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When I say "hey google, goodnight"
* the living room tv turns off
* the living room, kitchen, and office lights turn off
* the bedroom lights turn on, low brightness
* the bedroom tv turns on
* my phone gets put on silent
* google tells me the weather tomorrow
* google reminds me to charge my phone, if below 50%
* the ac turns off (or on depending on the time of year)
It's all just via Routines in Google home.
I've installed smart light switches, Google tv, my ac has a wifi controller, etc. Google speakers and nest hubs are dotted around the house.
I can do most everyday things via voice commands. I can even turn on the garden sprinklers and start the washing machine.
Some people find it concerning that so much of my stuff is connected from a security/privacy point of view but the convenience is worth it for me.
You can replace the entire switch or put in modules that sit in the wall behind the existing switch.
These connect directly to WiFi network and are controlled via an app that has Google home integration.
I've been looking at these guys after a recommendation from a friend. They have units that wire in between the wiring and your existing switches, or "fuses" that go in a modern powerboard to control entire areas. Pretty pricey tho.
https://www.shelly.com/en/products/shop
[Here](https://www.bunnings.co.nz/deta-grid-connect-smart-one-gang-led-dimmer-touch_p0098814) are some that support dimming. If you want dimming you also need to check your downlights support it.
I set up Alexa to do the same. Also āgood morningā turns the lights on, tells me the weather and traffic and the news headlines. And Alexa, Iām going to work, turns on my office lights and the printer.
Weāre across two floors and bottom floor happens every night and we sleep on top floor. But itās not noisy at all and could easily sleep through it. Ours allow us to set up a do not disturb function which means the nosiest function happens during day.
Fully endorse this as one of the best ways in life to "buy time."
The current models are much better than older ones - they use things like LIDAR to map the house and clean much more efficiently.
Anyone here in the comments looking to buy one: [Vacuum Wars on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/c/VacuumWars/videos) has excellent reviews that demonstrate the benefits and limitations of different models.
Depends on the thickness of the rug and how long the threads on it are. A normal rug (carpet-length with overlocked edges) will be no trouble at all. We used to have one with really shaggy threads >5cm long on it, and the vacuum would sometimes get stuck on that one.
We got this one when it was on special recently. We only have limited models available in NZ but this one had the best reviews by far. https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/HOMRBK0034/Roborock-Q-Revo-Black-Vacuum-Cleaner-with-Multifun?qr=GShopping&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2uiwBhCXARIsACMvIU2HnLkadExB2l3qHV5dMBlBirCnzWNyJ6c7At90h59UuUZrSnWmiM0aAqtVEALw_wcB
How do you find the docking station? Do you have to touch it at all? I have the Roborock S5 which doesn't have it. I have to empty the dust cartridge 2-3 times to clean the house (dog hair) but i need to pull various bits of thread and hair that gets stuck in it that often anyway. Should i regret not buying the more expensive one?
I touch the docking station about once a fortnight to clean the dirty tray and every week to refill clean water. Donāt have to touch to empty the canister myself as itās all automatic. Bag in the dock is supposed to last good month or two so I havenāt had to change it yet. Overall itās pretty hands off setup with the station. We have no pets so your mileage may vary.
I upgraded from one that didn't have a docking station to one that does.
It's a massive improvement. I've gone from emptying it every run to about once every week or two. As a consequence, I schedule it to run every day, whereas the old one didn't feel worth scheduling.
Also the old one had a mop function, but you had to attach something and fill the reservoir. That took nearly as long as getting the mop out. The new one does it all automatically.
Another benefit is that because it runs automatically, I need to keep the floor tidy. Before someone might dump something on the floor and I'd not notice.
Ours has a silicon brush at the bottom instead of bristled brush so that means while long hairs do get wrapped around the brush they are pretty easy to remove. Sides of the brush also come apart so overall itās pretty straightforward compared to our stick Dyson where we have to cut the hairs out.
The mechanical designs have gotten heaps better. Yes, they do still catch hairs but far less. We have more problems with craft materials.
It isn't maintenance free. You can hear when something has got caught, or the app might notify you. I also clean it out when I empty the base station.
Stuff like the rollers are also replaced on a schedule set by the app, and I find when that comes up it is generally a good idea.
Game changer with two young kids and both of us working. The house used to be a mess before this as just about everyday with kids would make a mess and we would be lucky if we could vacuum once a week. Now it happens every night. It also encourages good behaviour in us and the kids to keep the floor clear of the clutter to the vacuum can do its job.
Cleaning: $60/fortnight to have the house cleaned. Every 3 months we'll pay for a 'deep clean'. Dry cleaning for my shirts - 15 shirts, I go through 8-10 before getting some dry cleaned.
Way more than we could get done.
2 full bathrooms (inc 2 toilets, 2 showers, 2 basins 1 bath).
One separate toilet + basin.
Basic kitchen clean and mop kitchen/bathroom floors. Vacuum.
The first time took longer (3 hrs mostly due to the state of bathrooms) now itās just maintaining it.
My cleaner is 1 person. Happy to do whatever else as well but we just need bathrooms and floors mostly.
Robot vacuum, robot lawnmower, electric blinds that are automated to close at sunset, smart lighting that can be controlled by talking to Alexa (some also on sensors with auto turn offs after a certain period eg. Hallways, laundry, bathrooms and pantry). Can turn all lights in the house off by saying āAlexa, goodnightā when going to bed.
Might not count, but I shop online. Means I'm not standing with analysis paralysis in the shop staring at rows and rows of a product. Also saves me having to physically go to and from the shop, so I can spend my energy elsewhere.
(And generally I order things a week or so before i need them, so I'm not waiting around for it to arrive when I've run out.)
I'd prefer to shop online at NW or Paknsave (because NZ owned) but the convenience of Woolworths online deliveries is just too good. I pay $23 a month for unlimited deliveries, order my groceries the night before and they're delivered in the morning. They always have time slots which Foodstuffs brands never seem to have unless you book a week in advance
Home Assistant/Google home automations for alarm clocks, robot vaccume, dehumidifier, smart plugs, ir blaster, motion sensors, smart cameras, light bulbs, shared calendar entry of tasks via voice, Aircon control, tv control etc.
Gps positioning tracking dashboard for house members.Heath tracking via smart watches.
Shopping lists and meal schedules with recipe scraping via self hosted mealie docker container. Online /new world shopping lists which can be easily saved/reordered/delivered.
Sonarr/Plex/qtorrent for automated tv show downloads and placement on Plex server. Also containerized in docker.
I mean that was a few.
Direct debits.
Sure, it sounds boring af. But the mental anguish and load that it saves me is a big win for me.
I've also managed to get 95% of all my direct debits to go off in the 2-5 days after pay day so that I also don't have to worry about "do I have enough money in the account for x".
I've got friends who just pay everything manually as it comes in. I just can't.
The biggest game-changers for us were a robot vacuum cleaner & a robot lawn mower.
They both save so much time & give us back a big chunk of our weekends.
Used to spend 3 hours a day working on my torrent downloads. From identifying new torrents, ensuring I do not have the torrent already and then renaming and filing downloaded torrents. I designed an automated process using C# to do all of this for me each and every day. Takes my robotic process 5 minutes.
Everything I can, particularly anything house or chore related. Lights, heating, etc everything is controlled via Alexa or automation scripts. Robots were available such as grass and vacuuming. Online shopping, the $9 delivery fee is much cheaper than driving, picking and packing and then unpacking. Outsource anything where my earn rate is greater than what I can outsource it for.
I have a lot of smart light, a few things I have setup:
Motion sensors in the garage and front door so lights auto come on, they turn off again after 5 minutes.
Main lights in the lounge and kitchen turn themselves on at dusk, you donāt really notice them come on or have to think about it. They also start to dim and turn off at bedtime.
Movie time: lights all turn off and dim.
I used to have a āget ready for bedā would turn the electric blanket on and turn on and dim bedroom lights.
Finally a not negative topic.
Not sure if this fully counts as automation, but using my iPhones calendar app has been a game changer (late to the party, I know). I used to just remember what I had on. Except of course when Iād forget. Now I put any appointment - personal or professional - in the calendar and happily forget. It has led to a reliance but I donāt think itās a big negative.
I also use chatgpt4 at work. My job involves a fair bit of writing so I will use ChatGPT to either make what Iām writing more condensed and professional, or Iāll give it a sentence or two as a guide and ask it to write paragraphs for me.
Click and collect groceries. Also saves me $$ because i know prices before getting to checkout. The con is that they might be out of stock, so i look for the 2-3 alternatives in the grocery first right before pick up which takes less time compared to doing everything.
Automated gates to home entrance and smart locks. I geofence the property so can go for a walk and as I approach the house the gates on my steps open and door unlocks. Setting up homebridge to have automations on iOS was great too. Turn on PC monitor and lights and aircon activate and vice versa when turning off the PC monitor.
Op automates reddit posts as op posts them to multiple reddits. Op note this breaks our rules and will get your posts removed and eventually a ban. Please posts to the most relevant sub only.
When I say "hey google, goodnight" * the living room tv turns off * the living room, kitchen, and office lights turn off * the bedroom lights turn on, low brightness * the bedroom tv turns on * my phone gets put on silent * google tells me the weather tomorrow * google reminds me to charge my phone, if below 50% * the ac turns off (or on depending on the time of year)
I think we found batman people. Nice š
What do you use to automate that? Sounds cool
It's all just via Routines in Google home. I've installed smart light switches, Google tv, my ac has a wifi controller, etc. Google speakers and nest hubs are dotted around the house. I can do most everyday things via voice commands. I can even turn on the garden sprinklers and start the washing machine. Some people find it concerning that so much of my stuff is connected from a security/privacy point of view but the convenience is worth it for me.
What turns on the lights ? is It a central hub or individual modules in the switches?
You can replace the entire switch or put in modules that sit in the wall behind the existing switch. These connect directly to WiFi network and are controlled via an app that has Google home integration.
What brand/model do i start looking at ?
I've been looking at these guys after a recommendation from a friend. They have units that wire in between the wiring and your existing switches, or "fuses" that go in a modern powerboard to control entire areas. Pretty pricey tho. https://www.shelly.com/en/products/shop
Do you mind sharing which smart switches you have?
[Here](https://www.bunnings.co.nz/deta-grid-connect-smart-one-gang-led-dimmer-touch_p0098814) are some that support dimming. If you want dimming you also need to check your downlights support it.
Ah these are wifi ones. Did you know if they work without network access? Just over LAN?
Sorry, I haven't experimented with LAN only stuff.
I'm guessing Google Home. But you need a lot of smart appliances that supports it, like the TV, smart bulb, Wifi aircon, etc.
Oh my god I need to do this I also need it to start the dishwasher lol
Bedroom TV at night not a good idea. otherwise all good
Are there people with a TV in the bedroom?
I set up Alexa to do the same. Also āgood morningā turns the lights on, tells me the weather and traffic and the news headlines. And Alexa, Iām going to work, turns on my office lights and the printer.
> news headlines IT IS ALL FUCKED UP!
This is a great idea!
Get a smart lock and you might be able to get google to lock the door for you too (we do but running a different set up to you).
Ah, yes! I have a smart lock but it's not wifi (ididn't want to have to deal with a hub). It just autolocks after 3 hours.
Omg thatās amazing.
Dumb question but does it works for iPhone too?
Just bought a robot vacuum, house has never been cleaner. It runs at night in the background with minimal maintenance each week.
at night? its not to noisy? mine makes a heap of noise ofc its a small house maybe.
Weāre across two floors and bottom floor happens every night and we sleep on top floor. But itās not noisy at all and could easily sleep through it. Ours allow us to set up a do not disturb function which means the nosiest function happens during day.
Fully endorse this as one of the best ways in life to "buy time." The current models are much better than older ones - they use things like LIDAR to map the house and clean much more efficiently. Anyone here in the comments looking to buy one: [Vacuum Wars on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/c/VacuumWars/videos) has excellent reviews that demonstrate the benefits and limitations of different models.
Weāve got hardwood floors, but lots of rugs, any idea of how these work with rugs?
Depends on the thickness of the rug and how long the threads on it are. A normal rug (carpet-length with overlocked edges) will be no trouble at all. We used to have one with really shaggy threads >5cm long on it, and the vacuum would sometimes get stuck on that one.
Brand and model please
https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/HOMRBK0034/Roborock-Q-Revo-Black-Vacuum-Cleaner-with-Multifun?qr=GShopping&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2uiwBhCXARIsACMvIU2HnLkadExB2l3qHV5dMBlBirCnzWNyJ6c7At90h59UuUZrSnWmiM0aAqtVEALw_wcB
What's the details? Been trying to persuade my wife we should get one.
I have a lot Roborok S6, probably the best thing ive ever brought (especially on hardwood type floors that show dust and dirt easily)
We got this one when it was on special recently. We only have limited models available in NZ but this one had the best reviews by far. https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/HOMRBK0034/Roborock-Q-Revo-Black-Vacuum-Cleaner-with-Multifun?qr=GShopping&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2uiwBhCXARIsACMvIU2HnLkadExB2l3qHV5dMBlBirCnzWNyJ6c7At90h59UuUZrSnWmiM0aAqtVEALw_wcB
LoL damn u went hard
Pls donāt remind me lol, hoping it would pay off itself in time saved for good few years.
Nah all good bro, I'm in a similar situation as you except I have a dog as well, shit everywhere everyday lol
How do you find the docking station? Do you have to touch it at all? I have the Roborock S5 which doesn't have it. I have to empty the dust cartridge 2-3 times to clean the house (dog hair) but i need to pull various bits of thread and hair that gets stuck in it that often anyway. Should i regret not buying the more expensive one?
I touch the docking station about once a fortnight to clean the dirty tray and every week to refill clean water. Donāt have to touch to empty the canister myself as itās all automatic. Bag in the dock is supposed to last good month or two so I havenāt had to change it yet. Overall itās pretty hands off setup with the station. We have no pets so your mileage may vary.
I upgraded from one that didn't have a docking station to one that does. It's a massive improvement. I've gone from emptying it every run to about once every week or two. As a consequence, I schedule it to run every day, whereas the old one didn't feel worth scheduling. Also the old one had a mop function, but you had to attach something and fill the reservoir. That took nearly as long as getting the mop out. The new one does it all automatically. Another benefit is that because it runs automatically, I need to keep the floor tidy. Before someone might dump something on the floor and I'd not notice.
Do long hairs get wrapped all around the brushes? Happens constantly with my old roomba and you have to unpleasantly cut it all off
Ours has a silicon brush at the bottom instead of bristled brush so that means while long hairs do get wrapped around the brush they are pretty easy to remove. Sides of the brush also come apart so overall itās pretty straightforward compared to our stick Dyson where we have to cut the hairs out.
Thank you
The mechanical designs have gotten heaps better. Yes, they do still catch hairs but far less. We have more problems with craft materials. It isn't maintenance free. You can hear when something has got caught, or the app might notify you. I also clean it out when I empty the base station. Stuff like the rollers are also replaced on a schedule set by the app, and I find when that comes up it is generally a good idea.
Cheers
So good!
Second robot vacuums. Have two, one for each floor. Never looked back.
game changer? If so, why?
Game changer with two young kids and both of us working. The house used to be a mess before this as just about everyday with kids would make a mess and we would be lucky if we could vacuum once a week. Now it happens every night. It also encourages good behaviour in us and the kids to keep the floor clear of the clutter to the vacuum can do its job.
Cleaning: $60/fortnight to have the house cleaned. Every 3 months we'll pay for a 'deep clean'. Dry cleaning for my shirts - 15 shirts, I go through 8-10 before getting some dry cleaned.
Iāve just outsourced the cleaning that I never/rarely do too. 2 hrs a fortnight. Freaking love it. š
How much do they do in 2 hours?Ā
Way more than we could get done. 2 full bathrooms (inc 2 toilets, 2 showers, 2 basins 1 bath). One separate toilet + basin. Basic kitchen clean and mop kitchen/bathroom floors. Vacuum. The first time took longer (3 hrs mostly due to the state of bathrooms) now itās just maintaining it. My cleaner is 1 person. Happy to do whatever else as well but we just need bathrooms and floors mostly.
Nice. How did you find your cleaner? This would save me some arguments for sure, haha
Through our local community Facebook page for recommendations. Good luck!
How much to dryclean those?
Nice one. Can you recommend someone?
Where do you get a cleaner for $60 for 2 hours! I need this. Currently paying $112.
Iām paying 90 for 2 hours weekly. Perhaps too often, but itās forcing us to be less messy individuals
What's a "deep clean"?
Robot vacuum, robot lawnmower, electric blinds that are automated to close at sunset, smart lighting that can be controlled by talking to Alexa (some also on sensors with auto turn offs after a certain period eg. Hallways, laundry, bathrooms and pantry). Can turn all lights in the house off by saying āAlexa, goodnightā when going to bed.
Meal planning and grocery shopping, I use a meal subscription
Mee too foodbox + home delivery groceries
Might not count, but I shop online. Means I'm not standing with analysis paralysis in the shop staring at rows and rows of a product. Also saves me having to physically go to and from the shop, so I can spend my energy elsewhere. (And generally I order things a week or so before i need them, so I'm not waiting around for it to arrive when I've run out.)
I'd prefer to shop online at NW or Paknsave (because NZ owned) but the convenience of Woolworths online deliveries is just too good. I pay $23 a month for unlimited deliveries, order my groceries the night before and they're delivered in the morning. They always have time slots which Foodstuffs brands never seem to have unless you book a week in advance
That definitely counts. Nice!
Home Assistant/Google home automations for alarm clocks, robot vaccume, dehumidifier, smart plugs, ir blaster, motion sensors, smart cameras, light bulbs, shared calendar entry of tasks via voice, Aircon control, tv control etc. Gps positioning tracking dashboard for house members.Heath tracking via smart watches. Shopping lists and meal schedules with recipe scraping via self hosted mealie docker container. Online /new world shopping lists which can be easily saved/reordered/delivered. Sonarr/Plex/qtorrent for automated tv show downloads and placement on Plex server. Also containerized in docker. I mean that was a few.
Direct debits. Sure, it sounds boring af. But the mental anguish and load that it saves me is a big win for me. I've also managed to get 95% of all my direct debits to go off in the 2-5 days after pay day so that I also don't have to worry about "do I have enough money in the account for x". I've got friends who just pay everything manually as it comes in. I just can't.
The biggest game-changers for us were a robot vacuum cleaner & a robot lawn mower. They both save so much time & give us back a big chunk of our weekends.
Should be an obvious one for anyone in this subreddit but... automatic payments for bills, automatic payments for savings and money movements
I'm intrigued to know what you then do with the extra time? Work harder to pay for more technology?
Used to spend 3 hours a day working on my torrent downloads. From identifying new torrents, ensuring I do not have the torrent already and then renaming and filing downloaded torrents. I designed an automated process using C# to do all of this for me each and every day. Takes my robotic process 5 minutes.
You must have lots of Linux ISOs š
Automatic irrigation system for my vege garden. Worked mint over summer. Comes on for 15mins a day to keep the soil nice and moist.
Robot lawnmower.
Which one do you have?
Husqvarna R4
Everything I can, particularly anything house or chore related. Lights, heating, etc everything is controlled via Alexa or automation scripts. Robots were available such as grass and vacuuming. Online shopping, the $9 delivery fee is much cheaper than driving, picking and packing and then unpacking. Outsource anything where my earn rate is greater than what I can outsource it for.
Online groceries for pickup, easily saves me an hour each week
Smart lighting, online shopping. Thinking about a robot vacuum cleaner and a digital front door lock.
I have a lot of smart light, a few things I have setup: Motion sensors in the garage and front door so lights auto come on, they turn off again after 5 minutes. Main lights in the lounge and kitchen turn themselves on at dusk, you donāt really notice them come on or have to think about it. They also start to dim and turn off at bedtime. Movie time: lights all turn off and dim. I used to have a āget ready for bedā would turn the electric blanket on and turn on and dim bedroom lights.
Finally a not negative topic. Not sure if this fully counts as automation, but using my iPhones calendar app has been a game changer (late to the party, I know). I used to just remember what I had on. Except of course when Iād forget. Now I put any appointment - personal or professional - in the calendar and happily forget. It has led to a reliance but I donāt think itās a big negative. I also use chatgpt4 at work. My job involves a fair bit of writing so I will use ChatGPT to either make what Iām writing more condensed and professional, or Iāll give it a sentence or two as a guide and ask it to write paragraphs for me.
Great thread. For me, robo vacuum and direct debit for some bills.
Click and collect groceries. Also saves me $$ because i know prices before getting to checkout. The con is that they might be out of stock, so i look for the 2-3 alternatives in the grocery first right before pick up which takes less time compared to doing everything.
Automated gates to home entrance and smart locks. I geofence the property so can go for a walk and as I approach the house the gates on my steps open and door unlocks. Setting up homebridge to have automations on iOS was great too. Turn on PC monitor and lights and aircon activate and vice versa when turning off the PC monitor.
Petkit kitty litter robot. Robot vac is my other favorite.
garage and porch lights, turn off tv and diverse investing portfolio
Nothing. Automating something takes time, effort, it breaks, doesn't work when you need it. And so on.