Many people think that “smart home” automation is only for geeks who have installed a lot of devices in their home, but the truth is that there are some automation tricks that allow you to do amazing things, even without a lot of devices. . Using the weather is one of those tricks.
If you stop and consider all the ways weather influences your life, it's easy to see how you can harness it to improve your life through smart devices. 5 easy-to-setup smart home devices for first timers. Home Gadgets for the First Time Smart home automation sounds amazing in theory, but many people are hesitant to try it because the learning curve seems steep. If that describes you:it's easier than you think! Read more . This article will cover ways you can control your lights, the temperature in your home, and even personal reminders, based on current and expected weather forecasts.
One of the most annoying things about external lights in any home is having them illuminate the outside only when you need them, but not when you don't, leaving the external light on is a huge waste of energy and can be annoying. for the neighbors.
If you're asking for one of the smart outdoor lights on the market, I'd recommend getting one that offers integration with a cloud service like IFTTT IFTTT Now Connects to Anything:Introducing the Maker Channel IFTTT Now Connects to Anything:Introducing the Maker channel The potential uses of IFTTT are endless. But until now, it has been difficult to interface with your own hardware projects. Today, all that has changed. Read More Otherwise, you'll be stuck using the built-in features that come with the product. When I Reviewed the Kuna Home Security Light, Kuna Home Security Light Review and Giveaway The Kuna Home Security Light Reviewed and Giveaway The Kuna Security Light is somewhat unique in that it combines the utility of an outdoor security camera with the aesthetic appeal of a beautiful outdoor light. Read More
However, it would still be nice to turn on the light when it is very cloudy. One way to do this without even buying a smart outdoor light is to "smartify" your outdoor light with a smart switch, like the WeMo Light Switch.
By connecting your outdoor light to a WeMo switch, you can use the IFTTT weather trigger to turn on the light when it's cloudy outside. This is how it works.
First, log in to your IFTTT account and click “Trigger”, and type “weather” in the search bar. There, you will see the available weather channel.
Choose that and then choose the trigger “Current Cond 
ition changes to”.
Then in the next step simply select “Cloudy” from the drop down list.
Finally, simply select “Then” IFTTT Link and in the search bar type. Wemo Light. You will see the WeMo light switch link.
If you have your WeMo light switch connected to IFTTT, you can set it to turn on whenever the IFTTT trigger is activated. That's all there is to it!
Now when it's cloudy outside, your outdoor light will turn on automatically. Your friends and family will be amazed at how smart your regular outdoor light is.
Most people don't even consider the idea of "controlling" their air conditioning unit; They just turn it on in the morning and forget about it. This is convenient, but it's also a massive waste of electricity, considering AC is only needed when outside temperatures reach a certain level.
By waiting until outside temperatures reach a certain point, and then turning on the A/C unit, you're also preventing the inside temperature from rising, but you're also saving at least two or three hours in the morning when it doesn't. I really don't need the air conditioning to be on.
The first step is to decide if you want to use a regular A/C unit for this, or invest in a "smart" air conditioner. IFTTT provides integration with Samsung air conditioners, both AF9000 floor and AR5000 wall models.
If you have one of these units, you are ready to integrate it with the weather using IFTTT. If you don't, then you'll need to get creative when shopping for a WeMo wall outlet switch. I recommend getting the Insight switch so you can see what kind of power your A/C unit is using.
Once you have your A/C plugged into the automated WeMo The Outlet switch:What can Smart Outlets really accomplish? The Automated Outlet:What Can Smart Outlets Really Achieve? Here are seven creative and helpful ways to make smart outlets work for you. Read More
First, choose the trigger for the weather channel in IFTTT named “Current temperature rises above”.
On the next screen, set the temperature to a high temperature outside which will eventually make the inside of your home quite hot in an hour or two.
You can now configure the IFTTT action on your WeMo switch.
Or, if you have one of those Samsung AC units, just set the action to turn on your A/C when the climate trigger is activated. That's all there is to it.
To finish this automation, you'll want to do the same setup as above, but do the opposite. Set the IFTTT trigger to be when the outside temperature drops below a cooler temperature (perhaps 75 degrees F), and then set the action to turn off your air conditioner.
Now you can forget about turning your A/C on and off during the day, just let the weather dictate when it comes on, which will be only when you actually have to be in The cost savings from this automation will be astronomical - it's well worth the cost of a low-cost smart outlet!
You get out of bed in the morning, go over your usual ritual, drive to work, and when you arrive, the skies have opened to a torrential downpour. If you had taken the time to check the weather forecast, you would have grabbed your umbrella on the way out!
Why not eliminate the need to check the weather by automating an email and text message reminder every time the forecast calls for rain?
There's a little trick to make sure you actually remember to take that umbrella. It's a two-pronged reminder approach. First, you'll create an email reminder the night before, based on the forecast for the next day. Finally, you'll give yourself a text message reminder just before you walk out the door, just in case.
For the first email reminder, you'll want to choose the "Tomorrow's forecast demands" trigger from the IFTTT weather channel.
Choose to shoot when the forecast calls for rain.
Next, make the IFTTT action your email. In my case, this would be my Gmail address, configured in the email channel. The email will default to the weather condition (rain) in the subject line and then to the forecast details in the body.
Instead, you can choose to turn on the weather forecast email in any condition:it's very handy to get tomorrow's forecast in your inbox every day, but for our purposes here we're sticking to a rain notification.
The next part of this automation is to trigger a text message in the morning as well. To do this you will create another time trigger but this time choose. “Today's weather report.”.
Then choose a time in the morning that is right before you walk out the door.
And finally, choose to send an SMS to your device and select the “Send me an SMS” action. This will deliver today's weather conditions to your phone via SMS at the time you specified.
You will now receive an email in the evening, reminding you of the weather, and another SMS in the morning with a final reminder that it's going to rain. If you still forget your umbrella, you're a lost cause!
I really love my Nest Thermostat How to install and use the Nest Thermostat to automate energy savings How to install and use the Nest Thermostat to automate energy savings If you've ever considered getting started with home automation, buying a Nest Thermostat is the solution perfect. way to start In just one week of use, we cut our power consumption in half. Read More I've discovered so many amazing ways to use it to automate my life and home 13 things you didn't know you could do with a Nest Thermostat 13 things you didn't know you could do with a Nest Thermostat You might be surprised how many little tricks you can pull off with your new Nest Thermostat! Read more.
One of the smartest ways to use that smart thermostat Ecobee3 vs. Nest Thermostat:A Head-to-Head Comparison Ecobee3 vs. Nest Thermostat:A Head-to-Head Comparison Did you know that a smart thermostat can improve your home? worth? It's one of the many reasons why a smart thermostat is worth the initial investment. But which one should you get? Read More
An example of how you can do this is by using the IFTTT weather channel to drive where you set your Nest thermostat. This way you're only putting the minimum demand on your home's heating system that you need, and you're also consuming the same amount of heating oil that you also need, which can turn into a huge cost savings.
This is how the automation will work:
The first rule will save the most money, because when it's really cold outside (less than 32 degrees F), the last thing you want to do is push your heating system as hard as it can. It will already work strong enough to keep the room temperature slightly below normal room temperature. Setting it slightly lower than normal will probably result in a slightly cool house, but it will also result in lower fuel consumption and drastically reduce your heating budget.
The second rule is a way to get the Nest back to a comfortable temperature in the room. Make your own temperature controller with an Arduino. Make your own temperature controller with an Arduino. Raise the perfect bread, brew beautiful beer. . If you live in an unreliable climate like England, instructions that tell you to keep something in… Read More /P>
The final rule is a way to automate adjusting the thermostat to a very good set point once the spring hits and you don't really need to use your heating system. Why turn up the heat in your house when the temperature outside is already 60 degrees? Don't waste that fuel, save it for next winter..
Here's how to set up those rules.
First, create a new recipe and select the Weather channel action “Current temperature drops below”.
Next, set the temperature set point to zero, 32 degrees F.
Finally, click on the “That” link in IFTTT and find the Nest channel. Choose the “Set Temperature” Action, and set it to 65 degrees F (or the lowest temperature you and your family are willing to tolerate to save money on the family budget).
Next, you'll want to set the thermostat to normal room temperature when the weather outside has warmed up a bit. To do this, create a new recipe, follow the same procedure as above, but for the weather trigger, select “Current temperature rises above”.
Set that setpoint back to 32 degrees F, and then for the Nest setpoint, bring it closer to room temperature. If you're looking to save a few extra bucks each day, you can also set this setpoint slightly below room temperature, but not quite cold.
Finally, you'll want to switch to "summer mode" when outside temperatures are high enough to keep the house warm without any effort from your heating system.
Do this by creating another recipe, setting the “Current temperature rises above” weather set to a 60 to 65 degree F setpoint, and then set the Nest Thermostat to a temperature so cold that it will essentially bypass using your home's heating system. home..
Now you've finished your three Nest automations, and now you'll start to see huge savings on your home heating costs.
One consideration to keep in mind is that if you've connected your Nest to your home's air conditioning or HVAC system, you don't want to do the ultimate automation. That may avoid turning on your home's heating unit, but it will boost your A/C and cool the house down to 50 degrees.
Instead, you should avoid the latter recipe altogether, as once outside temperatures warm up, your AC unit will take over and you won't have to worry about your heating system wasting fuel.
As you can see, you don't have to be a Smart Home aficionado. 7 Common Smart Home Myths That Just Aren't True 7 Common Smart Home Myths That Just Aren't True Smart devices are no different than most other devices. and there are many misconceptions that people have about them. Let's clear that up! Read More In one example above, all you need is a smartphone, and in another, all you need is an inexpensive WeMo switch to control your A/C. There really is no reason not to start using automation. 5 YouTube Videos To Get Really Excited About Smart Homes 5 YouTube Videos To Get Really Excited About Smart Homes If you're one of those people who still doesn't believe in the Smart Home Revolution, try watching these five YouTube videos and then tell us what you're not excited yet. Read more to improve your quality of life right now..
Have you ever used weather to automate something in your life? Share your own ideas and thoughts with us in the comments section below!
