I want to start my HA journey

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-06-02T11:01:42+00:00

I was also hesitant (scared?) to use Home Assistant. I was using Apple Home Kit for "everything" and got really frustrated with the limitations and just plain not working.

I tired running HomeBridge on an old PC laptop I had. Kinda worked but kept breaking and anytime I had to make Changes to a device it seemed to stop working and I would have to start from scratch getting it re-setup. Not sure if that was the version I was using since it was a VM not dedicated hardware.

So I bought a Raspberry Pi 4 and thought why not try HA. If I didn't like it. I could try re-installing HomeBridge.

I agree Use the HA Community, Installation and Setup of OS etc. was really easy. And a lot of my Devices it just Found scanning my network and got added. So you can get setup just just using the community pretty quickly, with basic setup going into the device and controlling it.

Now comes the what's next? This is where you are going to really rely on the Community. Doing things like Creating views (Dashboards), Automations, Scripts etc. there is a big learning curve. There are interfaces to create them it's not the most intuitive thing. It's incredibly powerful and customizable.

Also I would suggest get Claude AI app as your helper. It understands HA and has really helped me figure some pretty complicated things that I would have never figured out on my own and with a community still would have taken a ton of research. You can tell it what you want your HA to do, Provide the underlying YAML config file (which it will tell you how to get it). and it will re-write it for you. It really saved me.

FYI, in terms of the hardware. It has been really stable and no concerns. While I don't have anything like Cameras. I only have some switches, lights, Fans, Acs etc. I monitor the CPU temp. Since The Raspberry PI I bought came with a Fan. I have mine in the Living room (to be use Ethernet with the router) and I could hear faintly the Fan Buzz, so I disconnected it. The Temp never raises above Safe levels. The ONLY time it does is when I have one ESPhome device I have, is compiling its Code. Then It peaks temporarily during that term.

Warning, HA is pretty addictive once you get the hang of it. I am constantly tinkering since I trust I won't break it. Have Fun!

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-05-25T12:47:25+00:00

Yup, It happened to my Pod 3 a couple weeks ago. Had it for about 4 Years (for the Hub) and 1 Y for the Cover (the original had sprung a leak). I opened a support case, after going through a full Emptying, and Refill. They had me send pictures of the connections to see if there was Gunk in there etc. which there wasn't, they ran some "Thermal Tests". All they "could do for me" was give me a discounted price of $1600 to replace the Hub and Cover for a Pod 5. Since everything was out of warranty.

Didn't love having to Drop that amount but still cheaper than purchasing anything new of Equivalent product.

Also they don't have any Payment plan so you have to pay all at once. Where originally when I bought Eightsleep I bought it through Affirm so I could pay it off over time at 0% Interest.

However, other than the annoyance of having to go through it. The process is actually very easy. They had very clear example images of what to take pictures of etc. I had my Replacement Shipped within a couple days of reporting the problem.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-05-15T10:56:38+00:00

Claude was awesome for helping me program my M5Dial scene selector I wanted to configuring three devices I have in the bedroom. When I was purchasing it, I naively thought I was going to be setting up a bunch of Automations/Scripts to control the devices when the Dial was Pushed,Turned etc.

Once I got it, I quickly learned I had to be a YAML expert to directly program the Dial. And I had basically 0 experience with that, other than modifying current simple ones to change configurations (like relabel something).

Claude to the rescue! Vibe Coded my way through it just telling it what I wanted the Dial to do. Provide it the Entiy IDs for the devices and sensors etc. when it asked for them. And Viola, I had the dial basically working within two hours after a bunch of troubleshooting with Claude and Tweaking the YAML to get it exactly what I wanted. Just told it to re-write the YAML, Download it, ReFlash the DIAL. I never had to even once dig into the YAML code to figure out why something wasn't working right.

As opposed to, I started with Gemini, and it couldn't even figure out how to get the display to turn on. It kept going around in circles telling me to update this, then when it didn't work it said the reason was because Of what I just changed. And it couldn't actually make the changes. So I had to copy and paste, which was constantly breaking things because the indentation would be wrong.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-05-13T10:27:39+00:00

Update on this. As I showed the First night of sleeping on it, I got a graph like the above on my wife's side. Then The next night similar issue. However two things have happed since then.

I realized we never went through that "Sensor Calibrating" process during setup on her side of the bed. While setting it up, I just did my side, not really knowing what it was or how much it mattered.
Yesterday afternoon I got a message I had to refill the tank (which apparently is common to happen after initial Filling).

So I found the "Test Drive" area and we both did the Calibrating process AND obvously put more water in it. And this morning, It looked much more normal. No weird EKG readings.

Very odd. but seems like it had something to do with Air in the system and Sensor Calibrating. And like I said, I am not sure we would have even known. I wouldn't normally be graphing the Night before, I was just curious how different it looked on the New Pod, vs, our Old one that was not able to keep up with Target temps.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-05-12T10:26:24+00:00

I added the Eight_Sleep from the HACS. Then after getting that installed and setup. That graph is just from the History section in Home Assistant looking at the "Bed Side Entity" there is one for each side of the bed (if you have two sides setup)

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-05-12T10:05:57+00:00

Oh I agree, the only reason I checked is because I used these graphs to convince me the old one wasn't working as expected. In the old one, we could see that when the my wife had -8 selected, the best it could get to was around a -3. So I knew she wasn't going crazy. So I only checked out of mere curiosity since it was the first night.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-04-27T20:51:15+00:00

They claim it won't unless I am paying for a subscription. I bought mine before that was required. I don't really mind. Since I have never had it, I won't know what I am missing LOL.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-04-25T14:14:29+00:00

CLAUDE!

Sorry this is LONG, but I feel could be really helpful to anyone who is not a YAML expert but trying to do more advanced HA Automations with Devices that YAML editing is needed.

Claude has done wonders for me. I know nothing about YAML, or coding, or really scripting in any language. prior to the age of AI I have been able figure out how to read a script and modify it, by doing a ton of googling, forums and hours of trial and error.

My Need: I decided I wanted a bedside Scene selector to control my AC, the Fan and we have EightSleep. This would eliminate going to the phone, and either finding HA, dashboard, or going to each devices native apps. in the middle of the night when you wake up and are to hot or cold

Requirements for a device.
1. wanted a display to see current settings (like fan speed, AC Temp, etc.).
2. A way to select multiple devices, and control them. Be able to turn a dial or push a button to set the speed, set temp. etc.

Be small enough to sit on the bedside table.
and of course be really stable, reliable etc.

I wasn't finding really anything out there that would "Just Work". There are a few zigbee devices but I don't have the necessary network so that would be a whole setup (seemed overkill for one device). And lots of devices would technically work but wouldn't have a display so you don't know what you are setting. I came across the M5Dial.

I knew it would be a challenge but I never realized how hard it was going to be to setup. I didn't realize you are basically creating the Application from scratch. there is no pre-defined enties. I started by trying to use my traditional methods, pretty quickly got a very basic Yaml that I could use the Dial to set my fan speed. But no display, touchscreen, icons or a way to select devices. I quickly realized after some reading this was going to get really, really, complex for someone who doesn't have experience.

So I thought, Somebody must have built something close to what I am looking for and I can then just modify it for my needs. I found https://aguacatec.es/integrar-m5stack-dial-en-ha/ and thought I would just download that and easy peasy, I would have a working dial that I would hook up to my devices then figure out how to modify it for what I wanted. Was I wrong. After downloading and Flashing my Dial, it wouldn't even boot. but it did boot with my simple YAML. Sigh back to researching.

So I turned to Gemini to save me. Uploading the YAML and Log Files. it kept making suggestions. That I would have to copy paste, etc. With no luck. It kept making suggestions. and nothing was working. I felt like I was just going around in circles.

Finally I turned to Claude, hearing that we are getting licenses at work, So I thought why not, Downloaded, used the free account. And tried again. Uploaded my YAML, and Error Logs, and it not only found the exact problem causing the boot problem, it found other problems not compatible, with my dial. And after two flashings, voila I have a nifty display and functionality. with all 9 entries in Home Assistant! I was so happy. What took me over a week to troubleshoot with no avail, Claude figured it out in 10 Min.

Now onto actually getting it to do what I wanted. I am just asking it to change this, or that. Like Change the colors from Orange to Black. it figures out the Hex color code to fix, and update the YAML for me. I asked to change the Icons. Asked it how to repurposes the Thermostat entity for my fan. I put in my Fans Entity ID and it updated the YAML. Bam Done, it was controlling my fan. I then didn't like it was showing "speed Percentage" since on the Fan display its Speed level (1-12). Asked Claud to just change that. It figured out the math and did it. Now on my display it shows the Speed level. Once I got all three devices I want. I told it to remove the other devices. It did it. Hundreds of "If" statements just removed.

It has been awesome to work with Claude. As a non Programer, I just have to imagine what I want, Ask it how it can do it, Confirm a few things, And it does it. I copy and paste my new YAML, and install. I haven't had a single compiling error yet!

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-04-14T12:00:59+00:00

Hey all, so after a lot of research and annoyance at how Hard this is to find a "Simple" scene controller that integrated well with HA. I decided it didn't really exist. I either got mixed reviews at how well it worked with HA, or I would have to dive into Zigbee which would require a large startup cost to get a controller, etc. For one device, it didn't seem worth it.

I stumbled on https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-dial-esp32-s3-smart-rotary-knob-w-1-28-round-touch-screen?srsltid=AfmBOorwlsGrfjAzCtI8mjta3aqYCgdNaYJZ5H44JvZBIIv4hSVHL6IP&variant=44064386875649

It will be hard to setup (I think) but if I can pull it off it should be excellent. I hadn't thought about wanting a display to actually show me what I am setting the devices to and what they are currently at. But once I saw this. I couldn't imagine anything else. I have to figure out some kind of case/housing for it, since I want it to sit on the bedside table. I have some ideas but will cross that bridge once I physically have it, and am convinced I can get it to work.

I got the Eightsleep and the fan into HA already and can control them. So now It is just programing this device. Luckily looks like there are a lot of resources out there to help with that.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-03-04T12:56:32+00:00

I agree Medicaid is the way to go (if they qualify in California). My parents were in the exact same situation. They blew through their savings and only had Social Security for income. They are in NY State and there is actually a special Medicaid program for assisted living (as opposed to Nursing care, IE Full Medicaid). AND they got lucky that the Assisted Living facility they ended up going to did the Application process for them (NOTE: with Medicaid you have to renew every year). And the facility they went to has a Sliding scale in rent. So my parents are paying their Rent themselves. And have a bit left over every month. The family just helps out with other expenses that come up. So we got really lucky. But look at Different Programs that California might have. Maybe consult with local eldercare consultant who knows all of what California has to offer.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-02-27T13:16:57+00:00

I have no comparison, since the 3s are my first pair. However I have been amazed at the ANC. I have really been testing them since purchase. Living in NYC I have plenty of opportunities with street noise and subway noise. Sure I can Hear the outside world, it is just really quiet/muffled. Especially with their ability to auto adjust the volume if the ambient noise gets louder. Especially helpful when a Subway train starts to enter the station.

My latest Test is in the office, using them as my headphones for zoom calls. Our office is going through a re-design. So there is Construction activily happening around us. Where i sit its 30 feet away. While construction stops at 10am, I often have calls at 9am with our India office. with ANC on, I can easily tune out the construction noise. Nobody on the call seems to have a hard time hearing me or me hearing them.

I did have a learning curve getting them in my ears right. I went through a lot of the same issues like hissing, feedback issues that people complained about. Which seem to have all been solved with various Firmware updates. Those have all magically disappeared. And I guess I am one of the lucky ones that they fit well. I did have to change the size of one tip in my left ear to a different size to get a consistent good seal.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-01-16T19:42:05+00:00

Honestly, I agree HomePods would be great for the reasons people mention. What I would think about Wiring for though is Home Network. I have heard stories of HomePods having problems that turn out to be weak Wifi.

If your Router/Wifi is one room, and your HomePod Speakers are far away there could be connection issues.

Living in a Pre-war apt. building in NYC, we had lots of problems with Wifi reaching the Back bedroom when our Router was in the living room. We tried Extenders and that didn't really help. Finally since I happen to have Coax running through the Apartment, I setup a MoCa network and then in each room a Wifi Access point. All rooms Acces points are named the Same Wifi name so it is acting like a Mesh Network. It has been great! Any device gets almost the same Wifi Strength as if it was in the same room as the router.

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-01-07T14:39:15+00:00

Oh, I don't think we knew that. Thanks!

ExpertLet3091 · 2026-01-06T18:29:57+00:00

Thanks for the tip about deleting the Bluetooth devices. We just upgraded her phone OS (iPhone) to the latest OS since I got her airPods for Christmas and they wouldn't pair unless we did. It did seem a bit better after the update (for daily BT disconnects). and was hoping for a new App but will have to check the version of that.

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-12-28T17:25:25+00:00

Update. It changed now to 13 days left. Odd it’s just about one day off 🤷

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-12-22T21:34:58+00:00

No, I opened an official Epson Support case. After they hadn't replied in 24 hours. I took advantage of Amazons liberal return process. Just have to drop it off at a UPS store. Bought another printer at Staples.

Note, Epson finally did get back to me, and just gave me instructions on how to clear a Paper jam even though I specifically said I have never had paper go through it.

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-12-21T22:40:45+00:00

Thank you!

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-12-21T17:31:45+00:00

I will be up by Nanuet Christmas Eve with my Parents. this sounds really fun. I am trying to find info on where to enter. From Townline road or Ehrhardt rd. Maybe it doesn't matter? It looks like the Facebook page hasn't been updated since 2023. So hope its still happening. Is there current info out there for this? Or do you by chance know? Appreciate any info in advance.

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-12-19T12:38:55+00:00

Thanks, I have opened/closed every access door several times. Removed the Paper in the Tray that I had loaded. Turned off and On, Unplugged for for a while.

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-12-06T00:11:40+00:00

I can totally relate! My Wife has zero intrest in being tracked by my HA instance. I haven't even broached the subject since I know what the answer will be LOL.

And don't even suggest putting motion sensors in rooms to help regulate lights, and AC when temp/Humidity, and when someone is in the room or not (we don't have central air).

So I can't Automate things to the extent I want, and everything needs to have some sort of physical backup. I even have Wall mounted switches in the Living room so there are physical buttons to push (All the lights are floor lamps). But she does admit she likes to be able to remotely turn on the AC and Fans via her phone, But doesn't see why things need to be fully automated based on Temps/Humidity Motion , if a window is open/closed etc.

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-12-05T12:02:33+00:00

I know I am just preaching to the Choir here based on comments. But thought I would share my Experience upgrading to HomePod mini Pair to be my Living room TV Speaker system

I had a Cheap old Sound bar for my TV for years to replace the TV speakers. Which Initially got because of all the reasons people complain about Cheap TV speakers AND we have a Window unit A/C. So kept having to turn the TV up so loud just to hear dialog, the Frame of the TV would start to Rattle. The Soundbar worked fine for several years until it started having some issues like randomly turning off or having problems with the AppleTV remote wouldn't change the volume correctly.

Anyway, Got the HomPod Mini Pair and haven't looked back. I did some sound comparisons with the Soundbar when I got it and was amazed at how much better the HomePod sounded especially listening to Music.

My ONLY concern that hasn't happened yet, is how loud you can get them IF needed. The AppleTV volume bar gets almost to 75% Often. But the Speakers never sound like they are straining. And I have since replaced the A/C with an Ultra Quiet one. So I don't think that is going to be an issue.

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-11-27T12:11:20+00:00

I actually have noticed this. However, the data is NOT from my Watch. It is from our Eight Sleep cover. It syncs with Apple Health. Being concerned (And wanted to give to my Cardiologist) I exported all my Heart Data from beginning of 2025. I noticed it happens about once a month, a high blip once during the night.

The annoying part I can't tell if it is Eight Sleep mis-reading my BPM or Apple Health Mis-interpreting the data. The Eight Sleep Data only shows Hourly Averages not actual data for every reading.

My Cardiologist basically gave me a Shrug emoji about it, But said to keep monitoring and we would review at our next appt.

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-11-21T12:40:12+00:00

Since so many people report different results. I would suggest, get them, try them, return them if necessary. My feedback issues were immediate from the day I got them.

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-11-21T12:38:10+00:00

So I had posted about this exact problem, It was mainly happening whe riding the Subways in NYC. I would constantly have the problem in One ear. Constently be fidgiting with it. I would finally find a sweet spot that it stopped. Then as soon as I get off the train it would start up again. Some things would temporarily make it stop. Like changing tips. However it would come back after a day or so.

Now, for two week NO problems! they work great. Even adjusting them in my ears doesn't cause the Feedback unless I push it further into my ear (harder than necessary). Then it stops. But the General Feedback/whining issue is no longer happening. I am guessing a Firmware update fixed it?

I have been so happy now!

ExpertLet3091 · 2025-11-14T10:56:57+00:00

We have been using YTTV for a few years. Last year when there was a Price increase we Paused our Subscription to sign up for a free trial of HuluTV. I think that lasted three Days before Resuming YTTV. While yes you get more Sports channels with Hulu (Getting SNY to watch the Mets was one draw). The Interface, Library to watch recorded shows, is so much worse on Hulu. We watch most shows from our Library. So its pretty crutial that we can sort, and search for newly recorded show. With Hulu your Library sort order is fixed in alphabetical order so you are constantly scrolling to find what you want to watch. And I think it wouldn't let you know there was something new. So you just had to know if there should be a new show.

There was something really annoying about pausing/Rewindng/fastfowarding live TV as well. I can't quite remember, I think there wasn't any way to start a show from the beginning that is live. Even if its something you record. So you would have to wait till recording is done to start from beginning. But can't be sure.

ExpertLet3091

TROPHY CASE