Thinking about doing this for my house. I want to have the option to control:
- Plugs
- Lights
- Cameras
- Thermostat
- Maybe garage door (think there is a module for my model)
What should I or can I buy? What should I be looking out for? What about security?
Other thoughts:
We already have:
- ADT Pulse with two wireless cameras it texts us alerts and pics when doors open or alarms go off.
- A Harmony Ultimate remote - think this has some automation options.
- An Apple TV - wasn't
Looking to control stuff with our phones (iPhone house) not necessarily a voice controlled puck.
Thanks!
You can basically spend as much money on smarthome equipment as you want to. My buddy did a million-dollar install in NYC a year or so ago. The main questions are:
1. What do you want to do with it?
2. How much do you want to spend?
3. How convenient do you want it to be? (vs. how much control do you want to have?)
Wink has the most simple & straightforward system on the market; it integrates with tons of third-party gear & is very easy to use. Their main competitor is Smart Things, which is more flexible but also (can) require more work than just plug & play. I am currently setup on Wink + Echo. I avoided the Echo for far too long, turns out it's actually great! I have five total right now (one Echo & four Dots). Here is a list of what Wink supports: (includes Logitech's Harmony lineup of smart remotes)
https://www.wink.com/products/
I converted my entire house to LED bulbs a year or two ago; they are pretty good these days (cheap, bright, yellow instead of harsh white, and dimmable). I use Lutron Caseta switches (very expensive, $60 each, but have very convenient remotes that you can wall-mount). My buddy has a Philips Hue system, which is really cool because it can change colors. As far as HVAC goes, I didn't care for Nest's automation in their thermostat, so I went with a Honeywell color touchscreen system, which is very easy to use & has a phone app. Yup, Chamberlain has a garage door opener module. One thing to add to your list is a smart deadbolt; I have a Schlage Century:
https://www.amazon.com/Schlage-Connect-Touchscreen-Deadbolt-SmartThings/dp/B00AGK9KJG
We mostly just use the PIN code on the touchpad (doesn't pick up fingerprints); you can also set guest PIN's for family/friends/contracters as well. The phone remote unlock feature (via Wink) is handy when you're bringing in groceries and/or kids. Another thing to consider is motorized blinds, although that does get pretty expensive (I was quoted about $6k for my condo, which is not large).
Security is a bit tricky because there are so many ways you can do it. ADT Pulse is really nice because it's convenient & it "just works". You can build a DIY system with cameras, motion sensors, door/window sensors, and so on as well. A lot of people like to setup motion sensors to automatically turn on their lights as well. Depends on how much you want to manage yourself & how much you want to have a company manage in terms of calling out for tripped security sensors, calling the cops, etc. Same with cameras, you can do a monthly fee or have a DIY system with local storage. I have an Arlo system, although I don't like it very much. I like the Nest cams a lot (formerly Dropcams), although they do charge for online storage (which is optional, you can just use them as live cameras that also send motion detection alerts to your phone). Amcrest (formerly Foscam) makes nice inexpensive PTZ cameras with edge storage (SD card on the device), plus can integrate to a NAS (like a Synology) or computer for recording. Depends on how complex you want to get with it. Some people like Tivo-style systems that have security DVR's & a camera bundle, like Swann or Zmodo (there's a million offshoots of those).
A lot of it depends on what you want to do. Wink is very easy to setup & has nice basic controls (robots & schedules). Smart Things offers a lot more control & lets you integrate more stuff in creative ways. There's a huge variety of other options as well, depending on how hardcore you want to get into customization & programming (Red Squirrel's mouser system is awesome!), then there's the mid-grade stuff like Control4 & Savant, and then there's the high-grade stuff like Crestron. So some things to think about are how much DIY work you want to do, how much non-standard stuff you want to do (i.e. stuff that can't be purchased off-the-shelf), how much integration you want to do, etc.
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