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[HA Dave]

I was sure HA was mainstream when the cable company started installing it. But this... this is proof positive.

[bkenobi]

For a second I thought I missed out on the HA xmas ornament balls.  But I guess that was just a prop afterall.   

[dave w]

Is it really "home automation" or home remote control? I guess it really doesn't matter, but you and I both remember the smart automated home banners being waved in the '90s with products like Excelon communications being embedded in home appliances, then in the 2000's more banners with Z-Wave, insteon, and ZigBee. And here we are today and the peak of "home automation" seems to be when Duke Power remotely turns off your AC and water heater when the lines sag. Looks good in a Sifi movie, but I still don't see it catching on with anymore strength than in the '80s. $0.02

[HA Dave]

For a second I thought I missed out on the HA xmas ornament balls.  But I guess that was just a prop afterall.   

I was in a store.... saw Blue Tooth Christmas Tree lights. The string of lights had 4 little speakers that connected to a phone (via BT) to wirelessly play Christmas music (or White Wedding in states with legal pot).

[HA Dave]

Is it really "home automation" or home remote control? ........ Looks good in a Sifi movie, but I still don't see it catching on with anymore strength than in the '80s. $0.02

I like the idea of a truly "smart" home that can make suggestions.... like letting you know the heat isn't turned on when the temperature is expected to drop. We don't see a lot of that yet. But these on-line set-up automation devices can be pretty smart.

I added some stuff to work with apple's ihome. I set them up to also recognize my Chamberlain my-Q garage door opener. So when the door is open... at certain times... lights will come on. The door opener can also be programed (all on the cloud servers) so if we forget to close the garage door... besides reminding us... it will close the door. Of course the auto-closing includes 30 secs of lights flashing and beeping before closing and there are still those safety lasers too.

And... things are mixing (and matching) with google or amazon talking/listening voice controlled stuff. 

[racerfern]

like letting you know the heat isn't turned on when the temperature is expected to drop.

So this is my interest... forget programmable or learning thermostats, I want a PREDICTIVE thermostat.

I'm fortunate to have cast iron radiators that are very efficient. However, if the thermostat heats the house to a set 70 and shuts off, there is so much heat still emanating from the radiators that the temp continues to climb.

First, you feel nice and toasty. Then the heat won't come on until the temperature drops to the set point. It's only a 1 or 2 degree difference but it's very noticeable.

Why can't a thermostat either read the returning water temp to see that the home is getting warmer or better yet, figure out the rate of rise to slow things down. For that matter, a predictive thermostat could figure out that at the rate the temperature is dropping it will be cold in an hour and gently nudge the furnace for a little heat.

Maybe there's something out there, but I have yet to find it.

[HA Dave]

like letting you know the heat isn't turned on when the temperature is expected to drop.

So this is my interest... forget programmable or learning thermostats, I want a PREDICTIVE thermostat.................. Maybe there's something out there, but I have yet to find it.

Besides a HA hobbyist... I am also a bicyclist. Every year I get caught in rain storms.... on days when the weather is predicted to be sunny and clear. We don't know the future. But we should be able to be able to react to weather changes much better than we do.

It also seems to me many of us HA types tend to look at long term solutions. With software... there are no long term solutions. Sure... we really got our moneys worth out of Windows XP (I am still using a couple XP HA PC's). But I wouldn't setup a furnace to depend on XP...... or windows 10.

I've come to accept that whatever HA device I buy today.... may not last long. So... maybe look at furnace control via an Internet controlled thermostat using a smart phone. You might find your solution through a cloud based app that can look at weather predictions minute by minute as well as inside (thermostat) temperatures.



   

[racerfern]

Here's how my simple mind looks at the problem:

Let's say the house temp is rising 1 degree every 15 minutes, so the desired temp will be reached in one hour. With a hot water/steam system especially with cast iron radiators the temp will continue to rise after the desired temp is reached. Depending on the system, the rise can be 1-2 degrees which is significant.

My thinking is that in the last 15 minutes as the house approaches the desired temp a programmable thermostat should easily be able to see the rate of rise and adjust accordingly. Slow down the rate by cycling the furnace or lowering the flame (if possible). That way there is no over shoot and the house remains closer to the set temp. The same could be said for having the furnace come back on.

Some thermostats require switches be set but I've never seen where it helps control the running of the system as opposed to just being able to turn a system on or off.

I too rode bicycle for years (while in California) and my Garmin shows about 57k miles for those 9 years. Generally needing to predict the weather was non-existent in SoCal, sunny and warm. But now that I'm in NY and riding much less, even a short ride requires a trip to a weather site. Sigh...

[dave w]

like letting you know the heat isn't turned on when the temperature is expected to drop.

Prior to our current system, we had a pricy Honeywell programmable thermostat that learned how long it took the heat pump to either raise or lower the homes temperature from the "setback" setting to the "at home" setting. Although our system did not have the residual heat problem you describe, I recollect that the "installers manual" (about 50, 8.5in x 11in pages)  addressed this issue of "overshoot". That thermostat is long out of production, but this one seems similar. http://yourhome.honeywell.com/en/products/thermostat/wi-fi-smart-thermostat-rth9580 .

You might call Honeywell and ask them if this thermostat can compensate for overshoot. $0.02

[HA Dave]

The wife and I went out this afternoon to pick-up something that was suggested as a present (Christmas) for a grandchild. Walking through the store..... I saw yet another sign that Home Automation is now Mainstream. And for us solid users of HA... yet another option... that doesn't involve switching brands.

[racerfern]

You might call Honeywell and ask them if this thermostat can compensate for overshoot. $0.02

I haven't called them yet but based on research over the weekend, this fits my needs and wants. Thank you! The Honeywell is both WiFi and ZWave  I also decided to run new t'stat wire to include the "C" wire to both thermostats. Now I just need to figure out where to connect the new "C" wire at the furnace end. Not an easy task considering my limited abilities.

I also see the X10 stuff riding off into the sunset little by little.

[HA Dave]

I also see the X10 stuff riding off into the sunset little by little.

I don't know. Lots of parts and pieces still around in X10. And many of us with large, solid, dependable, X10 setups. I would NOT recommend anyone walk away from X10. I've always thought it was OK to incorporate anything into HA if it served a purpose (even a clapper). I see nothing wrong with adding another flavor of HA (or 2) right along with a stable X10 setup. 

Actually I think I'd rather have a couple separate moderate sized systems.... than just one extra huge system. 

[bkenobi]

http://yourhome.honeywell.com/en/products/thermostat/wi-fi-smart-thermostat-rth9580 .

I have a variant of that thermostat.  It's the touch screen version that precedes this one (8000 series) but I don't believe the control is significantly different.  The benefit to this one is that you can get data from the web fed to it though I do not believe it can use it for anything.  I looked at upgrading so I could use predicted outside temperature conditions to control my heating/cooling but it cannot do that.  Mine has settings that learn how long it takes to heat the home so it will turn on prior to the set time/temp such that the home will be the right temperature when you ask it to be.  I have a heat pump so it does not overshoot, but I imagine there are settings to help with that as this is a very nice thermostat!

[dhouston]

Just in time for XMA$ - the $150 talking light bulb.
https://www.hellotwist.com/buy/speaker

Could it also be a listening light bulb?
http://wallstreetpit.com/112382-music-speakers-headphones-listening/?google_editors_picks=true

[HA Dave]

Could it also be a listening light bulb?
http://wallstreetpit.com/112382-music-speakers-headphones-listening/?google_editors_picks=true

When I was searching for a method to go whole-house voice control.....

My son-in-law was telling me how he heard a weather warning late one night..... over the baby monitor. The neighbors weather alert was easily heard through the walls in the baby's room and amplified by the monitor.

That gave me the idea to experiment with baby monitors. But it should also let you know... your neighbors devices hear you clearly. We're way past the day when we had the luxury of worrying about someone hacking into your business. You personal information and... even personal conversations have been exploited by government systems for YEARS now.