Home Automation Ideas

to make your home smart

Below is a list of automation ideas, based on devices and locations in and around the house.

For already a few years, I follow various forums, newsgroups and videos to gather new ideas, which I then incorporate into my own automations.

This is a constant growing list. I’ll update the list with new ideas now and then.

I hope I can inspire you with some new home automation ideas you can integrate in your home.

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Devices and locations to be automated
  • Mailbox
  • Washing machine / dryer
  • Living room
  • Christmas lights
  • Mechanical ventilation
  • Laundry room
  • (Bed)rooms
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
    • Lights
    • Dishwasher
    • Oven
    • Refrigerator
    • Stove
    • Sink
    • Coffee machine
  • Home office
  • Closet / pantry / storage / stairs
  • Drawer
  • Aquarium
  • Outside
    • Front yard
    • Car
    • Putting out the bin
• (Dutch) Inspiration videos

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Introduction

I’ve started with a few automations for lights in the living room, the mailbox, and the washing machine. And I’ve continually expanded by adding more and more sensors and actuators, which result in 100+ automation flows running in my home.

Criteria for my own automations are:

• Capable of running locally (no-cloud);
• It can also be controlled in the traditional way with “old-fashioned” buttons, so that everyone in the house can operate everything, without an app and even if the smart server is down;
• Works regardless of who is present (no extra trackers or apps needed).

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Devices and locations to be automated

Mailbox

• Notification when mail is delivered. (contact sensor with a separate magnet on the flap)
• Notification if mail is sticking out. (if the contact sensor is broken and not closed again after 1 minute)
• Send a picture of the mailbox after something is delivered. (Raspberry Pi Zero W with camera)

 

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Washing machine / dryer

• Notification when the washing machine/dryer is finished. (based on a smart plug with energy meter)
• Measure how long the machine is running. (based on a smart plug with energy meter)
• Measure what the costs are. (based on a smart plug with energy meter)
• Notification when the machine is not emptied yet after X time. (contact sensor on the door)

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Living room

• Close the curtains in the evening. (smart curtains, lux sensor)

• Open the curtains in the morning. (smart curtains, lux sensor)

• Lights fading in and out, according to twilight. (smart lights + lux sensor to detect brightness from inside and outside)

• Lights automatically turning off at bedtime. (smart lights + button near the bed)

• Lights are automatically turned off when no one is in the living anymore. (presence detection with mmWave sensor)

• Dimming lights after a few minutes when the movie player is on. Brightness increases again when someone is detected in the kitchen. (smart plug + motion sensor)
  

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Christmas lights

I have a dedicated page about how I automated my Christmas decorations.

• Connecting battery-operated Christmas decorations to the power outlet. (equipped with battery eliminators and multiple connected to a USB adapter switch, powered by a smart plug for automation)
• Christmas tree lights. (replace the default power socket with always on mode switch and add a smart plug to control it)
  
  

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Mechanical ventilation

I have a dedicated page about how I automated my mechanical ventilation.

• Depends on which area’s the ventilation system is connected to. In my case, my bathroom humidity/temperature, kitchen humidity/temperature, kitchen/bathroom temperature/humidity difference, duration of a toilet visit. (lux value above threshold x for time Y, temperature sensor, MV control via an additional remote linked to an ESP)

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Laundry room

• Lights on/off when entering/leaving. (door contact sensor + smart light)
• Dehumidifier on based on humidity. (humidity sensor + dehumidifier also turned on with a smart plug)
• Notification if the water tank of the dehumidifier is full. (leak sensor in the dehumidifier)

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(Bed)rooms

• Light on when entering (and no one is already in bed). (door contact sensor + smart light)
• LED strip just a few percentage on when going out of bed during the night. (LED strip)
• Dehumidifier on in the evening if the humidity is too high. (humidity sensor + dehumidifier also turned on with a smart plug)
• Notification if windows can be opened in summer when it’s cooler outside than inside. (indoor + outdoor temperature sensor)
• Notification to open a window if the CO2 level is too high ESP CO2 sensor
• Notification to open a window if the humidity is inside too high compared to the value outside. (humidity sensor + contact sensor on the window)
• Notification to close a window if heavy rain is expected within 10 minutes. (API weather forecast + contact sensor on the window)

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Bathroom

• Notification when someone takes a shower. (humidity sensor or water usage measuring)
• Detect if someone is in the bathroom. (presence detection with mmWave sensor)
• Water consumption. (Water meter reader)
• Change light color when someone is too long in the shower. (Water consumption, presence, LED strip)

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Kitchen

Lights

• Lights on, based on presence + light. (motion sensor + lux sensor + normal LED strip with a smart plug or smart LED strip)

Dishwasher

• Notification when the dishwasher is finished. (based on a smart plug with energy meter)
• Notification when dishwasher is not emptied yet after X time. (contact sensor on the door)
  

Oven

• Notification when the oven reaches his preset temperature. (based on a smart plug with energy meter. The power consumption drops when he reaches his temperature)
  

Refrigerator

• Detect if the door is opened too long. (temperature sensor inside or door contact sensor)

Stove

• Detect if someone is cooking. (temperature sensor)
• Extraction fan on based on temperature/humidity. (temperature sensor in the extractor hood)

Sink

• Leak detector under the sink. (leak sensor or a modified contact sensor). I have a dedicated page about how I created this sensor.

Coffee machine

• Count the brewed coffees to order new cups. (vibration sensor)

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Home office

• Computer screen + lights + phone charger on when you sit in the office chair. (car seat pressure sensor in the chair)
• Computer screen + lights + phone charger on when you enter the office. (contact sensor at the door)
• Office lights only on when it’s dark and someone is in the room. (smart light, lux sensor, mmWave sensor to detect a person who sits still)
• Extra heater on, based on temperature and presence. (temperature sensor + chair occupancy)
• On air light so people at home know you’re in a call. (calendar integration + smart light)
• Notification to open a window if the inside temperature is too high compared to the outside temperature. (temperature sensor)
• Notification to open a window if the CO2 value is too high. (CO2 sensor)
• Airco on when it’s too hot in- and outside. (smart plug + temperature sensor)

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Closet / pantry / storage / stairs

• Lights on when you open a closet door. (battery-powered LED light with a PIR sensor. Not connected, but smart/convenient!)

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Drawer

• Notify when the drawer is opened. (Attach a contact sensor behind the drawer to the closet and the magnet to the drawer itself, so when you open it, the contact gets broken and a signal is triggered)
• Notify when drawer is not yet opened today at a specific time. For example, if you have medicines in a drawer, you need to take every day. (contact sensor)

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Aquarium

• Automatic turn the lights on and off. (smart plug)
• Turn the lights on when they got fed. (contact sensor at the lid of the aquarium).
• Automatic feeder.
• Water quality check PH-level.
• Temperature warning if water is too hot/cold. (ESP with waterproof temperature sensor)

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Outside

• Notification when it’s nice weather to sit outside. (based on temperature, humidity, lux sensor, sun strength from a weather station)
• Notification to close skylight or other window if it’s open and rain is expected within fifteen minutes. (skylight/window contact sensor + API weather forecast/weather station)
• Notification to retract parasols if it’s too windy. (outdoor temperature and wind speed from a weather station)
• Close the sunscreen if it’s too windy. (outdoor temperature and wind speed from a weather station)
• Notification when the gate is opened. (contact sensor)
• Turn the lights on when going outside in the evening/night. (lux sensor, smart light)
• Put out the sunscreen when it heats the home too much.
• Close the curtains when it heats the home too much. (controlled curtains, outside temp, inside temp)
• Close the curtains when it cools the home too much. (controlled curtains, outside temp, inside temp)

Front yard

I have a dedicated page about how I automated my outdoor (Christmas) lights.

• Outside lights on when:
  • Someone enters the door. (web-/doorcam with person recognition, smart outside light, Google Coral)
  • You connect to your Wifi. (outside light)
  • You enter home-zone. (Home Assistant Companion app and outside light)
    

Car

• Notification to cover the car if the dew point is below -1 in the evening. This increases the chance of not having to scrape in the morning! (weather station)
• Notification to family when I leave work. (location positioning)
• Activate the driveway lights when you arrive home. (When enter the Home-zone, or connect to your local Wifi network AND the phone bluetooth is connected to the car)
• Activate the front door lights. (see previous flow)

Putting out the bin

I have a dedicated page about how I automated my bin day reminders.

• Notification when paper/green/plastic/residual waste bin needs to be put on the street to be emptied tomorrow. (waste calendar integration)
• Light up a LED strip in the color of the waste bin which must be put on the street the next day. (waste calendar integration + LED strip)

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See also my: Home Automation Videos and Zigbee Smart home - Best Buy Tips pages.

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