideration. For some common things we automate (like installing software for newly deployed workstations) the individual time savings is low, but for a large client it can add up fast. For home automation? I'm willing to consider things a lot more frequently because I can automate something while sitting on the couch watching TV, and some items are sooooo handy. My personal favorite is the easiest thing in the world: When I open the back door at night some outdoor lights turn on, so great for letting the dog out. Lock the door and they turn back off. Time saving? Not at all there, since I'm standing next to the light switch, but it's still hella convenient.

[@samuelkearns4056]

My first thought was, well, my porch light switch is there anyway. But your point reigns Supreme. Less touch is more life (truly is healthier if there's less finger contact)

[@grundy634]

I automate because it’s something I enjoy like others enjoy watching sports. It’s something that brings me joy.

[@sobisas]

Same

[@Dimmers]

One key advantage of automation that was not mentioned is the significant time savings it can provide for all the members of the household. I've seen this firsthand in my home, where my wife, two kids, and I all benefit from various automations. When you consider the potential impact of automations for every member of a household, the time savings can quickly add up to 10 or more hours per week. It's worth noting that even visitors who visit our home benefit from these automations and save time, whether they realise it or not.

[@adntigger71015]

Benefit of automation is not just about time saved -- it's also about quality of life, and less stress, which is a massive health benefit. Also, time spent creating the automations, I could argue, is hobby time. Yes, it can be frustrating at times (often even, lol), but we wouldn't do it if, at the end of the day, we didn't enjoy it. Haters can keep hating -- we're happier and healthier for it🤣

[@bazanime]

You get a huge like just for that last part. 👍🏾 Oh and automation has been a game-changer for me too. It's just so cool when I'm at work and my Robovac doing its thing, or my curtains close a little after sunset whilst the indoor lights slowly fade on. 😎

[@01mememememe]

The cost of all that kit you will need to stay on at work and do 6 hours overtime per week tp pay for it all.

[@cakekomo]

My problem is that I have to fight home assistant to get all my devices working at the same time. It’s crazy how things just stop working, and to get it fixed I have to reboot the device and/or Home Assistant. Restarting Home Assistant carries a significant risk of a completely different device becoming unresponsive so I have to rinse and repeat. Eventually I either get all the devices working, or I give up because it’s “good enough” (it isn’t).

[@publicmail2]

I've converted electronic devices like fans, air cleaners etc. to operate on a simple wi-fi switch. Most devices cannot do this because when you power them up they default to off. Basically, you put a switch to bypass the electronics and pick a speed on a fan, and when switch is on, it will always be on that speed making wifi switch usable. It all depends on the device and you need some electronics knowledge.

[@CalebTerryRED]

I did that for a dumb TV once to make it work with my smart switch. Turns out all that it took in that case was jamming a screw in the casing to hold the power button down ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[@publicmail2]

What ever works, without smoke@@CalebTerryRED

[@Bigglare]

You could save a Million years in a single Epoch with automation...

[@ChaseFace]

idk man I'm gonna need some more time comparisons to really understand your point

[@SteveHinrichs]

It would be a cool video on calculating the cost savings. Everything from automated blinds and set back thermostats, especially in AZ. To automatically shutting lights off when nobody is in the room. Then the residual savings from water sensors which detect leaks. Just one leak prevention could save 10s of thousands of dollars. Just a thought. Thanks for the cool video. So true automations save time each day/week/year.

[@SmartHomeHASHTAGS]

Minus the cost of electricity and batteries to power these devices. 1W equals 8.76KWh per year = about $2.50

[@oneJamesWilliams]

Seeing your timer shortcut automation made me remember something I’ve been wondering about, that maybe you could look into for a future episode: I’ve always thought it would be nice if my Alexa asked follow-up questions relating to different tasks. For example, if there was a football game I wanted to watch, could it announce a game is coming up and ask me if I want to watch it in the den, then turning everything on for me if I responded with “yes.” Even cooler (but not entirely HA related), it could see that you’d be home late and ask if it wanted to order you pizza!

[@paulus_petra]

Another one... Climate is quite extreme in my area, from way below 30 in winter to over 100 degrees in summer. Having my 10 blinds open and close depending on time of day and E/W orientation used to take me ages. Now I can just forget. And gas bill savings have been spectacular.

[@jamesmonahan7872]

Another great video - Thank you Reed. A someone retired i do value time more now as I know it is limited. I would be rather spending time with kids or grand kids vs doing these tasks.

[@patrickwburnett]

The electrical monitor you have on your dryer, which one is that? I've been trying to find one to use on my older dryer but haven't found one that seems like it'd work

[@r3bornCnick]

Awesome video. I've recently started adding "smart" devices to my home. Just smart bulbs and a MyQ for my garage door both are paying big dividends in time saved already! Love the channel, thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge.

[@mhoobag1]

Ohh my gosh its takes me soooo long to go around and turn off all my light's.... Why the blooming hell are they all on sucking up electric anyway? Why light a place that you are not in?

[@SmartHomeHASHTAGS]

Exactly. I thought he had the Aqara FP2 sensor to keep every light in check.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

If I didn’t have my lights automated, my kids would leave random lights on throughout the house, so I’d have to check which lights are on if we’re leaving or going to sleep. And yes, I do use the FP2 for that, I was just checking how long it WOULD take without automations.

[@anthimossisk]

Here we go ! 🎉

[@Dave-px8xn]

What about opening/closing windows. How do we automate that for people that use a whole house fan?

[@stain0269]

I can't seem to find anything on setting up NFC tags using Android and the app NFC tools ( paid version ). I was hoping you could explain to me how, using the tools app, I go about setting up NFC tags to run automations/routines on Android. I want to be able to turn on/off lights, TV, smart outlets etc. I have Google home, smart things, Aqara, apple home ( just on iPad, no iPhone ) and Alexa in my house. I've gotten the tag programmed to have it open Google home but I can't figure out where to go after that to add turning things on or off. Can I program a tag to run a Google home automation I already have set up? Can I have it open smart things and turn stuff on/off from that app? Any help would be appreciated.

[@expat64]

I'd like to be able to automatically run some automation when I get into bed at night without having to manually trigger it, or even using my voice (because my wife is asleep). Have you figured a way of triggering a bedtime routine, perhaps somehow when you plug your phone into the bedside charger or something?

[@raztube90]

You sir…have turn to a robot 🤖 aka forget how to live your life anymore…not all life stuff has to be automated … automation make sense when you are in the zone and don’t wanna be distracted of doing a Same thing over and over manually. For example it is nice to turn the tv yourself rather than have it turn on everyday at 8 am. Or change your temp manually to actually feel the cold or hot of the day …else life is so boring.

[@eddieb4149]

How do you automate the DND light turning red based on if you have a called scheduled i your calendar? Love that one

[@jss8617]

Tell me you live in the SW or SE without telling me …. I live in the Pacific Northwest.The sun rises at 730-8am during fall and winter, and even when it does. Its usually cloudy or misty. Automated blinds wouldnt help me half the year.

[@MDahroug001]

Hello Reed, I have learned many things watching your videos, Many thanks for your efforts. Would it be possible to make a video about converting split Mitsubishi split air condition unit to a smart one using a reliable smart controller. Thanks

[@shivamfactswala]

I think you need to improve your thumbnail and I can design your thumbnail 😊😊

[@Zactivist]

It always annoys me when we stay in a hotel or anywhere I don't have things automated. just walking across a room to turn off a light then stumble back to bed in the dark wastes a ridiculous amount of time. Lights and just being able to check on things remotely alone is impossible for me to go back to more primative ways.

[@samiul16]

Turn on ac at night twice scheduled Turn off lights Slow up the fan After 30min turn off ac then gradually ramp up the fan speed This 1 automation saves me about 40-60mins of hassle

[@knightmare1442]

As a smarthome enthusiast myself (in a rented home) I don't think all of these are valid time saves. But imho home automation is not about saving time. It's about not being forced to do all these tiny tasks interrupting your lazy time. Also working with node red is fun so it's not a waste of time.

[@AGMK]

I FORGOT TO TURN ON OR OFF LIGHT AND OTHER STUFF EVERY MORNING AND EVENING WHEN I CAME HOME AND WHEN I LEFT HOME WAKING ME UP TO TELL ME THE NEWS AND THE WEATHER AND OTHER STUFF FROM 2016 AS I REMEMBER, THANKS AMAZON ALEXA

[@TheRubernck21]

Im curious, Im interested in using an Aqara smart switch with my HomeKit house to monitor my Washer/Dryer. I see you use tp-link, but have you tried Aqara?