7 Common Smart Home FAILS and How To Avoid Them
117,173
Published 2023-06-15
Featured in this video:
Amazon Echo 4th Gen (Thread Border Router + Matter Bridge):
- AmazonUS: amzn.to/43q2V9Q
- AmazonCA: amzn.to/3T9u2Sn
- AmazonUK: amzn.to/4a0po03
Govee M1 Matter Strips
- AmazonUS: amzn.to/3qt0CUS
- AmazonCA: amzn.to/4a07iLy
- AmazonUK: amzn.to/4a3dLW5
Shelly 2.5 Smart Relay (Bedroom Switches)
- AmazonUS: amzn.to/3MQW420
Blinds Motor
- AmazonUS: amzn.to/49HO8KK
Eight Sleep Mattress
- Direct: eight-sleep.ioym.net/c/1397469/607198/9942
*As an Amazon Affiliate I earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you*
Visit my website: www.TheSmartHomeHookUp.com/
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/thehookup1
Join me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/473812443269387
Support my channel directly:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/thehookup
Music by www.BenSound.com
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Fail #1: Things Break
01:08 Fail #2: Replacing Functionality
04:40 Fail #3: Document Everything
05:33 Fail #4: Reinventing the Wheel
06:43 Fail #5: Getting Stuck In One Ecosystem
08:26 Fail #6: Underestimating Convenience
09:25 Fail #7: Not Having Fun
All Comments (21)
-
I'd add #8, building automations without accounting for other people using the house (either others who live with you or, more often overlooked, guests staying over). Occupancy detection based on your phone being present, press the light switch vs double tap to turn on different lights / scenes, etc.
-
My key one - stay away from just about all of the propriety systems. They will always die and eventually become unsupported. Open standards and software for automation is fantastic and should be promoted more.
-
Awesome video. My favorite is the don't replace existing functionality, just enhance it. Or make sure if the "smart" tech fails, your house will still function. This is fantastic advice. Thanx for the great video.
-
In Addition to #6: Dont think about all the cool function you can implement, think about the user and the convience of use. For example: IKEA smart light bulbs support three analog values: brightness, color-temp and transition time. So i added three analog sliders for each bulb in my dashboard. But do i really need these endless combination possibilities and control the brightness in 5% steps? No! Now i have just three buttons that run pre-defiened presets and thats enough and i am happy with it!
-
Mistake 1: trusting any Amazon/Alexa product.
-
Documenting everything was the best thing I ever did, especially with HomeKit codes or how cables were run. Also glad you called out replacing smoke alarms. Scary how many people are jumping into smart smoke detectors but using cheap $5 knock off junk by companies that don’t exist anywhere outside an Amazon ad.
-
Respect for the Mitch Hedburg plug! That guy was hilarious!
-
Extra Mistake : Consider a naming structure and stick to it, it really helps when troubleshooting or writing automations my current is device_location_attruibute wallswitch_bedroom_battery motionsensor_stairs_action
-
The "Mitch Hedberg Principle of Home Automation" is a great call! "Elevator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience".
-
Great advice!! - I like to remind people that eventually they will move and need to either hand-off the system or remove components so don't make it too complex or reliant on you to make it work. #1-3 become really important when it is time to sell.
-
I love this video! To me, these are smart home principles and too often I violate a principle and then I'm disappointed. These principles are going to become a checklist for me when I'm adding components to my smart home. Thanks for laying these out
-
I've always kept in mind an advice from Reed, which is to always think a lot on when to not run automations, the spous approval factor goes way up! Great video!
-
Documenting EVERYTHING and logging is key, also taking a lot of pics and take the time to sort it smart. Saves me a lot of head ache. Another tip is when you log things is to ad a ton of different terms for the ”thingy” you looking for, two years later you will find it.
-
Love the Mitch reference! "Sorry for the convenience!" lol
-
I think my biggest waste of money has been between smart buttons, smart light switches, smart wall plugs and smart bulbs. If i had known since the beginning what are the advantages of each one and how each applies to different scenarios would have saved a lot of money. And definitely stay away from proprietary stuff, 10 different hubs, etc.
-
All great advice, thank you!
-
Awesome video, Rob! Some excellent things I wish I knew before I started!
-
All great advice! Well done.
-
Seriously great video, well thought out and some great points I didn’t consider
-
Another well produced, informative video. Thanks Rob! "Operating without Internet" has become my #1 focus on my journey to DIY smart home fun. Privacy has little to do with that decision - it was not being able to use the Belkin/WEMO devices, while sitting on my couch, on my home network that pushed me over that edge. Now to find the wi-fi enabled speaker and media player set up that can be used to play local audio files as notifications. Something other than a Nest Mini. I'm pretty excited about the Year of the Voice and Rhasspy know-how getting incorporated into Home Assistant.