WatchfulWendy said:
@Malik
Good point. My other NAS has SSDs, so maybe that would work better… Wait, hold on—did you say I can make the interface look like Star Trek Voyager? Now you’ve got my attention!
Yep, and there’s a discount code in the video description if you decide to go for it.
@Malik
Just ordered the Max! Thanks for the recommendation!
WatchfulWendy said:
@Malik
Just ordered the Max! Thanks for the recommendation!
Awesome! Let me know how it goes when you get it all set up.
@Howard
Depending on what you’re doing, Home Assistant can be plug-and-play in some cases.
I use and work for Shelly. I’ve used Shelly with Hubitat and Home Assistant for years, but now I manage almost everything directly through the devices using timers, schedules, power-on defaults, and scripts.
Have you thought about trying Homey? https://homey.app/en-nl/
Do you want a new hobby? If so, go DIY. But if you just want things to work without maintenance, go with a professional system like RTI, Control4, Savant, or Crestron. It’s pricey but worth it to avoid turning this into your second job.
@Dominic
I tried getting a few companies to give me quotes here in Colorado, but no one followed through. Plus, after buying the house, dealing with HVAC replacement, and furnishing the place, I’m a bit strapped for cash. Just curious, though—are we talking 5k or more like 20k?
@WatchfulWendy
The cost depends on how much you want to integrate and what equipment you already have. A small RTI system might cost around 5k, but that’s minimal. The bulk of the expense comes from labor, especially with programming and tweaking the system to your liking.
Lutron is top-notch but also pricey. Pro systems usually support Lutron, or they offer proprietary lighting solutions that can drive up costs. That’s why so many people go for Zigbee or Z-Wave systems for lighting—they’re cheaper but come with some frustrations. Over time, though, many end up investing in a Lutron Caseta system and integrate it with something like Home Assistant or Hubitat. You could also DIY a Lutron Radio RA2 or RA3 system, which gives you more control but is more expensive.
If you’re thinking of going the professional route but don’t want to do everything at once, start with lighting. You can DIY Lutron Caseta or, if your budget allows, start with Radio RA3 and tackle one room at a time. Some installers are flexible with staged installs, but others might want the full project for maximum profit.
@Dominic
You know what, I’m returning these switches. Spending $1.7k for switches that need a neutral wire and are a pain to set up just doesn’t make sense. I’d rather spend $2.4k on a better platform I’ve never had issues with.
@WatchfulWendy
Just make sure you have a neutral wire in place for whatever system you go with. If your house is fairly new, it should be there.
Dominic said:
@WatchfulWendy
Just make sure you have a neutral wire in place for whatever system you go with. If your house is fairly new, it should be there.
Yeah, I noticed that too. Interestingly, the dimmer switches didn’t need a neutral wire. So now this project just jumped from $1.7k to $3k, but that’s the price of homeownership, I guess.
@WatchfulWendy
What are you switching to?
Dominic said:
@WatchfulWendy
What are you switching to?
I’m going with 12 Caseta Smart Lighting switches, 30 Lutron Claro Smart Switches (with neutral wires), and about 10 Pico remotes. I’ll probably just throw in some regular switches for non-smart items like bathroom fans.
Hopefully, these work with the halogen lights the house came with. I’ve got an electrician coming for some other projects (like my workshop and electric car charger), so if anything needs upgrading, he can handle it.
As for the smart system, I’m leaning toward Linknlink, which runs on Home Assistant. But honestly, I might just stick with the Lutron app for now. There are 70 switches in this house! The sellers went a bit overboard with the partitioning—there are four switches for a small 400 sq ft basement and 11 switches in the living room. It’s crazy.
My smart locks are already hooked up to my Ring app, and I don’t plan on replacing those anytime soon.
@WatchfulWendy
Caseta is solid. Just make sure you get the Pro Bridge (L-BDGPRO2-WH) so you can integrate it with whatever control system you choose later.
@Dominic
I once got a quote for $1.4k per toilet from a plumber, and the same company wanted $250 per smart switch. That’s why I usually go the DIY route—too many scams. And for the record, those were $200 toilets.
I tried Home Assistant for a while, and while it’s powerful, it requires a lot of tinkering. I work in IT, and when I get home, I just want stuff to work without fussing with it. I eventually switched to SmartThings. I’m not a big fan of Samsung either, but it’s reliable.
If you want a wall-mounted LCD control panel, you can pair it with ActionTiles. I had that setup for a while, but honestly, I found it unnecessary. Most of my smart home devices are controlled through voice commands, motion sensors, or schedules. A control panel ended up being more of a hassle than it was worth.
The best smart home systems just blend in and work automatically.