vd Brink Home Automations

Home automations: Home Assistant, ESPHome, Node-RED and more.

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Home Automation Ideas

to make your home smart

Idea

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.


Table of Contents

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); 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).

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.

mailbox

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)

energy consumption

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 + switch button near the bed)

  • Lights are automatically turned off when no one is in the living anymore.

  • 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)
    motion sensor

Christmas lights

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

Christmas decoration lights battery powered

Mechanical ventilation


ventilation

Laundry room

(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)

Bathroom

Kitchen

Lights


kitchen light

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)
    dishwasher door sensor

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)
    notification

Refrigerator

Stove


stove temperature sensor

Sink


water leak

Coffee machine

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)

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!)

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)

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)

aquarium

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.
  • Close the curtains when it cools the home too much.

Front yard

  • 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)
      person detected

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

  • 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)

(Dutch) Inspiration videos

There are more home automation geeks like me!

Here are some (Dutch) videos for inspiration:



Remarks or suggestions?

Do you have any remarks or suggestions please let me know via github issues.

Create an issue

Or via a private message on the Tweakers.net forum.

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