How "Smart" is your home?

[CliveW]

We have an outside light which comes on at night if anyone approaches and a big dog that barks when someone comes to the door, and that’s about all.

 

[backwoodsman]

Very limited.

No cameras - can see out the windows who's there. Dont see much benefit in using voice activated controls - no great inconvenience in pressing a few buttons. Heating adequately controlled by thermostat. Can turn on/off lights as we need to. Wahing machine/dishwasher can be turned on as we need to. Most things are controlled by a press (or a few presses) of a switch or button. Etc.

If you embrace all this stuff then fair enough - but I'm not sure it's making life any significantly easier.

 

[nickjdavis]

The only thing I use any sort of "smart" technology for is to remotely control the fermentation temperature in my garage brewery when I'm away from home.

 

[jim8flog]

The only thing I use any sort of "smart" technology for is to remotely control the fermentation temperature in my garage brewery when I'm away from home.

Does it have an automatic device to tip to it down the drain before you get back?

 

[HampshireHog]

Nest Heating & Smoke Alarms
Various Alexa’s, Smart Light Switches, Bulbs & Plugs

 

[Crow]

Big Brother is watching you!

I remember when I first read 1984 I thought that the level of surveillance could never happen, it seems amateurish now.
And most of the surveillance is done by your neighbours cameras!

 

[nickjdavis]

Does it have an automatic device to tip to it down the drain before you get back?

Don't mock....you are talking to the 2022 Scottish National Homebrew Champion.

 

[Oddsocks]

Ring door bell (only on phone alert, not video storage) and Alexa for the wife’s office. Life’s complicated enough without the internet dropping out and the complete house coming to a standstill.

 

[Neilds]

I am not allowed a smart speaker in the office when I am working due to security concerns but we have now introduced 2FA which means you need your mobile phone near you as you never know when the system will randomly need you to authenticate. When the fact that most phones have Siri (or similar) to the security people they just said “make sure the phone is 2m away from you during work”. Either smart speakers are ok or they aren’t

 

[CliveW]

God, I must be getting old. I have never heard of most of the things mentioned above! I really struggle to use the internet never mind anything else.

 

[clubchamp98]

My only problem with smart things is when they go wrong.
You need a degree in smart to sort them out.

Turn it off then back on dosnt work these days.!

 

[PJ87]

We have entered "phase one" of winter heating now

Hive schedules updated to be 18 degree all day and off at night. The HVAC is on for an hour each morning just downstairs for the girls.

"Phase two" will be a few weeks when 6-8am it will boost to "24" (won't reach that just means it's pumping out) then keeps the house 18 all day

Finally "phase 3" another 24 slot will be added in the evening for 2 hours before bed for the girls

Won't be long until phase 2, prob after half term

 

[Billysboots]

I’ve just had the hall, stairs and landing decorated. Does that count?

Seriously, though, not at all. A smart TV is about as clever as it gets in ours. We do have a smart meter for the gas and electricity, but it doesn’t work. And the guy who installed it even said he thought they were more hassle than they were worth, as the vast majority don’t work properly.

 

[Neilds]

We have entered "phase one" of winter heating now

Hive schedules updated to be 18 degree all day and off at night. The HVAC is on for an hour each morning just downstairs for the girls.

"Phase two" will be a few weeks when 6-8am it will boost to "24" (won't reach that just means it's pumping out) then keeps the house 18 all day

Finally "phase 3" another 24 slot will be added in the evening for 2 hours before bed for the girls

Won't be long until phase 2, prob after half term

18! My Mrs wouldn’t appear from under the duvet at that temp! Do you walk around with 4 layers on?

 

[PJ87]

18! My Mrs wouldn’t appear from under the duvet at that temp! Do you walk around with 4 layers on?

I'm not sure what my wife's made from but she seems to overheat at the slightest slight of sun. She worships the sun but gets so hot even in winter she sleeps with a fan or the AC on in our room with a summer duvet

Saves a fortune in gas

 

[Fade and Die]

We had the Log Burner on last night, it was the smart thing to do.

On the “Smart tech” side I have a ring doorbell, I also have a kitchen full of “smart” appliances that want to all get onto the internet but I don’t trust them so keep them all ignorant of each other

 

[Robster59]

18! My Mrs wouldn’t appear from under the duvet at that temp! Do you walk around with 4 layers on?

Sounds like mine. I'd have the heating lower except for the earache I get if I do. I'd just put on another jumper.

 

[backwoodsman]

Got a digital thermostat which connects wirelessly to the boiler. Other than that, the home seems to work fine in non-smart mode?

 

[Slab]

My flat is dumber than a nokia 3210

There's a router plugged into the phone line that gives me internet and an electronic clock on the microwave (no time set) and that's about it really!

 

[jim8flog]

We have entered "phase one" of winter heating now

Hive schedules updated to be 18 degree all day and off at night. The HVAC is on for an hour each morning just downstairs for the girls.

"Phase two" will be a few weeks when 6-8am it will boost to "24" (won't reach that just means it's pumping out) then keeps the house 18 all day

Finally "phase 3" another 24 slot will be added in the evening for 2 hours before bed for the girls

Won't be long until phase 2, prob after half term

My phase 1 of winter heating is find a thicker jumper.