Next month the kitchen is getting remodeled and I volunteered to provide outlets and light switches for the contractors. I need like 13 of each.
My house is one foot in home assistant and one foot in google and I'm looking for both specific and general advice. I've done mostly Kasa HS200 switches so far in my house but I just installed my first [Enbrighten switch](Enbrighten 43080 Zigbee in-Wall... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08428GDS8) and it seems good, but it's underutilized because either I use the switch or I have to go dig in the HA app, and it isn't convenient yet.
Here's the deal:
I've got some door sensors, I've got HVAC, I've got doorbell and deadbolt (kind of), I've got zigbee smart blinds, and then a butt load of kasa switches and zigbee third reality wall warts and stuff. All the automations I've made are hands off. I don't have any crossover between Google and home assistant (I understand there IS an integration) but I want to do this right.
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Should I be doing probably one zigbee switch per room in the remodel (pantry, kitchen, laundry, mudroom) and then kasa? Then eventually move over to full HA?
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I am struggling to figure out how to help the family switch away from Google to HA, but maybe I want to mask HA with Google? We are using the hub max displays around the house and I'm not sure how to pass control without posting dashboards (which I haven't made) to the Google displays.
Sorry this is rambling, but what should I be thinking about here and how do I take next steps to ungoogle the house? I feel like instead of gobbling random stuff together like I have been doong I have an opportunity to make a commitment, but if I choose wrong it's like a $1k+ mistake at $50 per switch/outlet.
The way I have it set up, HomeKit (hey siri) has full control over the stuff people want to control. So hey Google open the blinds/turn on the lights always works. But the blinds might still close 30 seconds later if that’s when the trigger occurs. Homeassistant is my coordinator.
Generally there’s limited use of HomeKit in my house because there’s a lot of automations. HomeKit only is a bunch of switches. I would set up Google the same way.
I don’t have smart switches if I can’t easily come up with a good automation - either motion based (which doesn’t work if the sensor doesn’t face enough of the room or if there isn’t enough motion to trigger it eg sitting in office chair) or time based (you positively know that between x and y hrs you need the lights on). And the automation needs to be pretty reliable; if I’m overriding constantly I’ve done it wrong. The convenience factor of being able to turn it off from my bedroom doesn’t add up in my case.
I also expose some switches to HomeKit that toggle things eg a water recirculating pump to toggle before starting the shower for instant hot water. But I’m a nerd.
What kind of logic are you using behind motion based detection?
If you get motion between hours of x and y turn on and if no motion for x minutes turn off?
Yeah it’s just time and motion. I don’t like it to be honest, but my sensors are either not great or in a bad spot. I am interested in the mmWave sensors but not rushing.