Coolest home automation use case

No link. I made this to make sure I don't miss my own meetings!

Here is the node red flow

Email node pulls all emails linked to your zoom account. To make sure it isn't flooded with data, I created a separate address to which only zoom stuff is forwarded.

Switch node filters out only the joined meeting notifications.

Function node extracts the name of the meeting attendee and sends it to the variable attribute in a virtual omni sensor in HE via maker API. (alternatively a bunch of split nodes work just as well). I structure my zoom meetings to include a "-" followed by the name so that the split will work regardless of how you structure your meeting.

In HE I have a an RM rule triggered by a change in the omni sensor device variable. The rule then sets a RM variable to the same value as the omni sensor variable which is then announced on a sonos (or any TTS output)

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for me, the coolest thing is to integrate different things through gateways, thanks to hubitat/node-red

Before HE, I was harvesting data like this (Active X/IExplorer):

With HE, I'm here (on a Tablet):


present project: build/monitor a powerwall with 600 LiFePo4 batteries to create a huge UPS for my hub :wink:
(ok, also to power all my electronic, grid free):

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tracking toilet flushes.... thats a bit much.. the power wall is cool all custom done

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and for the irony, water is free in Quebec (no water meters in residential), and I added several meters for my own "pleasure".

But I learned things with this: I noticed that more water is used daily with toilet flushes than showers...

But in fact, on this hub pic, it's french drain flushes (water in my basement), not toilet flushes displayed here :slight_smile:

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I am going to expose my ignorance and ask wth is that? Lol is it safe??

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Yes. Those are LiFePo4 (very stable) batteries. Obtained from hybrid bus. Need to add BMS to monitor/charge properly this bank. But far safer than 18650 banks.

I'm waiting for my rs485 (modbus) BMS => Node-red/PLC => Hubitat to display data/use in real time the work of this baby

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Mine is not that amazing but we recently got a rescue puppy and it is an escape artist. After having it run out in the street late at night (it is also small, black fur and fast) with me chasing after it panic stricken since cars race down our street; I have put Wyze sensors on the gates which turn LIFX lights in the house red if either gate is open. A notification also goes to all phones and Sonos speakers in the house, as well as calling the all-clear and turning the lights back to white once the gate is closed.

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I also have a dog that likes to bolt. We got him a “Whistle”. It’s a gps-enabled collar that notifies us if he leaves the yard, and lets us track him.

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Excellent! I just ordered that thing after the last chase. Glad to hear it works!

Of all the automations here, there are probably three favourites. Living in an older house in the UK it can get a tad chilly, the hub monitors temperatures and turns on a mattress warmer if it's a cold night. Ridiculously simple but a huge quality of life improvement (this dates back to an earlier system I built years ago whereby I could turn on a socket with an sms to warm the bed up. When you're riding a bike for a living it's nice to get home to a toasty and dry bed).

My most recent project has tied a few things together, a button push turns on a TV, an av amp and boots my ps4. This uses an ir emitter and a bit of chicanery.

Finally, the fans in the rooms where the pets tend to be. Air conditioning is rare here but summers have gotten warmer, a bit of soldering and @markus's excellent Tasmota drivers mean that those rooms are kept to a reasonable temperature. Plus you get to enter a room to find a long haired cat perched in front of a fan, it's like an 80's hair metal video.

We're currently at first fix in a renovation project, hopefully (budget allowing) I'll be integrating a water control system with leak detection and a valve/pump disable alongside window hardware for opening and closing the velux and their blinds. The MVHR system, master shower and bath are also on the cards for tinkering with a view to integration.

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I have a set of temperature sensors in the freezers and I use an aeotec siren to get our attention if they start warming up. For a while the sensor in the kitchen freezer would just sort of randomly heat up even though the fridge was cold, which annoyed my significant other to no end and created many accusations of “over automating.” I tuned off the siren for a while to end the annoyance. I filled a container with glass beads to provide some dampening and that fixed my weird sudden rise false alarm. The other evening the siren went off and I got dirty looks. Went downstairs and sure enough the freezer door was ajar. I claimed moral victory and ordered another dozen sensors, lightbulbs, and buttons just for good measure.

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Not HE but still an automation. I Have an Alexa routine to daily turn on a smart plug at 10:45pm that is an amp. It then plays a 3 hr thunderstorm ‘song’ on Spotify on the echo. Echo is plugged into this amp that goes to ceiling speakers. At 3am it turns off the plug. Nice white noise for sleeping!

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I use texts and Alexa alerts for freezer issues. But it is normal for a freezer to rise periodically when it goes through its auto defrost cycle to avoid the drain freezing up. I set alert temp around 18 degrees

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Yes... though these sensors would rise well above freezing. The glass bead trick worked though - when the sensor temp rises it's real.

What temperature sensor are you using? I have tried several but all have battery issues with the cold.

The SmartThings water leak sensor. I think anything will have an issue with batteries in that environment. I'm committed to just replacing them often.

I have 3 iris v2 sensors in freezers and some outside as well where it gets even colder than the freezers, they will show low battery after a few days in freezing temp but will continue to work for years and when the temp rises again (outdoor sensors) the battery returns to normal. I use Device watchdog to monitor them for activity and alert if they haven't updated in the last 12 hours so I'll know when the battery finally dies.

I suppose one could use some Z-wave valves in the wall as well to achieve a "poor man's" version of this. :slight_smile:

My favorite 'useful' automations ranked:

  • Automatically open and close my windows using linear actuators, with box fans to improve airflow. Tied into thermostat for central A/C. Using dozens of temperature and contact sensors, and OWM data to predict comfort levels over night as to whether or not to open the windows. Electricity is $0.33/kWh here, and houses have almost zero insulation hence the effort. Tired of the $650-$750 energy bills each month. That's setting the thermostat to 78F when home, and 84F when gone.
  • IoTaWatt integration do do stuff like determine when laundry is complete. Using an Aeotec remote for each housemate to trigger their specific automation to message their phone, play on their Google Home Mini, etc. Can do other fun stuff, like if someone drunkenly leaves the oven on for longer than 2 hours.
  • NFC stickers all around the house with 'generic' URLs which hit my reverse prox. Depending on who taps the sticker, it performs a unique rule for them. Stuff like "open garage door on return, unlock this door upon return, turn on party mode, etc."
  • The multiple external endpoints that I've thrown into Tasker for quick-action buttons on my phone launcher, like opening garage door a few blocks away, door locks, triggering the A/C, etc.
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To an extent, yes but the DTV+ also controls the temperature so it's more than just a valve, it's a stepper motor that regulates how much hot vs. cold water to let in to maintain the desired temperature. But yeah, for basic on/off that would work!

oh I mean you would have one for each line -- but that would definitely require some creative piping to allow for not only automated, but manual control. Either that or you just use some sort of zigbee controller.

To be honest the shower stuff never occurred to me, but I've never had anything remotely smart in mine, other than the window actuator and exhaust fan.