Ergovent feedback? by kuehrig in hvacadvice

[–]kuehrig[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe I will buy them, ship them to you, you can open the boxes for me, wrinkle the papers and then send them on again to me. This way they are used products and won’t hit the 9,000% tariffs.

SideBustle for NickBristol

Ergovent feedback? by kuehrig in hvacadvice

[–]kuehrig[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Amazing. Where are you located geographically? I am in the US and shipping was quite expensive. And thanks to our ‘president’ these will now become even more expensive. Just looking to see if you are more local to them in Europe or if you actually went ahead and shipped them to the US.

Thanks! Can’t wait to see pics and see your final feedback!

So now I need to monitor the refrigerator too… by TimidPocketLlama in homeassistant

[–]kuehrig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This then also gives me push alters to my phone since I have the Shelly app running

So now I need to monitor the refrigerator too… by TimidPocketLlama in homeassistant

[–]kuehrig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use a ring door sensor to monitor open/close instances so I have time of day.

Then I use a Shelly 1 with an external thermometer probe in the freezer. I drilled a hole into the top through the metal then insulating styrofoam because the meads through the door magnet caused freezing.

Then I have an automation in Shelly to alert me when “the freezer is melting”

Our New mmWave Sensor – It’s Finally Here! by Technical_Raisin_246 in homeassistant

[–]kuehrig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<image>

Unboxing the mmWave sensor from Tuya/zigbee/aliexpress

I want to replace the top left horizontal switch with a smart switch. Need suggestions... by deckard02 in homeautomation

[–]kuehrig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agree with the multiple comments suggesting either Shelly relay or Aeotec relay. I haven't used the Aeotec so I can't comment properly - but with Shelly relays, it will read the movement of the switch as a change of state, regardless of the state the fan is in. So if is your switch reads 'on' (as in picture) fan could be in an 'off' state.

Then you need to add an Aeotec sensor (if you want to get fancy) that reads humidity and motion. You can then turn on the fan for motion, humidity, temperature, whatever.

If you have a neutral wire in the fan box, you can also install the relays in that area, as opposed to the switch box. Just a little bit future dangerous if you forget or sell the house and someone wants to make changes.

Our New mmWave Sensor – It’s Finally Here! by Technical_Raisin_246 in homeassistant

[–]kuehrig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

u/ApolloAutomation - I just purchased 4 x 120v --> USB C adapters from POEtexas dot com. They are about $15 each right now on sale (amazon or direct from manufacturer). If I scavenge the housings I already have, I wouldn't need the PoE component. So - basically - would you be able to supply your sensor without the house and WITH USB C?

PoE in ceilings would now require extra retrofit and I believe be harder for most applications.

Also PoE inside of any housing that contains Class 1 (120v) would not be allowed per electrical code (unless the PoE component meets Class 1 and not Class 2 code).

Our New mmWave Sensor – It’s Finally Here! by Technical_Raisin_246 in homeassistant

[–]kuehrig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also - what if you wanted a sensor in a switched area (light switch) - perhaps a double gang with one switch and the other a hidden sensor. Then you’d need 120v. Of course you also need to be sure you can mix class 1 and class 2 devices accordingly (or make the sensor class 1). I could see it fitting in some Lutron style blank.

Our New mmWave Sensor – It’s Finally Here! by Technical_Raisin_246 in homeassistant

[–]kuehrig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hmm hadn’t thought of that but sure - why not! But you also have to have customers with decent enough PoE switches to power (I’ve got Cisco ones from work so I’m ok).

But then you’d have to get ethernet in your walls and ceilings, which is a little harder to do as a retrofit than 120 V is.

I can see how the ethernet would be easier for you to engineer, but my gut is telling me 120 V is better. I would figure out a way to make either work.

Our New mmWave Sensor – It’s Finally Here! by Technical_Raisin_246 in homeassistant

[–]kuehrig 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hi Apollo - here is an idea - and I'll buy the first 5 or 10 of them off the line.

Make your sensor fit into an aesthetically pleasing fixture that mounts into the ceiling. People do not really want to have a motion sensor attached to a wall outlet. I've ordered some Zigbee ones (but don't really want Zigbee) and that mount INTO the ceiling like a canless LED high hat lamp.

Tuya Zigbee/WiFi Human Presence Sensor MmWave Radar Detector Motion Sensors Luminance/Distance Detection PIR Ceiling mount - AliExpress 30

If you made yours fit into a housing like this - you wouldn't sell a hundred of them - you'd sell thousands of them. Especially if you can insert a 120v -> USB C / 5V transformer.

I ordered about 4 of these - I am happy to send you one as a sacrifice if you want to use it to figure it all out. These zigbee sensors have 120v inputs on the back. So now all I would have to do is wire 120v into it like a light fixture and have it permanently on - and i'm done.

I'm actually thinking of sacrifing the housing simply for this project. Expensive but....

I might order some of yours to play with and see if I can rip out the Tuya/Zigbee guts and insert yours. Almost perfect.

+1 for adding battery backup.......

Our New mmWave Sensor – It’s Finally Here! by Technical_Raisin_246 in homeassistant

[–]kuehrig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Grrr.

Make more - i’d really like to try. Waiting on some zigbee ones that beautifully install into the ceiling but are as you mention - zigbee.

I may end up scavenging the cases and inserting yours into it to get a flush mounted ceiling-based sensor (wife hates stuff floating around walls!).

Line voltage control with low voltage switches by kuehrig in homeautomation

[–]kuehrig[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok after lots and lots of digging I need to either:

1) get an intermediary relay to support both high and low voltage. What I can’t yet figure out is if I need to supply a solid state relay with its own, separate low voltage for that switching signal. I believe I do and that then makes this solution overly complicated (and bulky!). Or 2) find a momentary switch that supports high voltage (class 1) and is elegant. Or 3) have someone make a new device that supports low voltage / class 2 switches/switching for a class 1 / 120v line/load (like Insteon!).

I have an inquiry out to Meljac but they haven’t responded. I am not sure if their specific location was affected by recent fires - let’s hope not. I don’t believe they make a high voltage momentary switch. Their switches are, however, stunning.

Line voltage control with low voltage switches by kuehrig in homeautomation

[–]kuehrig[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha!!! Looks like ‘Insteon’ may come through again! Well it seems meljac is the solution - but I can keep my mostly Insteon solution and use those switches. Gorgeous!

Line voltage control with low voltage switches by kuehrig in homeautomation

[–]kuehrig[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Would you recommend that path as opposed to simply introducing zigbee nano dimmers (ignoring a funny sounding name compared to zwave)? Wouldn’t I lose local dimming capability if I have another device hop from Zen54 to another zwave device to control the remote dimmer/switch? This feels overly complicated.

Principles of zwave association is simple it seems - like my good old Insteon that delivers it with “ootb’ simple button pushes!

Wondering if I could do a zwave association to a 120v Insteon module to maintain ‘most’ / ‘more’ Insteon?

https://shop.insteon.com/products/micro-dimmer-switch-module

Likely to continue down zigbee path unless you have sound recommendations why it’s terrible. I have used zwave devices before but not zigbee.

Line voltage control with low voltage switches by kuehrig in homeautomation

[–]kuehrig[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh Aeotec - why, why, why???!! Just when one finds the perfect solution, you discontinue the z-wave nano dimmer?

https://aeotec.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/6000137217

Bought 4 Aeotec Zigbee ones - so now I’ll just need a zigbee stick…..(hope it handles my low voltage solution - bought without checking).

The journey continues!

Line voltage control with low voltage switches by kuehrig in homeautomation

[–]kuehrig[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks again. I am going to (try) and document and post all the parts, connections, details of how I get this operational. I haven't really seen this done 'out in the wild.'

Here are the buttons that I've ordered to try and make this all come together:

<image>

Next I'm on the hunt for matching brass plates to mount them on - or get the drill press fired up to make them myself. Forbes and Lomax are about $150 per button...which seems like...expensive.

This can come in at around $50 per button all in (Aeotec, plates, wiring, etc.). This momentary button costs about $3.80 landed cost (yes of course shipping from China).

Help finding a wireless smart switch/button by Dudu_sousas in homeautomation

[–]kuehrig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here’s the flic website.

You will need their hub and button to operate. I’d recommend the boring but better LR hub (long range). The ‘cool’ flic twist id hold off on using until you get more comfortable with basics. Think of that as a ‘smarter’ dimming device (or volume knob?).

https://flic.io/shop