What is the Single Coolest Thing You Do with HomeSeer?

[Stef]

That's funny... I do the same thing! Really does make the whole waking up "experience" more friendly!

Aside from that, I've always liked the idea of having control of my heat/AC from work - though, not such a big deal now as there are T-stats that do this without HS. I've been doing it since 2005.

All in all, I like the idea of the control I have with my house from anywhere. I can turn on the pool heater before I leave work if the monitored water temp is low etc.... it just goes on and on...

Rob

I'm doing the same thing too. On workday, our bedroom lights come on slowly in the morning. My wife said she realy need this in the winter.

We listen a lot of music in the weekend. I have speakers all over the place but my wife and kids keep using remotes to turn everything on. To increase WAF, I've installed an 8 buttons Insteon keypadlinc in the living room. 2 buttons are program to control the equipments. One turn on everything for music and the other for the Apple TV. It's not just WAF, kids love this too.

I'm doing the same in our home theater in the basement. I have 3 buttons for our most used activities (Watch TV, Watch movie and Play XBox).

[mwaite]

Single coolest:
Have HS bring out the house awnings when the sun comes out, back when the sun goes down. Don't come out if forcast below 70deg for the day. Go back if wind exceeds 30mph, or rain.

[BootsC5]

Depends on your definition of "cool", but from a damage prevention perspective I have a nice one.

I live in south Florida, so the AC drip line gets algae build up a few times a year. Worst case scenario the drip line clogs up, the drip pan overflows, and it takes about 36 hours for enough water to cause a wet spot on the carpet indicating a problem. The typical way to counter this issue is to drop in some algae pills and vacuum out the drip line.

So, I have installed DS10As with the water sensor boards near every water source in the house, even under the AC. In the event of leak detection the house will send me a text message telling me of and where the leak is.

One day a couple years ago I was out running errands on the weekend when I get the text stating there is a leak in the AC. I quickly return home, diagnose the leak as a gummed up line, suction out the line, and drop in a new pill.

Based on the amount of water under the AC with the sensor compared to a previous time without, I estimate we caught the leak within the first two hours. Meaning there was perhaps half a cup full of water to clean up vs. gallons and would end up in the floorboards and carpets.

[Guest]

I had UPB devices throughout the house, but nothing to tie them together and allow If/Then conditions. I woke up WAY too many mornings to find that the garage door had been left open all night. A bit scary in big neighborhoods, especially with small kids!

So I installed an industrial magnetic reed switch on the garage door, wired it to a UPB I/O module, and used another port on that same module to tie into a garage door opener hidden in the ceiling. From there I can check every night at 9pm, have HS speak to me telling me the condition of the garage door, and close it for me if it's open. Also, when I leave in the morning it shuts down my music / pandora / etc, turns off all lights, opens the garage (if it's closed) and gives me a quick rundown of the weather with Ultra WeatherBug. I love it!

ONE question though - is anyone using Bluetooth for proximity detection these days, or do we have to shell out big bucks for RFID? It seems like BT has so much potential, but has been a bit ignored for a while.

Thanks for the great suggestions above!

[macromark]

Wow, nice stuff! Keep 'em coming..

[Sim]

Coming home and seeing a small hidden light on so I know there is mail in the mailbox and I can pick it up from the car opening the window.

Turning all lights and A/V equipment of with one button, going to bed or leaving the house.

All the spoken little anouncements like, you have mail, the laundry is ready, you have a visitor or telling me the outside temperature when Jeeves (Homeseer) wakes me up with dimmed lights and soft music.

I am using Bluetooth for proximity. Jon00's software and aircable hostx3 to detect our iPhones. Works like a charm and very reliable.
A lot more reliable then the rfid I used to work with.

Joost

PS I am looking into going to use Homeseer to fill up the bath with the right temperature water and telling me when I can get in.

[wpiman]

My wife is very appreciative of the text messages she gets when the washer and dryer are complete. She gets one when they are complete, and then reminders if she doesn't open the door.

The alerts from the family cape house for flooding, temperature, and humidity are liked as well. Also, using location based settings is great. I track 4 phones, if any are within 10 miles, the temperature controls will start working.

[collegeboyslive]

My wife is very appreciative of the text messages she gets when the washer and dryer are complete. She gets one when they are complete, and then reminders if she doesn't open the door.

how have you done this?

[Guest]

@Sim - Thanks for your input! I don't want the thread to go off topic, but are you using Windows XP or Windows 7 on your setup? I'm going to order the BT adapter you are using, but if it's not Windows 7 friendly I'll have to reconsider. That's an awesome set of functions your performing!

Also, are you using things like Arduino for any of this, or simple, standard sensors?

Great thread...

[mnsandler]

#1, I use HS to control a windows AC unit via IR, monitor the temp via 1-wire and monitor the compressor via a DS10. HS acts as a programable thermostat...HS changes the ac mode, fan speed and temperature three times a day. And if someone turns the unit off, HS will turn it back on if the room gets too hot. HS also track the daily runtime of the compressor.

#2, I created custom HSTouch screens for the kids room so they can control lights and fans via their ipod Touches. They love that!

[wpiman]

how have you done this?

I build some simple circuits which monitor the internal voltages within the washer and dryer, and send them to Flyport Wifi. They can be seem on a web page.

I should do a write up.

[Sim]

@adam12hicks: XP I don't know if the BT host works with Windows 7 but I suppose it will. No Arduino, standard sensors like Oregon, Marmitek, Visonic, RFXcom etc
Joost

[Rupp]

how have you done this?

I do the same thing. This thread show how I monitor the washer:
http://board.homeseer.com/showthread...ight=CRmagnets

Then I simply have HomeSeer send a mail message using:
yourCellNumber@vtext.com and the message is send as a text message.

Here's a list of the common carriers.
http://www.email-unlimited.com/stuff...l-to-phone.htm

[Rupp]

The integration of my motion sensors and whole house audio gets a lot of attention. I have 3 motion sensors mounted. One at each corner and one on the deck. The message changes depending on the sensor that is tripped and can be tripped by all three sensors. When someone approaches the back of our house from any direction my rear speakers state "Motion detected in rear of house, cameras are recording". Our roofer told me the other day that he was started when he heard this and was apprehensive to come onto the deck. This seems to work really well as a security measure as well.

[macromark]

I build some simple circuits which monitor the internal voltages within the washer and dryer, and send them to Flyport Wifi. They can be seem on a web page.

I should do a write up.

Yes or a video!