I'm looking for a simple to use Tuya/Smart Life integration workaround to enable my Z-wave sensors to trigger my Tuya/Smart Life devices.
I have a Hubitat Elevation C7 in another location and after testing it for a while I have found that the lack of cloud Integrations is a significant limiting factor. I understand that Hubitat is dedicated to a local environment but accessing cloud-based environments becomes extremely important when searching for inexpensive hardware. My current environment at this location is mainly Z-wave with a few Zigbee bulbs. Unfortunately, a huge number of old GE switches which require polling and all the headaches that that entails but my concern is with my home environment.
My home location has a first-generation SmartThings Hub which needs to be replaced. My home is fully-automated with the old Z-wave GE switches & outlets, Z-wave sensors and a number of Zigbee bulbs. I also have a large number of Tuya/Smart Life devices. I stumbled across inexpensive $8 plugs and color bulbs and normally I wouldn’t have purchased them but the price got me. With the prospective C.H.I.P. standard on the horizon, I tested them and surprisingly, after a year, I can say that they function without a hitch. No lag, no disconnection problems, easy install, and surprisingly very dependable customizable automations.
Google Home is my family’s preferred and only method of interaction with the home’s smart devices. They don’t understand how things work or the other various interfaces like ActionTiles so the Google Assistant voice interface is vital to everyone's happiness. We all have Android phones, TV’s as well as multiple Google displays and speakers in every room. Z-wave sensors in every room make most lighting situations automatic and losing this integration is going to be hard for them to understand and a nightmare for me to reprogram so I only want to do this in an environment that can handle it. So now a decision has to be made on a new Hub and the decision revolves around a way to integrate cloud devices. Tuya/Smart Life specifically but I have others like Govee for my RGB led strips and a few other Shelby devices. Flashing Tasmoto on devices is not an acceptable option unless I can buy it already flashed. I can do it. I just don't want to or have the time for that anymore.
Google Home will be my family’s interface. If it allowed for triggers my problems would be over but it does not and although they keep teasing this possibility; so far, nothing. I have found a way to use Tasker as an intermediary but the workaround is not something I want to do for every one of my sensors.
So as I see it, my options are:
- The Hubitat Elevation C7 if there was a reasonably easy way to integrate other cloud providers and provide better polling for my GE Z-wave switches
- Hubitat starts flashing the Gosund Mini Wifi Outlet and TECKIN LED RGB Dimmable Multi-color Bulbs and selling them directly to us for under $10. I am sure everyone would buy them.
- Install Home Assistant accepting the serious DIY investment in time and effort.
- The unproven Aeotec hub that is replacing the Smartthings hub.
- Replace all of my cloud devices with more expensive devices.
- Hope that Google institutes better trigger capabilities in the next few months
- Hope that C.H.I.P. is amazing and brings everyone and everything together in the next few months.
Any suggestions?