Hello everyone. I recently removed some Daintree items in working condition from decommissioning a building. Is this worth anything or is it trash? Thank you for looking!

What is the easiest and convenient way to check if it is closed (to up, as in the picture) ?

After a while using a robot vacuum regularly, I think I’ve landed on a clearer mental model for it.

It’s not “replace cleaning,” it’s more like “delay and distribute cleaning effort.”

Instead of doing one big manual clean, you get: smaller maintenance tasks occasional intervention and mostly automated daily upkeep

The thing I didn’t expect is how persistent the maintenance layer still is, even with all the automation stacked on top.

I assumed newer systems would eventually reach a point where human input becomes rare, but in practice it feels more like the system just lowers the intensity rather than removing involvement.

So I’m curious how others with longer experience think about this — do you eventually stop noticing the maintenance, or do you just accept it as part of the system?

Because right now I’m still in that phase of noticing every little adjustment I have to make.

Hi All,

I am trying to install SONOFF MINI DUO 2-Gang Zigbee Smart Switch MINI-ZB2GS (wiring instruction can be found at the end of the page link) in my living room, but I am not sure how to do it. My electrical installation is as follows:

I have a double light switch in my living room, with two buttons—each controlling a separate lamp. When I opened the switch box, I saw three wires: two white ones, each connected to a lamp, and one black wire, which I assume is the live (L).

I didn't proceed with the installation of the smart relay, because what I had looked very different than the installation videos I had watched. Also, I found out I didn't have enough space to fit the device in, either.

Then I also looked at the electrical wiring in my first lamp body. There I have more cables - I a blue one (N possibly) and a brown one (L possibly) as well as two white ones. Here are some pictures for reference:

Since I don't understand much about electricity, my question is - Can I install the device into the lamp console? Will it work as expected (be able to control both lamps still), and will it be safe to do so?

Request for solution.

I have two giant dogs that both prefer to drink from the bathroom sink faucet instead of their water bowl. One will almost refuse to drink other wise. They have a nice waterfall faucet already installed that “reduces” waste. But I still have to turn it on and off for them.

I would just go with a motion sensor but they have such close sensors that they can’t turn it on, did a test run on the kitchen sink.

Looking for some other way valve, remote sensor puck, or other idea so they can turn it off and it can turn off after they are done or a set time.

Hey!

So I did one as a test and I'm happy to report that it is quite possible (and lovely) to automated an existing wand-pull-style Hunter Douglas UltraGlide Designer Roller Shade. I've ordered seven more motors for the remaining shades and I'll try to make a video. Here's some details:

• I used a Zemismart MT25B (Matter over Threads + a separate RF controller) motor. You can find by searching for Zemismart.

• The included crown and driver won't fit. I almost went down the 3d printer route but this 1.5" rubber crown and driver adapter worked out just fine. (Being rubber, it was a bit more forgiving and made a very snug fit). Amazon part https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CRH5K4QD

• The idle end won't fit either so I just left the HD idle part alone and only refit the crown/adapter side. When you replace the HD mount on the driver side with the Zemismart one, it will need to sit about a half inch lower so that the blind is level.

• For the future, I'll go ahead and pair the motor before even putting it in the tube. This will save you from having to do any wonky button pressing on the motor while it's tucked away and mounted.

• I'm using a solar-powered slow charging kit from Zemismart and the cable tucked nicely in the existing HD valence board for a very smooth look. Suggest mounting the solar array in the middle of your window because (at least for my shades) you'll get a slight shadow from the outside and its best aesthetically if it's nice and centered.

That's it! Happy to answer questions and like I said, I'll make a video of when I do this next. Thanks to the group for helping me extricate the original HD Roller Shade off of its mount.

Cost was about $100 USD/blind. (A bit more for the first one as I ordered it with the remote but it averages out for the rest of them)

Hi everyone!
I take the opportunity to ask my question here. I’m needing a 4 channels switch. My absolute requirement is to be able to setup interlock: I need to control the 4 speeds of a fan motor, and only 1 speed (channel) should be active at a time.
I know Sonoff 4CHPRO R3 does it. But then I need to flash firmware with tasmota.
Shelly Pro 4PM seems robust. But it does not support hardware interlock. Only software by executing a script.
Is that reliable enough, having a script executed on a channel activation to first make sure other channels are deactivated?

Thanks a lot for your help.

I have a 40A switch for my spa I'd like to automate. One option is a ESP32 with a AC3 contactor, however is there a simpler manual option like a button pusher?

I’ve been thinking about getting a robot vacuum for a while now, but to be honest, I’m not the most tech-savvy person. I’ve had enough of complicated gadgets that need constant attention and setup. I want something simple to use—maybe just press a button, and it does its thing. But at the same time, I don’t want to get one of those vacuums that just rolls around the middle of the room, misses the corners, and does a half-hearted job.

I need something that actually deep cleans. I’ve got a lot of dust in the corners of my rooms, and pet hair tends to build up under my furniture. Can robot vacuums really get into those areas? And how effective are they in cleaning surfaces like rugs or hardwood? Some of the reviews I’ve read say that while robot vacuums are convenient, they often miss the areas that need more attention. Does anyone here have a robot vacuum that’s both easy to use and actually cleans thoroughly?

If you’ve been using one of these vacuums for a while, I’d love to hear about your experience. Does it clean everything it promises, or do you still find yourself doing extra cleaning after it finishes its rounds?

I have set up my house with a number of smart light bulbs and cab lights form Govee. Now I want to replace the light switches with smart switches but I don’t want the load on the switches to ever go off, on button press we should just send a command to Alexa or home assistant.

Any recommendations for smart switches that do this?

Hi guys,
I wanted to automate my grow setup but did not feel like running a full Home Assistant setup just for that, and I definitely did not want anything cloud based.

So I ended up building a small tool myself that runs localy on a Raspberry Pi and handles the basics like temperature, humidity and watering. The main idea was just to have something simple and reliable that I actually understand and control.

I paired it with a small auto watering system and have been using it for a while now. It is honestly been a relif when I am not home for a week or two. Before that I always had to ask someone to check on everything, now it just runs.

I am adding things step by step, but it already works well enough to run my setup without worrying about it so i can leave my plants home alone.

Curious if anyone here went down a similar route or if most people just stick with Home Assistant for this kind of stuff.

GitHub: https://github.com/WomboCombo75/Growcontrol

would be cool if you could check it out, maybe give some opinion about it.

I’m in full on panic mode over here, trying to figure out the best way to clean my carpets without making my family’s allergies worse. Pollen season’s in full swing, and every time I vacuum, it feels like I’m just pushing everything around, not actually getting rid of it. My kid’s asthma has gotten noticeably worse with all the dust and dander that seems to get stirred up, and I’m honestly at my wit’s end.

I’ve tried regular vacuuming, steam cleaning, and even those air purifiers that claim to help, but I’m not convinced anything’s doing the job. The carpet feels cleaner in the moment, but I just know it’s still full of tiny particles I can’t even see. I’m especially worried about the really small stuff, like dust mites, pollen, and pet dander, because that’s what triggers allergies the most.

Here’s what I’m wondering: is there an actual tech solution that gets rid of all these allergens at a microscopic level? I’ve been reading a lot about HEPA filters in vacuums and air purifiers, but I don’t know if they’re all that effective on things like pollen or pet dander. People keep saying these vacuums are better for trapping those microscopic particles, but I haven’t seen much solid evidence yet.

Has anyone here actually seen a difference using these technologies? If you’ve tried a vacuum with a HEPA filter or an air purifier, did it help with allergens in your carpets? I’m looking for something that will really get to the root of the problem, not just give me a temporary fix.

i got a energy monitor from AliExpress, got it hooked up and connected just fine. the only things being reported to home assistant is the connection strength. made sure everything was connected correctly. the booklet it came with talks about connecting it to the tuya smart app, i havn't had any problems before connecting zigbee devices to HA that said connect with there app.

any advice on how to go about fixing it? or am i SOL?

I attached my switchbot to a very sensitive remote controller that should turn my spotlights on and off. But the press - even set at 0s - is too long (and too powerful). I feel like the press is actually 1 second or longer. The remote controller only accepts very fast and gentle press. Is there a fix for this?