I’ve been trying to work out some nice automations for our home. Actually, this has been an evolving project for over a year now, and I’m not sure it will ever end. I enjoy it. I’m probably one of few though. I can see how many other people might struggle and get frustrated and angry a lot trying to perfect their particular automation situation. It’s complicated.

See the screenshot from my phone of a few of my current ones. I’ve recently been experimenting with using both the furnace and the AC with automations to try to stabilize our living situation. We are constantly adjusting the thermostat manually or switching from AC to heat or vice versa to try to keep up with the wildly changing weather conditions that Wisconsin has. It’s complicated, so I figured at least I can apply some solid logic to it instead of one of us adjusting things to their linking when they’re home alone, and another person adjusting things again according to what they like when they’re home alone, then having different compromises when both Sandy and I are home or when all three of us – Sandy, Kevin and I, are home. Sandy and I agreed on these Heat & AC ranges, so we’re seeing how it goes. So far, so good.

But we do have to adapt manually when we get fully into “Winter mode” and back to “Spring Mode”. In the Winter we cover the AC unit, which is outside behind the house, to protect it from the elements during the Winter months. So during that time we want to make absolutely sure that an automation doesn’t turn on the AC…that could be disastrous. It’s a simple toggle though, to just switch off any individual automation for as long as we want to.

A lot of our automations send text alerts to our phones–like if motion is detected anywhere in our yard around our house or in the garage, or even if the garage door has been left open too long (we sometimes forget). Some people don’t like getting constant text messages or notifications on their phone, but I prefer to know exactly what’s going on. At work, with my phone and an extra-low volume while I’m working (also automated based on the day and time of day) I get these notifications as well, and if necessary, I can check and see what’s going on–even if just to make sure Sandy, or whoever is home that day, is ok.

I’ve started to get used to the patterns lately too–like this: I’ll hear a sequence of alerts such “Motion at back door”, then “Motion in backyard”, and I know someone let the dogs outside. Or if there’s “Motion at back door”, then “Motion in backyard” followed by “Motion in driveway”, then I know someone came out the back door and walked into the driveway, maybe heading to their car to leave. If I get those three notifications along with “Garage door is open”, obviously someone came outside and went into the garage. Or if I hear “Motion in your front yard” followed by “Motion in your driveway” and/or “Motion at your back door” and/or “Motion in your backyard” that’s usually a delivery person.

Annoying? Not to me. I feel more at ease knowing. And with dual camera and security systems surrounding the house, I feel even more at ease, knowing if anything does happen, it will most likely be recorded, most likely on more than one camera and at one or more different angles.

Forget sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night. And the puppies can try to sneak off the bed to go tinkle on a puppy pad, but there’s a good chance I’ll be on them first, ready to rush to the door and let them outside for a middle-of-the-night potty break.

All of this stuff is also a great comfort when we are away from home for a day or more. We still know exactly what’s happening at home and what, exactly, the puppies are up to at any given time.