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actionjackson posted:why do all these things need an internet connection again, I've seen "smart" Connected thermostat/fridge makes some degree of sense. If the heat goes out in the middle of winter and you're not home it's really, really good to know so that you can do something about it. Same thing with the AC during the summer, to a lesser extent. Fridge is less critical but still good to know if you need to toss/try to salvage your food because it died. Other appliances, 
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Apr 28, 2021 16:53
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the holy poopacy posted:Connected thermostat/fridge makes some degree of sense. If the heat goes out in the middle of winter and you're not home it's really, really good to know so that you can do something about it. Same thing with the AC during the summer, to a lesser extent. Fridge is less critical but still good to know if you need to toss/try to salvage your food because it died. Another strike against the Honeywell Lyric, it has temperature alerts but they have no logic built into say "hey, the system has been running for X time and yet the temperature is still going in the wrong direction" and throw an alarm in the app. Looks like the Nest actually does have this sort of capability, not that I've had a system failure to test it yet.
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Apr 28, 2021 17:00
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I definitely use the IoT nonsense on my Ecobee coupled with the BeeStat software with its fancy charts/data to fine tune my complex dual-fuel system (2 heat pump stages, 1 oil furnace). In theory, the low-temp alerts via emails is also something that could save your rear end if you were gone and your house started to freeze. If I just had a standard bang on-bang off furnace and AC, the complex settings and IoT stuff with the Ecobee would be complete overkill.
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Apr 28, 2021 17:19
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Holy poo poo you guys I was doing some digging on that cool Honeywell prototype discussed earlier in the thread that I was alluding to more recently but didn't want to post/directly mention as to not trigger people and I learned that it is not in fact a rejected concept for the ugly Lyric Round but an entirely new and different product that has yet to be released called the M5 Classic. It won some innovation/best in show award at CES 2020 so folks were really into it, which gives me hope. Only concern is that it was last really talked about directly following CES, which is over a year ago now and I haven't been able to dig up release date or pricing info on it. It had better be real and not some cocktease "concept car" type thing. It's straight out of 1953 and doesn't have a screen, so you just interact with it like an old school round thermostat and do the programming and smart poo poo on a separate app/smart home system interface (which I'd be fine with because thermostat interfaces tend to suck quite a lot). Just look at it: (trigger warning: beautiful thing that only maybe exists and is definitely unavailable at this time)  One thing it would need to have to convince me to take advantage of any smart features (beyond just programming a schedule for it) is if it has a checkbox to let it know that your heating system is cast iron radiators. (fake edit: apparently Nest has a radiator setting but according to reviewer testing it's useless and can't maintain consistent temp nearly as well as a dumb 70-year-old thermostat with a mechanical anticipator). I'm never going back to forced air if I can help it - too spoiled to the blessedly constant temp and not having to deal with dry air blowing on me for warmth.
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Apr 28, 2021 17:25
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Sirotan posted:Got this: https://smile.amazon.com/Honeywell-TH6110D1005-FocusPRO-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B000UQ2GCY/ I have this same one, it was $2 used at a habitat restore. Replaced my mercury filled one when I moved in last year.. you should still program it though, it's not hard. Can still on and off it same way but helpful if you leave house for work or something during the day. For the smart ones, the feature I would maybe use is if it knew the weather forecast and would basically turn off based on that? That's what my brain does, I just turn it off for a few months in spring as long as it's 50/60f out as my house warms up plenty when that's the case.
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Apr 28, 2021 17:36
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actionjackson posted:why do all these things need an internet connection again, I've seen "smart" To sell more stuff.
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Apr 28, 2021 18:08
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actionjackson posted:why do all these things need an internet connection again, I've seen "smart" What, you don't want 3 notifications every time your dishwasher finishes?  (bought house with Jenn Air kitchen, do never buy Jenn Air.) Thermostats are objectively useful though and don't belong on that list. Water flow and temp sensors are a great peace of mind thing when you travel.
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Apr 28, 2021 18:24
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Yeah, except when ~The Cloud~ gets DDoS'd or hacked and then suddenly you can't turn on your heat in January.
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Apr 28, 2021 18:28
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mutata posted:Yeah, except when ~The Cloud~ gets DDoS'd or hacked and then suddenly you can't turn on your heat in January. Or the company ADHD's away from your product and tells you to buy a new one every 5 years or whatever, compared to a regular thermostat which lasts a decade+.
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Apr 28, 2021 18:34
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I wasn't interested in an internet connected thermostat, but my building installed them for free and the local energy company had a plan where if you allowed them to adjust your settings during power shortages (California lol) they would pay you. In one year I've collected almost $200 from this.
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Apr 28, 2021 18:47
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Dick Trauma posted:I wasn't interested in an internet connected thermostat, but my building installed them for free and the local energy company had a plan where if you allowed them to adjust your settings during power shortages (California lol) they would pay you. In one year I've collected almost $200 from this. I trust that a lot more than giving my power company my login credentials to my thermostat that uses my own wifi and almost certainly is or will be hacked.
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Apr 28, 2021 18:51
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I can see how a smart oven would be useful. Be able to start pre-heating on the way home from work/grocery store would be nice, as would being able to turn it off remotely if you accidentally leave it on. HVAC is a no brainer IMO. I mean, the "smart" part being more of cloud accessibility rather than trying to learn patterns. Biggest thing they SHOULD do is be able to figure out the system response to help figure out how long it needs to turn on ahead of schedule to meet temp requirements (i.e. if the schedule says to switch to 72 at 5:00, turn on 23 minutes early today because it's warm, tomorrow is 31 minutes early because it's hot). Not sure if any claim to really do well on that aspect, though. Dishwasher is meh, but I can see it being useful for if you forget to start the cycle before leaving for work or something? Wouldn't pay extra for that, though. H110Hawk posted:Or the company ADHD's away from your product and tells you to buy a new one every 5 years or whatever, compared to a regular thermostat which lasts a decade+. Despite investing in several smart home devices, this is my biggest fear. Technology moves fast these days, and long-term support is a huge concern. It's not just that some devices take advantage of the cloud, but many RELY on it, so they can just shut it down when they get bored and brick all the hardware (  my pebble watch).toplitzin posted:My ecobee got me a $100 credit for enabling "utility remote control" aka "turning it up when its hot." Our municipal POCO installed boxes on everyone's house years ago to do this. I think the basic level is mandatory, but you can opt in to more control and get a bigger credit. Basic is like $4/mo in summer where they can shut you down for up to 15min/hour, but you can give them up to 100% control for $20/mo.
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Apr 28, 2021 19:11
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Our local utility company gave away new Nests completely free on Earth day so I got two.
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Apr 28, 2021 19:16
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DaveSauce posted:
And it's happened a bunch already. No thank you.
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Apr 28, 2021 19:19
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My coworker had to go through a ton of nonsense to get his LG Smart washer app to actually work, including things like location permissions on his phone. He sent me a screenshot of the app, once he finally got it to the point where he could get notifications from the machine, the app itself was also covered in ads.
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Apr 28, 2021 19:25
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falz posted:We have something like this but it's some remote kill switch over some RF frequency (or something) on a box outside ones house for A/C only. When we were in our apartment, I declined installation of a Nest (and therefore replacement of my beloved T87  ) because the landlord wanted our WiFi password in order to access the Nest (among other reasons, including Nest sucking at managing cast iron radiators). Basically, all they wanted was to remotely monitor the temp in all their units and avoid burst pipes caused by idiot college tenants turning off the heat before leaving for winter break. Could have been accomplished less intrusively with some wired connection temp sensors that sent info/alerts, but setting something like that up would have been way less straightforward than installing consumer smart poo poo and asking for everyone's WiFi passwords.Also yeah, would not want to give any sort of household system access to the power company. If they had some sort of energy savings participation program, I would accept a dumb sensor widget that would plug into my router and send back data and not interact with the rest of my network, but would never grant access to the thermostat itself.
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Apr 28, 2021 19:28
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FISHMANPET posted:My coworker had to go through a ton of nonsense to get his LG Smart washer app to actually work, including things like location permissions on his phone. He sent me a screenshot of the app, once he finally got it to the point where he could get notifications from the machine, the app itself was also covered in ads. I finally read a cogent reason why apps need that on Android. Doesn't make it right but still. BLE has high enough precision that with other course location methods and various other data they can locate the phone to within x-meters of the BLE device. Given their general prevalence they could basically track you through your home. Also lol at having an app for your washing machine.
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Apr 28, 2021 19:53
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H110Hawk posted:Also lol at having an app for your washing machine. I enjoy the notifications when my washer and dryer cycles are complete. 
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Apr 28, 2021 19:58
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Nest has more than once pushed out firmware updates to devices in the dead of winter and caused people to have burst pipes because their thermostats got bricked and they weren't home to notice or do anything about it. Since then they've sold out, so you have the added bonus of Google knowing when you're away from home. Their motto is still "Don't be evil" though, right...? DaveSauce posted:I can see how a smart oven would be useful. Be able to start pre-heating on the way home from work/grocery store would be nice, as would being able to turn it off remotely if you accidentally leave it on. How long are you preheating your oven for...? Maybe it's because I work in IT (security, specifically) but being able to preheat my oven 5min quicker and turn it off remotely during the exactly 0 times I've ever left it on and left the house is not enough of a convenience trade off for having to janitor my own IT.
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Apr 28, 2021 20:12
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Sirotan posted:Since then they've sold out, so you have the added bonus of Google knowing when you're away from home. Their motto is still "Don't be evil" though, right...? Pretty sure google already knows when I'm away from home by nature of having an android phone 
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Apr 28, 2021 20:17
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When I got to college (in 2005, so before smartphones and rampant IoTization), the washers and dryers in the dorms took a scan of your student ID/card key instead of coins, and would send you an email when your load was done and I think noted which machine it was in. It was simple and nice. I like the idea of smart machines that have a dumb interface with simple inputs for everyday operation but then have a port or something for plugging in a tablet or keyboard to access the advanced smart interface and look at/export log data and do configurations and anything that involves input more sophisticated than pushing a button or turning a knob. But that's a pipe dream because the version of smart machines that came to be is in my opinion the worst possible outcome - godawful bloated machine interfaces with too many bells and whistles and lovely companion apps and internet/cloud operations that you don't fully control and might not even be aware of.
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Apr 28, 2021 20:25
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Queen Victorian posted:
They just mailed them out, no requirement to register it or anything that I could see. If so then we’re going with Honeywell Wifi.
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Apr 28, 2021 20:50
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Tremors posted:I enjoy the notifications when my washer and dryer cycles are complete. I just set a timer. v v99% of IoT features are just the usual Silicon Valley trying to solve already-solved problems via solutions that are 10 times more complicated than the existing solution.
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Apr 28, 2021 21:16
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H110Hawk posted:Also lol at having an app for your washing machine. mutata posted:I just set a timer. v Yeah that's me, basically. I'm quite happy with our commercial washer from 1998 that's still running strong (except it broke when the inspector checked it! But I'm still thinking it will be an easy fix that I just haven't quite gotten to yet) and just setting a timer (on my Google Home, I'm not a total Luddite!)
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Apr 28, 2021 21:23
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Sirotan posted:How long are you preheating your oven for...? Maybe it's because I work in IT (security, specifically) but being able to preheat my oven 5min quicker and turn it off remotely during the exactly 0 times I've ever left it on and left the house is not enough of a convenience trade off for having to janitor my own IT. 15-20 minutes is typical. On a busy weekday night with small children that's just one of the many things that can go wrong and spiral in to a 30-45 minute delay in bedtime and turn an evening in to a nightmare. mutata posted:I just set a timer. v Modern dryers use sensors, so time is variable. I can imagine it's also nice to remotely spin the dryer up to de-wrinkle a load you accidentally left. I mean I'm not justifying the use of the technology, just pointing out that there are nice features to be had if they weren't tied to a clusterfuck of an infrastructure that could implode any day for a variety of reasons.
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Apr 28, 2021 22:00
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I've done some simple iot wemo plugs for a couple of accent lights and begrudgingly an energy monitor at the breaker box (not the sense). Anything that I'd have to actually rely on though and couldn't self-host locally? No way.
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Apr 28, 2021 22:13
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My dryer doesn't need to send an email or text because it sounds a loud angry buzzer when it's done, and if you set it to wrinkle control it will buzz periodically until you come fetch your clothes. (If you're in the market for a washer and dryer and hate IoT, get the Maytag Commercial Technology models - the huge boxy ones with black panels that look like they're from the 80's - beastly well-made commercial machines in a residential package with super simple controls, no WiFi, no apps, no screens, no error messages... or a Speed Queen)
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Apr 28, 2021 22:26
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You really shouldn't turn on the oven without someone home to supervise it. Crazy, I know.
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Apr 28, 2021 23:07
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mutata posted:I just set a timer. v I just watch an episode of TV or something, usually I can hear the dryer, but I also know when it's been an hour.
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Apr 28, 2021 23:10
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The plumbers dig crew came to back fill my crawlspace. The "crew" which was a guy, his teenage son, and his wife watching their infant left the job thinking this was done. For reference they dug right up next to 3 piers, and 5 or so feet of exterior concrete footer. Dirt left mounded up and over the joists making the front of my house uncrawlable, as well as setting it up to rot away.  Does that look very well packed to you? It's also close to a foot lower than it should be right next to the foundation, which will cause it to move from the exterior dirts pressure.  I've already called and complained and they're going to contact the boss of the job and "send someone out". I need to contact a foundation engineer or something to tell them to fix it properly. e: Just left a message with the foundation company that I had level my house years ago. Hopefully I hear back from them tomorrow. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 23:34 on Apr 28, 2021 |
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Apr 28, 2021 23:27
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SpartanIvy posted:The "crew" which was a guy, his teenage son, and his wife watching their infant If this kind of thing ever happens in the future you need to understand that not only is showing up with additional people obviously unprofessional, it's a liability problem for you personally. You should have turned them around before they started work.
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Apr 28, 2021 23:50
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Motronic posted:If this kind of thing ever happens in the future you need to understand that not only is showing up with additional people obviously unprofessional, it's a liability problem for you personally. You should have turned them around before they started work. It's not like they asked permission. I was on a conference call and heard something going on outside and by the time I was able to investigate they were half way "done".
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Apr 28, 2021 23:59
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H110Hawk posted:You really shouldn't turn on the oven without someone home to supervise it. Crazy, I know. You should check out sabbath mode :-)
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Apr 29, 2021 00:02
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SpartanIvy posted:It's not like they asked permission. I was on a conference call and heard something going on outside and by the time I was able to investigate they were half way "done". Honestly I would have bounced them right then. That's complete bullshit.
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Apr 29, 2021 00:45
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Motronic posted:Honestly I would have bounced them right then. That's complete bullshit. In hindsight I should have, but at the time I thought they must know what they're doing hiring these people, and frankly I just wanted the job done since it's been a grueling three-day 1-day-job where I've been pissing in bottles and taking a poo poo at the corner CVS for a lot of it. e: I spoke to the plumber that was leading the project and he was upset to hear about the child being there, to say nothing of the poor quality of work, and told me they won't be hiring him again (Could be BS but he seems genuinely upset at the child being there) They're also going to send out a different dig crew tomorrow and he's going to be there to make sure they do it right. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Apr 29, 2021 |
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Apr 29, 2021 00:56
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Less Fat Luke posted:You should check out sabbath mode :-) Oh I know. I also think people who use that are insane. It's one thing for the elevator to just stop at every floor in a loop or the refrigerator light to just stay on with the door shut, but the you really shouldn't leave an oven unsupervised.
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Apr 29, 2021 01:43
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Sirotan posted:Got this: https://smile.amazon.com/Honeywell-TH6110D1005-FocusPRO-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B000UQ2GCY/ I have one of those also, it works pretty good.
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Apr 29, 2021 01:47
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tater_salad posted:dont forget your alexa microwave. I remember looking at one a few years ago, but I live close enough to work that it wouldn't recognize me as being gone! my thermostat is the most basic poo poo ever, you can't even program it
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Apr 29, 2021 01:53
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H110Hawk posted:You really shouldn't turn on the oven without someone home to supervise it. Crazy, I know. Nobody is really talking about leaving an oven up to operating temp for a long time while not at home though. In the pre-heating use case you set it before you leave e.g. work and by the time you get home it will be ready and you'll be there. ----- As for smart appliances, I can think of plenty of things that would benefit. I could delay energy-sucking appliances until my PV was generating. (I can use delay timers to approximate this, but it's not ideal.) One thing I often can't really put on a timer is air conditioning if I'll be out for a day and don't know when I'll be back. Often I've thought it would be useful to turn it on before I head home. My washing machine has a delay timer, but the damned thing starts at 3 hours and can only be incremented from there. Now the actual state of things is so completely dire that I personally don't have any smart things and I can understand not wanting any.
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Apr 29, 2021 02:07
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Don't get me wrong, I want all of the cool tech poo poo. I thought we were headed for the singularity at one point. In the past 7-8 years though, I've seen all of the stuff that I used to get hyped about come to pass but in the stupidest, most destructive, laziest, most unethical ways possible and now I, the techiest nerd in my family, am trying to convince my friends and family to delete their social media accounts and going out of my way to buy dumb-devices. The future sucks because it got monkey-pawed. https://www.instagram.com/p/BOvg8InluZT/?igshid=47ox3hw44kcz
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Apr 29, 2021 03:32
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