The Wink home automation thread

[IndyColtsFan]

Mine are doing the samething. When I added them they showed 88% and right now they are 77%. Performance has been great with them though.

Do you know if the GE Link Hub is compatible with SmartThings? I've been thinking about snagging a few and using as repeaters throughout the house. I haven't found a definitive answer yet.

 

[lsd]

Do you know if the GE Link Hub is compatible with SmartThings? I've been thinking about snagging a few and using as repeaters throughout the house. I haven't found a definitive answer yet.

No sorry haven't come across anything regarding them.

 

[bigverm24]

I'm referring to the sensors. If the reporting is accurate, battery life sucks. I'll have to think why this may be. Even the open/close sensor in my bedroom (which stays closed) is down significantly.

Battery life on the ST proprietary sensors is known to be really really poor....somewhere on the order of a few weeks to a few months.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Battery life on the ST proprietary sensors is known to be really really poor....somewhere on the order of a few weeks to a few months.

Yeah, no big deal really. I got these two sensors as part of the bundle and can switch to Tripper and Ecolink if necessary.

 

[Kaido]

In addition to Wink now supporting Ring, the Lutron Connected Bulb remote is now supported: ($30)

http://www.wink.com/products/lutron-connected-bulb-remote/

It works with a bunch of bulbs PLUS shortcuts! AWESOME!!

A simple and convenient way to control your Cree, GE, EcoSmart, and OSRAM connected light bulbs, as well as Wink Shortcuts with just one tap.

 

[MjnMixael]

Oh yeah.. forgot about that... Sometimes I've had these for such a long time that I forget they aren't public. The Connected Bulb Remote is pretty sweet. In my tests, it will control those bulbs (not shortcuts) without the hub just like a PICO remote.

 

[TechWise]

I definitely love my connected bulb remote. I haven't tried it with shortcuts but for direct bulb control it is fantastic...and incredibly fast.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Anyone using one of these Aeon Labs z-wave micro switches with a regular switch and Wink? I've seen some conflicting views on whether or not they work with Wink. I think this would be ideal for me in a couple of applications where I REALLY need a standard toggle switch but also want it to be controllable by Wink or ST.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-Aeo...TF8&qid=1443787126&sr=8-10&keywords=aeon+labs

 

[RodolfoDLV]

Anyone using one of these Aeon Labs z-wave micro switches with a regular switch and Wink? I've seen some conflicting views on whether or not they work with Wink. I think this would be ideal for me in a couple of applications where I REALLY need a standard toggle switch but also want it to be controllable by Wink or ST.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-Aeo...TF8&qid=1443787126&sr=8-10&keywords=aeon+labs

I've seen posts of people saying they do work and they're listed as compatible by Craig Trunzo's wiki. Don't own them personally.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I've seen posts of people saying they do work and they're listed as compatible by Craig Trunzo's wiki. Don't own them personally.

Cool, thanks.

I've been thinking about adding smoke alarms to my house. Is Nest the best smart alarm? Wondering if I should just save money and get dumb alarms instead -- wouldn't be as cool though.

 

[Kaido]

Speaking of Aeotec, Amazon has their new Sensor 6 for $50:

http://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-Z-wave-Multisensor/dp/B00WMEVRRW/

No reviews there yet....hope it gets full Wink support!

 

[ppkk]

In addition to Wink now supporting Ring, the Lutron Connected Bulb remote is now supported: ($30)

http://www.wink.com/products/lutron-connected-bulb-remote/

It works with a bunch of bulbs PLUS shortcuts! AWESOME!!

The press release talks about EcoSmart connected bulbs, but I haven't come across mention of them before. Are they real?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Speaking of Aeotec, Amazon has their new Sensor 6 for $50:

http://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-Z-wave-Multisensor/dp/B00WMEVRRW/

No reviews there yet....hope it gets full Wink support!

The funny thing is, it has been on their site for quite some time and even had reviews at one point. My guess is that it was showing reviews for other products in the line (like the gen4) and Amazon discovered the mistake and corrected it.

I am seriously considering picking it up for my ST, but I think I may hold out and buy some of the new Iris sensors for temp monitoring instead. The multi stuff is cool but I don't think I really need it right now.

 

[RodolfoDLV]

The press release talks about EcoSmart connected bulbs, but I haven't come across mention of them before. Are they real?

I've just seen them in photos. They are Home Depot's smart light bulbs but if you look on the internet they're nonexistent. If it wasn't for two people that have told me that they got them, it would be like a ghost. They've actually been supported for quite a while, if I recall correctly. I guess you'll have to check your HD store and see if they carry them.

 

[RodolfoDLV]

Cool, thanks.

I've been thinking about adding smoke alarms to my house. Is Nest the best smart alarm? Wondering if I should just save money and get dumb alarms instead -- wouldn't be as cool though.

I own one Nest Protect and plan to add more in the coming months. Main reason: I like Nest and it looks cool . Second reason: I have high ceilings and my wife already experienced the smoke alarm going off and she couldn't get to it to unplug it.
Installation is a breeze (like all Nest products), design great and the app works great. You can name them in different places of the house, so that way you know which on went off. You can silence them through the app and get notifications. Before it actually starts that annoying alarm noise, it gives you a heads-up by a nice lady voice. My HD has the battery version at $79 for a while now.

The Kidde are half the price at $50, and they work with Wink. Don't know about ST. You can't name them according to the place and I don't know if you can silence them through an app. Maybe, if not it wouldn't make a lot of sense for them to have Wifi.

 

[RodolfoDLV]

Speaking of Aeotec, Amazon has their new Sensor 6 for $50:

http://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-Z-wave-Multisensor/dp/B00WMEVRRW/

No reviews there yet....hope it gets full Wink support!

Don't we all. When I talked to an AEOTEC customer support he didn't even know what Wink was. Maybe in the far ahead future??? I don't know why Wink hasn't added them to their supported devices, because every other smart hub has them. Maybe because they're not a "trusted" brand like GE, Nest, Schlage, etc. But then again, they had Quirky. LOL.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I own one Nest Protect and plan to add more in the coming months. Main reason: I like Nest and it looks cool . Second reason: I have high ceilings and my wife already experienced the smoke alarm going off and she couldn't get to it to unplug it.
Installation is a breeze (like all Nest products), design great and the app works great. You can name them in different places of the house, so that way you know which on went off. You can silence them through the app and get notifications. Before it actually starts that annoying alarm noise, it gives you a heads-up by a nice lady voice. My HD has the battery version at $79 for a while now.

The Kidde are half the price at $50, and they work with Wink. Don't know about ST. You can't name them according to the place and I don't know if you can silence them through an app. Maybe, if not it wouldn't make a lot of sense for them to have Wifi.

Yeah, looks like the Kidde might only support an ionization sensor, so that makes it a non-starter IMO. I wish Nest would include an ionization sensor in addition to the photoelectric as well.

 

[MjnMixael]

Nest and most of the upper end detectors get around the need for ionization by detecting the rate of heat rise. If the temp goes up far too quickly, it tightens the photelectric belt, so to speak... sounding the alarm sooner than it would have otherwise.

 

[Mike A.]

Anyone using one of these Aeon Labs z-wave micro switches with a regular switch and Wink? I've seen some conflicting views on whether or not they work with Wink. I think this would be ideal for me in a couple of applications where I REALLY need a standard toggle switch but also want it to be controllable by Wink or ST.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-Aeo...TF8&qid=1443787126&sr=8-10&keywords=aeon+labs

I have a couple of the dimmers. They do work. I've used them both with regular switches and with the Aeon touch panels. A little bit of a pain to pair but once you have them set up and working they're fine. For the version that includes power monitoring capability, that aspect does not work in Wink.

I didn't look again now but as I recall the Amazon reviews were pretty accurate. The small terminals aren't great but you can make it work. They do require neutral. It may be a tight fit especially with a regular switch depending on how big. They're supposed to come defaulted to continuous mode but after screwing around with it to pair it may end up in momentary mode (switch and it just goes up/down momentarily and then back to where it was). Press and hold the reset button for 6 seconds to change.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I have a couple of the dimmers. They do work. I've used them both with regular switches and with the Aeon touch panels. A little bit of a pain to pair but once you have them set up and working they're fine. For the version that includes power monitoring capability, that aspect does not work in Wink.

I didn't look again now but as I recall the Amazon reviews were pretty accurate. The small terminals aren't great but you can make it work. They do require neutral. It may be a tight fit especially with a regular switch depending on how big. They're supposed to come defaulted to continuous mode but after screwing around with it to pair it may end up in momentary mode (switch and it just goes up/down momentarily and then back to where it was). Press and hold the reset button for 6 seconds to change.

I think they would be ideal for a project for my garage. I don't want to get rid of the normal toggle switches (I HATE the "smart" toggle switches GE makes) but could use this instead to automate the garage lights while still allowing use of the regular toggle.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Nest and most of the upper end detectors get around the need for ionization by detecting the rate of heat rise. If the temp goes up far too quickly, it tightens the photelectric belt, so to speak... sounding the alarm sooner than it would have otherwise.

Interesting, thanks.

 

[RodolfoDLV]

Yeah, looks like the Kidde might only support an ionization sensor, so that makes it a non-starter IMO. I wish Nest would include an ionization sensor in addition to the photoelectric as well.

One thing you might want to look into is your home insurance. Some home insurance companies are giving you one Nest Protect for free and give you a discounted price if you have Nest Protects.

 

[Mike A.]

I think they would be ideal for a project for my garage. I don't want to get rid of the normal toggle switches (I HATE the "smart" toggle switches GE makes) but could use this instead to automate the garage lights while still allowing use of the regular toggle.

Yeah, I don't like those much either. I think the binary switch probably would work better than the dimmer in that respect. It was kind of odd to use with a regular switch. Didn't do that for long. I intended to go with the touch panels from the start but wanted to test to make sure that the module itself worked first before buying those and another module.

I'll probably add some more of the binary modules to a couple of switches within a gang of 4 that I have where it would be difficult to replace every other one otherwise. That's a pretty good application for them I think. Assuming that you have room in the box(es) anyway. The modules are a little larger than I expected looking at them online. About 2x2 and probably 1/2" or more thick.

 

[Aikouka]

One thing you might want to look into is your home insurance. Some home insurance companies are giving you one Nest Protect for free and give you a discounted price if you have Nest Protects.

Hm, that's interesting. I found a link on the providers here, and I was actually thinking about going through Geico, which would be provided by Liberty Mutual. I'd get another Nest Protect, and I'd get up to a 5% discount... not bad. I've posted about my dismay with Nationwide, so another excuse to leave them can't be bad.

Cool, thanks.

I've been thinking about adding smoke alarms to my house. Is Nest the best smart alarm? Wondering if I should just save money and get dumb alarms instead -- wouldn't be as cool though.

I have a Nest Protect, and I guess... it's okay? I was a bit disappointed in its mist detection. It specifically states that it is designed to avoid false positives from mist (i.e. you're taking a shower and forget to turn the exhaust fan on). I got done taking a shower one day, and I hear the alarm say something like, "Possible carbon monoxide detected. This alarm may be loud."

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I have a Nest Protect, and I guess... it's okay? I was a bit disappointed in its mist detection. It specifically states that it is designed to avoid false positives from mist (i.e. you're taking a shower and forget to turn the exhaust fan on). I got done taking a shower one day, and I hear the alarm say something like, "Possible carbon monoxide detected. This alarm may be loud."

Was your Protect located close enough to a bathroom to see the shower mist?

In my case, I want to add one in two bedrooms and my office. My office is probably the most likely place a fire would begin because of all the electronics, so I definitely need one there. Just debating on whether I should go with Nest or stick with a cheaper dual-sensor model. As far as downstairs, I think I probably need one in my bar area.