Looks like you're a very lazy person 
I'm also interested in the "soil to dry".
Further I d'like to know how you do it with your nasty cat in the countertop? We have 4 of them and all are nasty beasts.
First generation Spruce irrigation sensor.
Using a custom device driver from iharyadi/maxwell
1 Like
The cat is very smart and will do its best not to be detected because it knows its being a little stinker. I have my normal motion detector in the kitchen. It is strategically placed and tuned so only a person can trigger it. Then I have a second one placed on the counter top. If motion is detected on one and not the other then the cat playing where it shouldn't. At first I had a webcam in the kitchen and could see what it was doing but don't want to have to look at a camera all day and night.
Punishment / behavior modification is done using heavy duty packing tape (2 feet) placed sticky side up. It is laid on the very edge of the counter so when the cat jumps up it solidly plants all four feet in the tape. Of course it hates it and jumps back down but the tape is stuck and the act of jumping down causes the tape to wrap up onto its body. Now it's really irritated and will run around for awhile trying to get it off. After about 20 minutes I will get a pair of scissors and cut the tape off. This stops the counter top jumps for four to six months and eventually it will test the area again. Then its just a matter of rinse and repeat.
6 Likes
Curious on what you did to the old roomba? I did a quick Google search and it looks like you can add wifi for under $10 and trigger cleaning/docking through a rest api.
1 Like
I did exactly that. But it's not a roomba, it's an LG HomBot.
I use the HE app HTTP temporary switch. I can even "Google assistant" it.
It's really convinient to yell "start cleaning".
3 Likes
Google Assistant Relay. Control anything that is supported by Google Assistant from HE, even if HE doesn’t support it.
This is a fantastic idea! I'm definitely going to do this. Already have a UPS in place, but this is way more efficient/long lasting.
I also like your design for a passive wellness check. Great ideas!
1 Like
Here are some of mine:
Perfect lighting for every situation without thinking or doing anything is my goal: Automatic lights and ceiling fans in every room based on motion and temp. Only activate in modes that make sense for a certain room. For example, closet light turns on regardless of mode because even during day I need more light in there. On the other hand, master bath light does not turn on at night because I hate being blinded while I'm half asleep. Hallway lights come on very dimly in night mode, brighter in evening mode.
HVAC enable/disable automatically if window/door left open - using Ecobee 3's. Implemented this with RM triggered by any door/window opening for more than a few minutes - turn off HVAC. I use this often on cool evenings when I open windows to cool house. Then I run another RM trigger when any door/window sensor closes which then checks a rule to make sure all other sensors are closed. If all closed, then resume schedule.
Auto fan off - At night when it's warm I like going to sleep with a fan blowing on me, but as night goes on and the temp drops I find myself waking up and being very cold with the fan on. A trigger that turns off fan based on temp solves this problem 
2 Likes
Agreed, but I still need to see in the middle of the night. After 1pm, only one of my Hue bulbs (small bathroom) comes on at its lowest level so we are not blinded. At 6am they turn on normally, unless it’s light enough at that time of the year, in which case they don’t turn on at all.
Is the driver code publish somewhere? I would like to make use of the two sensors I have burried in the yard somewhere. Now if I can remember where they are located.
That works. In my bathroom we have a couple built in night lights in the wall sockets that are good enough to be a night light.
Mine is setup using the "Environment Sensor" driver. Works for temperature and humidity.
The first year I made the mistake of not exactly remembering where the sensor was. Took a very long time to find it. After that a tape measure is used so in the fall its a matter of a simple measure to locate for easy removal.
Would you mind sharing your rules for turning your hvac on / off based on the contact sensors as well as your auto fan? Thank you!
1 Like
Sure, here they are:
HVAC Off
HVAC back on
Fan off
Let me know if any of these screenshots don't make sense to you and I can explain more, but I think it's self explanatory.
1 Like
Hahaha I have to ask, what is chicken little?!
2 Likes
Haha, I just realized I should probably explain that one! It's a little side fan. Used to be called Lasko which is the brand name, but Alexa kept thinking I was saying "Alaska" so I changed it to something unique 
3 Likes
Haha thanks! That made me laugh out loud!
I made a suggestion elsewhere for the windows open -> HVAC off rule, to use a triggered rule instead. Using a standard rule means you give up control over the thermostat. This could be bad in the event that you're away from home and a contact sensor's state is wrong or not updating. Bad news in the winter!
Using a triggered rule means you can still control the thermostat manually without a rule reverting right back to off.
Sorry if I'm being dense but I dont understand how the trigger is different to the standard rule. If you have a bad sensor that is open and has the tstat off, if I go in with the app or on the stat itself set it to auto, how does it get set back to off?
