If you are old enough to know that Dallas came on after the Dukes of Hazzard, you're old enough to know that the "Clapper" was the first smart switch!!! ;)
You're incorrect. The Clapper was invented in 1984. Nine (9) years earlier in 1975 the X-10 remote control modules were invented. They were sold at Radio Shack and Sears. I used them all over the house until Alexa came out and smart plugs came available. You can still buy X-10 equipment on the internet. The control box sent signals over your electrical lines in your house to the modules. The remote communicated with the control box via Ultrasonic. You could be outside, 100 yards away and the remote could still communicate with the control box. Ultrasonic is way more advanced than IR, you do not need line of site. Today's RF remotes are limited to maybe 50 feet and most will not go through walls, definitely not concrete block wals as Ultrasonic does.
I still have some X-10 stuff. I don't use them anymore because I'm too lazy to push a switch. Now if I can't tell it to turn on I break out in a sweat from the hard work of pushing a switch 😉
i think the biggest issue we need to teach people about is whether these devices offer local home control interfaces. Its ok if people want to use some cloud based service, but if it doesn't also have a local control API, then that means they can make that device stop working, change behavior, remove features, etc. whenever they want and you don't really own the device. Until we start teaching people this stuff, they will continue to bring products into their home that they don't own and don't fully control.
That’s not even the real reason to go local. Lag is the biggest part. No one wants to tell their smart home to do something just to have to wait 5 seconds for it to finish.
@@wbarber69 Not fully owning your device is substantially worse than a little lag. This is in my opinion of course. I honestly was never bothered by the small lag initially when I used Google Home to control everything. It was only until I started to control all of my devices using Home Assistant did I realize that zero lag was really good. My main issue is that one of the cheap plugs had a random setting to turn o, at 10:XX Am every single day. There was no information on what turned it on but just that it did. It now works perfectly after it was removed from the cloud. As a bonus, it only worked when I wanted it to and works from home whether internet works or not. I also learned how to setup SSL and used my own DDNS to control everything via my own device running home assistant at my home and completely private.
My biggest offender on my Home Assistant setup is the Trane communicating thermostat. By the way their Nexia ecosystem is, I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled a Chamberlain.
Amazon disabled someone's smart home because a driver thought he said a racist word. All these systems should work 100% locally. Cloud should be only an addition.
Maybe you should do a followup video on smartplugs that use a different wireless standard like Z-Wave and Zigbee. Advantage to that is that it doesn't use WiFi, thus not clogging up your WiFi bandwidth and also adding a secondary level of security since they're not connected to your WiFi network directly. Disadvantage is the higher sunk cost with needing a hub and harder initial setup.
wifi is literally trash. My cheap Aliexpress zigbee smartplugs are so much better in any way than any other wifi (or worse wifi cloud) plug I ever tried. Even offer power metering. Also much easier to setup. Just put into socket, open home assistant app and search for zigbee devices. Discovery and installation is fully automatic.
Great point. I moved to zigbee devices because newer Amazon echos come with zigbee hub built in. I'm pretty maxed out on my router for wifi devices soz as needed, I'm going to replace wifi smart devices with zigbee. The other issue, zigbee devices aren't as popular because they require a hub and are a little more expensive than wifi equivalents
@@kuriusly23 I use Hubitat personally. It has a high degree of customization at the expense of a pretty looking UI. You're right about the more expensive investment into Z-wave/Zigbee devices, but I think that's a worthwhile cost to minimize the load on my WiFi and to have my devices function locally w/o an internet connection. Back when Costco sold Z-Wave switches and dimmers packs, I bought a bunch of them so at least I saved a bit there.
First things first, Home Assistant ftw. Anyone that has a tool battery charger should be using a smart plug! 👏 I've used A LOT of smart plugs, and the TP-Link Kasa plugs have worked without fail for years. I have an automation set up for my smart plugs that when it starts detecting a load, (I've put a battery on the charger and it's started charging), 5 minutes after the load drops off, it turns off the plug. With all of the reports of fires starting from lithium ion battery packs from drills and impacts to kid's hoverboards and other stuff, this is my first line of defense by disrupting the electrical source completely. I also keep a small space heater in the shop on a smart plug. Due to it's electrical switch, I can't turn it on, but I can know when it's off, right from my phone. Great peace of mind.
I was waiting for him to actually mention Home Assistant, rather than referring to home assistants. I wonder if this was a blind spot where he knows of the existence of something called home assistant and assume it refers to the controllers as a whole rather than an actual system. Home Assistant is just great, it basically works with nearly everything, even the RF controllers if you add a Broadlink unit to the setup.
I work in cybersecurity and seeing you mention putting IoT devices on their own network made me unreasonably happy. There's a joke that in the acronym for IoT the 'S' stands for security. It's scary because most of these devices don't have any real built in security measures and people are just plugging them into their own networks.
And it only bothers people in network security. Guess what no one has anything worth the trouble of breaking in through their smart plugs to get at in their home networks. The only reason to build vlans or subnets just for iot devices is to keep everything neat and tidy so it’s easier to troubleshoot.
Use home assistant, control everything locally and use ESPHome whenever possible. Some security team did a vulnerability scan about six months ago, found a security flaw that had never been exposed and was fixed in 2 days. There is a reason it's the 2nd largest open source project outside visual Studio. Like Linux, more eyes on the code is a good thing.
I have never in my life thought about the orientation of the screws holding my wall plates, but seeing you make such a big deal about it made me realize that if I cared, I think it would look better horizontal.
@@DoItForMeSolutions In that case the top of the wall plate is collecting dust just the same, if you're worried about it you'll be dusting there anyway.
I'd put a hairdryer on a smart plug not to turn it on or off but to monitor the power usage and be able to sense when it's in use. That would be a useful trigger for automation.
I've been using Kasa for years. They're cheap enough and I've never had one stop working. Plus, once I set them up on the Kasa app my Alexa app picks them up automatically and adds them into the mix. It does the same for any automations you do for them.
@@stephenmiller6690 Yes, once they're connected to your network, you can use them anywhere using your phone or an Alexa/Google device that's also connected. I use a Wyze Thermostat at my shop so I can turn the air on when I leave my house and then off as I leave the shop. Saves me a lot of money overall.
@@Fixthisbuildthat Zigbee smart plugs are definitely missing here. Got some tiny ones from aliexpress that even offer power metering and unlike my huge tapo ones also never disconnect while being like 3x cheaper.
Make sure you buy quality. I bought a few smart plugs with the remote as a digital thermostat. They control my widow air conditioners and space heaters much better than their own internal thermostat. They are rated for 15 amps, 1800 watts. But, two of them got very hot and melted the plastic housing with scorching when used with my small 900 watt space heater. Upon opening them up, the internal wiring was very cheaply built, with very poor electrical connections. They clearly used the wrong kind of low temperature thermoplastic; it should never have melted. Now, I really love how these should work. So the ones I could save, I soldered all the connections, and now you can't even detect any warmth at all. But I would never leave these on a space heater unattended. It's just too dangerous and I unplug the heaters when I'm finished using them in those rooms.
I had been using either Teckin, BN-Link, and initially Wyze 15A smart plugs with small space heaters with no issues. I kind of went away from those because the space heaters still use way too much electricity and drive up my power bill, versus just running my gas furnace (with a WiFi thermostat). Also the Govee smart space heaters with their own WiFi connection and control seem to work better at providing supplemental heating without overrunning, and they weren’t very expensive.
My smart plugs are all into surge protector strips, and whenever i need more room, i use these heavy duty 6 inch extension cords to space them away from the other outlets. I'm amazed that anyone has so few things to plug in that they can even worry about having room directly at the wall outlet
I've been using the Kasa plugs for the last 6+ years. Absolutely love the plugs AND their app. I even use their outdoor plug to for my Christmas lights every year, since the timer is easier and better than the photosensor I was using before. The Kasa plugs work seamlessly with my Alexa, and the app has no problems with however I name each plug. I can even put certain plugs into a "group" so they all turn on and off at the same time. That feature is also handy for my Christmas lights. I won't be switching anytime soon.
From my experience, just get the Kasa Matter plugs, they're decent price, are 15a, and have energy monitoring. In home assistant, you can set up that energy monitoring to alert you when energy consumption drops. How is that useful? My brand new washer cost $600, it would have been $800 for the smart washer, i just wanted it to alert me when clothes were done. Instead of paying $200 extra for that, i got a $13 kasa smart plug, set it up on home assistant, and now i get a notification on my phone and an led blinks in my home office 5 times when the clothes are ready to be swapped to the dryer, easy peasy🤷♂️
2:573:02 You said Alexa Party Time - Guess what happened 😂 My two security camera tablets switched to Party Time. And you were being careful the whole time not to say Alexa. Bad boy 😅
for what it's worth, the round govee smart plug seems like it'd allow a grounded plug in the bottom outlet if you put the govee smart plug in the top outlet rather than the bottom... but having to make these kinds of special considerations is the kind of red flag that tells me to buy a different smart plug instead.
Correct, the Govee and other 10A smart plugs allow grounded appliances to be plugged into them. However (not shilling for Govee or other brands, I don’t even have those), I think the point being made was not “Govee = Bad”, but the difference between the 10A vs. 15A ratings. I have 10A smart plugs all over my house; the Teckin has been best but they aren’t on The ‘Zon anymore. I use one to control string lights strung around my crawl space to provide better lighting; it has worked fine for almost 4 years. POWRUI and KMC have been less reliable.
The remote outlet is exactly what I needed and didn't know I needed it. Thank you Brad! I have a lamp on a sofa table behind the sofa at the far end of the room. I have to walk around the dog cushion to get to it. Turn it on, then turn it off. It's no big deal to do that, but can be a pain in the whazoo. I'm ordering a simple Dewenils right now. :)
@@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648 if looks and perfection doesn't bother you go ahead . I myself like everything looking good. no crocked pipes , wires , panels or screws simple . You do you I'm just said what I like on my jobsites .
I have a smartplug attached to my electric oven, that plugs into a wall socket. And I use it as part of a timer function to know when my food is cooked. I am used to using my voice function via Alexa to start it off as well, with the end of it tied to the light, which switches on and changes colour to indicate when done. And yes, I am UK based. The Teckin brand smartplug is 230V 13A too. And has a push switch in the side as well...
@@wbarber69 Yes, but my point was that he listed coffee makers as low power devices that you don't need to worry about its current limit, and my point is that you still need to pay attention to power usage for coffee makers, because as appliances go, they aren't particularly low power, like say a light fixture typically is.
yeah I was about to say that too, coffee makers are not low power, a 1300 watt coffee maker will likely burn up one of the 10 amp ones. Its one of the reasons kitchens are required by code to have two 20 amp circuits in addition to a dedicated refrigerator circuit.
I settled in on the Kasa switches and outlets about 8 years ago and I've never had a problem with them. I prefer the in wall versions. Totally agree about using Alexa or Google for the automations. One thing you didn't mention is, they consume power to operate. If you have a lot of switches, it can add up.
The screws perfectly vertical or perfectly horizontal always looks unnatural to me. Especialy on plates with multiple screws like a switch or double/triple-gang. I tend to put all screws at about 45 defgrees the same way you started with.
Ha!!! Just had a bunch of electrical work done. Not only did the electrician put all his screws vertically, but he moved all the others he came across to vertical as well!
I think the biggest need for those original timer switches was Christmas lights. You don't want to reach around the christmas tree every day twice a day to toggle your lights. Likewise for outdoor lights when there is a foot of snow everywhere.
A problem with the receptacle replacement models is that you have now embedded electronic accessories directly into your home’s wall. If it fails for whatever reason, you can no longer just unplug it. That can range from an inconvenience to actually being dangerous if there was a serious fault that caused overheating, smoke, etc. I resist even installing built-in USB outlets for this safety reason.
Good I won't have them either because they draw energy whether it's charging something or not. The plug in bricks are the best even in cars. Just pull it out when not in use. 73
I have the Feit electric one and it's internet connected. I can also program a schedule on the app. So, I can turn my ac on before I get home. Works great!
Love the video. I'm 14 minutes in and don't know if you covered it or chose to not mention it due to it's complexity to setup but there is a product called Home Assistant. I have mine setup on an Intel Nuc that I purchased used for about $100. It allows the use of many products without needing to rely on the cloud availability of these devices. I'd say that it's a bit difficult to setup for the far majority of people but works great as after learning how to use it, I have a setup that can work at home despite working internet of not. I also have a private DDNS to allow me to control it when away from work using the internet. This was good as the Cloud of a Tuya device was completely broken and it turned on every day after 10 am and no ability to stop that, their cloud for that specific device was broken until it took it off their cloud.
I use the TPlink Kassaa smart plugs for turning on my animal pen lights at night and the turn off a few hours later so we can see when closing up pens. Great for the winter as well with the pen heaters
I forget about telling folks about solid state vs digital devices with these plugs, that was a great demo and explanation. IF you are comfortable tinkering a little, a Zigbee hub and some smart plugs and other devices that use that 900 something frequency space and not the 2.4g that so many of our other devices use, is really much better. It really isn't that hard to set up and some of the plugs out there can be flashed easily to use Tasmota so you can graph usage in Home Assistant. I like the harder options because your privacy is the cost for convenience and once you set up a few things, like practicing and learning any new workflow, it gets easier and more honed to your needs. I love the Home Assistant route because I can find devices that work that won't track my data and bog down my network. Ever see what your smart TV does when you connect it or turn it on, lulz. Now expand that to all of your "smart" devices run on company clouds. Another great video, bud. Thanks for your work!
I think I've officially been watching your channel for too long. I knew about the screw in the outlet right away lol. Also, I've started noticing that in my own home. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MEEEEE. Anyhow, love the videos and the channel. Thanks for another great one!
FWIW, you can use the other socket for a grounded plug when using a round smart plug if you put the smart plug in the top socket, then the interference with the ground terminal is no longer an issue. :)
I've been doing smart home since X-11. I STRONGLY suggest that you just buy everything matter + Alexa + Home Assistant compatibility. Doing this allows you a lot more functionality if one brand's stuff won't do the specific thing you want to do... then you have 2 other routes to get it done.
I use a bunch of Kasa outlets in my shop with automation that turns everything off at night and when I leave the house. This assures that all my dangerous power tools are turned off when I'm not using them. Very important if you have kids in the house.
The "Shelly" line of products is pretty solid with a good app and set of integrations. They also have a variety of smart devices beyond plugs which limit some of the apps you then have to deal with to manage all this stuff.
as a former construction worker who routinely finished small things like plate covers, I can honestly say "the screw goes in whatever orientation it stops at" 😁
Of note - most of the plugs that say they don't work with HomeKit do still work with Apple devices using their apps and Apple Shortcuts. Basically, you can set up macros via the app, sync those with Apple Shortcuts, and then you will have voice control. The down side is you need a macro for every setting and you need to remember the exact phrase. So, you need to set up macros for "Turn living room light on," one for "Turn living room lights on 75%," one for "Turn living room lights on 50%," one for "Turn living room lights on 25%," one for "Turn living room lights on red," one for "Turn living room lights on blue," etc. Then you need to remember the exact phrases. If the macro is "Turn living room lights on" but you add a word, like "Turn THE living room lights on," or mess up the word order, like "Turn on living room lights," then it won't work. I have this set-up in my living room using Feit plugs. It was a pain to set up all the macros, but it works well enough. Most of the time I just use the app shortcuts on my iPhone home screen.
you can fit a grounded plug with a round smart outlet by putting the smart plug on top, and the grounded plug below (given the orientation of your receptacles)
The biggest benefit of Matter, for me, is that it still works when my internet goes out. My home assistant doesn't have to talk to a server in another country to turn on a light 10 feet away.
Drawback of the full mechanical timer is that it will be thrown off if you have a power outage. This could be a problem if you are on vacation and using it to time your lights to make it seem like there is someone at home. The electronic timer will not get messed up if the power goes out.
There are home automation projects on YT where they use sensors to determine if a room is occupied and only run the space heaters when someone is there. Those projects you definately want to check the watt/amp ratings of the plugs.
7:40 The button on the wall unit is to turn it on or off if your batteries in the remote fail (need replaced). Or if someone has the key chain attached to their belt loop and leave the house or can't remember where they put it, the other people in the house can turn the connected device on or off.
The Meross smart power strip works with Google, Alexa and HomeKit. Four power outlets and four USB ports are provided. I mounted mine to a plywood backer board in my garage. It controls the lights (Barrina LED shop lights) and a HomePod Mini. As far as power goes it drives my craftsman shop-vac and various power tools without any problems. Each power port can be controlled independently but the four USB ports are ganged under one control point. Highly recommended.
As an electrician myself I would strongly recommend not using one of the smart receptacles that goes inside the wall. the reason being is that always on electronics can be a serious fire starter, and if it catches fire, its burning inside the wall, and can go unnoticed for longer. If you are going to use these things, use the plug in ones over a regular receptacle, because at least if they burn they aren't burning in the wall. Potentially dodgy electronics inside the wall is never a good thing.
A lot of these were originally designed for either people who were out of town and wanted to prevent their homes from being burgled, and/or people who have Christmas lights/decorations. The button on the outlet is mainly for turning off things like your Christmas tree quickly. I am surprised you did not talk about string lights at all. Many people like to use them even in off seasons, and because they can be dangerous if left on too long people would buy a smart plugs to ensure they turn off, especially if they are prone to falling asleep with the lights on.
Apparently, large motors aren't a good idea with these. TPLink says "If the type of load device is capacitive or inductive, the maximum current of the load device cannot exceed 1/6 of the rated current value of the plug." That's only 2.5A inductive for a smart plug rated for 15A resistive.
we have an 8 year old portable AC and we've been lucky that even if it's "digital" and no analog buttons, it works with 15A smart plugs. If it's ON and smart plug cuts power, the next time the smart plug connects power, the AC turns on. same with our small space heaters and dehumidifier.
I saw that issue immediately with your plug. EVERY outlet in my home have the screw orientation correctly calibrated. (Yours is not completely straight though which would bother me in my home - I see you corrected it later in the video)
One think that maybe be important for advanced users is the plug integrates with IFTTT. Amazon smart plugs do not, and I don't think Goove do either. IFTTT will bring home automation together.
Not only did I notice, but I am still bothered that the screw is not perfectly vertical after you "fixed" it! Good and informative video, thanks for publishing.
The wall screw had me laughing. I normally make sure the screws are horizontal on outlets and vertical for light switches…but when i have a bank of switches i will purposely leave one crooked…just to draw out that type of person.
Another note about the simple remote switch units - most of those style don't have settings so you can't use them on different outlets that are too close together because one switch will trigger them both.
Use the app to set up "routines" for the specific devices, as there are some controls they have that aren't always available in the assistants. You can then call that routine from the assistant. It allows for greater flexibility if you want to add, remove, or change device settings without having to edit the overall routine.
For all the people saying the screw slot should be vertical or horizontal, you are all wrong, they should all be done up tight, they stop where they stop, if you line it up anywhere you are under or over tightening the thing! I’m an engineer who has to regularly use a torque wrench, there’s no such thing as a calibrated wrist or elbow! 😅
Touch lights will all eventually be compatible with smart plugs. Why you may ask. When the touch circuit eventually fails the device will end up in an always on state making it perfect for use with a smart plug.
Misleading info. You must also check the AC switching capacity by load type. Those tiny plugs dont look like they can switch more then 1A AC3 load, if that. So dont connect any motor or inductive loads. Only lights no machines, fans or similar. Unless you like wearing out the contacts or just streight up causing a fire if it switches the load off.
Horizontal sir..fight me Brad! jk My wife thinks i'm nuts for wanting them all aligned, horizontally I only use remote outlets for holiday lights and my shop vac with my table saw. I'm not a luddite I just don't feel the need to overcomplicate my lighting needs :)
A reason to have the button on the plug-in is when you do not have the controller handy. I use it half the time in my dark lab because I don't want to wake up my phone (that is my controller), it is faster to bend over and click it.
As someone who works in IT, your recommendation to use a separate network sets you apart sir. During one part of the video it almost sounds like you’re saying 2.4 & 5g networks are different networks. Unless your router has some setting for this, they are both on the same network as well as your wired network devices. Not everyone is as savvy as you about setting up separate networks, but most every modern router has a ‘guest network’. I recommend setting these devices up to use the guest network and your normal computers or other sensitive devices using the regular network
I use the basic timer style with fans and air purifiers so that the fans and large purifiers will turn on and circulate air in the middle of the night. It works great because it cleans lots of dust and pollen out of my sheds and garage throughout the night, but then is quiet during the day. Electricity prices are also cheaper by me during the night. I would highly recommend it. They also never fail, if power goes out, internet goes out or whatever, they will keep running without you having to go reset them.
I would love to see you cover the Globe series of Smart devices; I picked those up at my local Source, and this was pretty early in the adoption phase. They're a bit of a pain in the butt to set up, but they're fairly decent overall. Definitely interested in some of the other options you've mentioned though!
2 comments 1st on form factor for the hockey puck shaped outlets, all you need to do is put it in the other side of the outlet and it will not block other 3 prongs connections since the ground plug is not interfered with. 2nd on the mechanical simple timer the biggest downside is that if the power goes off the time does not advance so you have to go around and reset each one after a power outage, they have earned a trip to the Restore.
Brad- One minor correction: You mentioned "5G' while talking about your home wifi; 5G is a *cellular* network (like 4G, only faster). Most wifi routers are "dual-band," providing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, each offering its own advantage in your home. Thanks for the best description of these smart devices I have yet to find.
Another thing is what smart plugs allow you to control them locally from the network? So if the internet drops out or their service goes down, you can still control everything in your house.
I have a Kasa, not because i feel its the best but because it has a model that does something the others don't. A power meter. It can tell you how much energy has gone through the outlet and how much it has cost you if you enter in your local ¢/kW
Have both Kasa and Amazon basics. Had Kasa for many years and startup now much easier. App already integrated with Alxa and just added 2 new Kasa plugs and no additional step needed after initiating on Kasa app to get it to work with Alexa. Units are also smaller and cheaper than Amazon basics.
It'd probably be worth saying a lot of the plugs are built using the Tuya Smart interface, and as such you can use the Tuya app to connect different vendor's equipment to the same app.
Since dumb outlets (at least in the US) usually have a tab that can be broken t' have the two outlets on different lines, like for a light switch, I'm the person who likes having the screw be vertical to show connected plugs, and horizontal to show a barrier between plugs (when they're wired to different sources.)
Just one more option that you can consider, especially if you already have a bunch of the RF remote outlets, is to get a Broadlink RM4 or RM Pro. Its a RF and IR remote that works with all the smart home assistance. A little more complicated to setup but can be used without the assistance in its own app to setup schedules and timers.
I'll definitely note the space issue isn't an issue in the EU or UK from what I hear. A lot of those devices, and it's quite similar to powerline adapters, are made for EU-spec sockets but with 110v compatible hardware. Also, some routers can make a separate 2.4ghz network for IoT devices, I know TP-link routers can at least. but the only things that are IoT in my home are my Google Nest hub and a Gratkit Firefly filament dryer, and the latter uses Tuya.
I bought two Leviton smart outlets to *gasp* turn on space heaters from airports on my way home, so my place would be warm by the time I got home. While they worked great, I felt uneasy having that setup, so only used it a few trips. Now, I have no use for them since I dont travel like that anymore.
Good video. I prefer Z-Wave devices over wifi devices because: 1) longer range, 2) doesn't clutter your wifi network with lots of little packets, 3) works even if wifi is down or being interfered with. Z-Wave devices are more expensive and require a Z-Wave enabled hub, though. Zigbee is my second choice because it uses the same 2.4 GHz band as wifi.
I’ve found that Kasa light bulbs and switches are the easiest to set up. I’ve got YoLink for thermometers, motion detectors, and water detectors. And I have some random vendor light bulbs for non-standard light bulb shapes-they tend to be more “forgetful.”
Hello there my guy that was a good one. I did catch the screw but the screw isn't the issue. The issue is your plug is upside down The ground is always facing upwards so that if someone was to pull a cord from out of the plug they would necessarily pull it upward and the ground would be last to where they wouldn't get shocked. Have a good day sir
If you are old enough to know that Dallas came on after the Dukes of Hazzard, you're old enough to know that the "Clapper" was the first smart switch!!! ;)
Then Falcon Crest!
You are correct
We used to have a pair of lovebirds back then. Every time they would do the loud "cheeep" sound, the Clapper turned off my TV. Bummer, man.
You're incorrect. The Clapper was invented in 1984. Nine (9) years earlier in 1975 the X-10 remote control modules were invented. They were sold at Radio Shack and Sears. I used them all over the house until Alexa came out and smart plugs came available. You can still buy X-10 equipment on the internet. The control box sent signals over your electrical lines in your house to the modules. The remote communicated with the control box via Ultrasonic. You could be outside, 100 yards away and the remote could still communicate with the control box. Ultrasonic is way more advanced than IR, you do not need line of site. Today's RF remotes are limited to maybe 50 feet and most will not go through walls, definitely not concrete block wals as Ultrasonic does.
I still have some X-10 stuff.
I don't use them anymore because I'm too lazy to push a switch. Now if I can't tell it to turn on I break out in a sweat from the hard work of pushing a switch 😉
You bleeped out the "Alexa" in your video so that my device won't start listening? You, sir, just gained a subscriber.
Thanks for the sub!
This is why I renamed my devices to use one of the other names. My favorite comic strip as a kid was Ziggy, so I picked that.
@@Fixthisbuildthat Except for that last one.. lol
I don’t have any “Alexa” devices, but I respect the sentiment
I'm afraid. Did he say, "Hey, Google?"
i think the biggest issue we need to teach people about is whether these devices offer local home control interfaces. Its ok if people want to use some cloud based service, but if it doesn't also have a local control API, then that means they can make that device stop working, change behavior, remove features, etc. whenever they want and you don't really own the device. Until we start teaching people this stuff, they will continue to bring products into their home that they don't own and don't fully control.
That happened to me with Insteon and didn't want to invest more in the other controller to make it work.
That’s not even the real reason to go local. Lag is the biggest part. No one wants to tell their smart home to do something just to have to wait 5 seconds for it to finish.
@@wbarber69 Not fully owning your device is substantially worse than a little lag. This is in my opinion of course. I honestly was never bothered by the small lag initially when I used Google Home to control everything. It was only until I started to control all of my devices using Home Assistant did I realize that zero lag was really good. My main issue is that one of the cheap plugs had a random setting to turn o, at 10:XX Am every single day. There was no information on what turned it on but just that it did. It now works perfectly after it was removed from the cloud. As a bonus, it only worked when I wanted it to and works from home whether internet works or not. I also learned how to setup SSL and used my own DDNS to control everything via my own device running home assistant at my home and completely private.
My biggest offender on my Home Assistant setup is the Trane communicating thermostat. By the way their Nexia ecosystem is, I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled a Chamberlain.
Amazon disabled someone's smart home because a driver thought he said a racist word. All these systems should work 100% locally. Cloud should be only an addition.
Maybe you should do a followup video on smartplugs that use a different wireless standard like Z-Wave and Zigbee. Advantage to that is that it doesn't use WiFi, thus not clogging up your WiFi bandwidth and also adding a secondary level of security since they're not connected to your WiFi network directly. Disadvantage is the higher sunk cost with needing a hub and harder initial setup.
I was disappointed he didn't have smartthings or hue in there
wifi is literally trash.
My cheap Aliexpress zigbee smartplugs are so much better in any way than any other wifi (or worse wifi cloud) plug I ever tried. Even offer power metering.
Also much easier to setup. Just put into socket, open home assistant app and search for zigbee devices. Discovery and installation is fully automatic.
Then there’s the granddaddy of them all: X10
Great point. I moved to zigbee devices because newer Amazon echos come with zigbee hub built in. I'm pretty maxed out on my router for wifi devices soz as needed, I'm going to replace wifi smart devices with zigbee. The other issue, zigbee devices aren't as popular because they require a hub and are a little more expensive than wifi equivalents
@@kuriusly23 I use Hubitat personally. It has a high degree of customization at the expense of a pretty looking UI. You're right about the more expensive investment into Z-wave/Zigbee devices, but I think that's a worthwhile cost to minimize the load on my WiFi and to have my devices function locally w/o an internet connection. Back when Costco sold Z-Wave switches and dimmers packs, I bought a bunch of them so at least I saved a bit there.
First things first, Home Assistant ftw.
Anyone that has a tool battery charger should be using a smart plug! 👏 I've used A LOT of smart plugs, and the TP-Link Kasa plugs have worked without fail for years. I have an automation set up for my smart plugs that when it starts detecting a load, (I've put a battery on the charger and it's started charging), 5 minutes after the load drops off, it turns off the plug. With all of the reports of fires starting from lithium ion battery packs from drills and impacts to kid's hoverboards and other stuff, this is my first line of defense by disrupting the electrical source completely.
I also keep a small space heater in the shop on a smart plug. Due to it's electrical switch, I can't turn it on, but I can know when it's off, right from my phone. Great peace of mind.
Great ideas. Thanks.
I was waiting for him to actually mention Home Assistant, rather than referring to home assistants. I wonder if this was a blind spot where he knows of the existence of something called home assistant and assume it refers to the controllers as a whole rather than an actual system.
Home Assistant is just great, it basically works with nearly everything, even the RF controllers if you add a Broadlink unit to the setup.
I work in cybersecurity and seeing you mention putting IoT devices on their own network made me unreasonably happy. There's a joke that in the acronym for IoT the 'S' stands for security. It's scary because most of these devices don't have any real built in security measures and people are just plugging them into their own networks.
lol, I like that acronym joke
And it only bothers people in network security. Guess what no one has anything worth the trouble of breaking in through their smart plugs to get at in their home networks. The only reason to build vlans or subnets just for iot devices is to keep everything neat and tidy so it’s easier to troubleshoot.
Use home assistant, control everything locally and use ESPHome whenever possible.
Some security team did a vulnerability scan about six months ago, found a security flaw that had never been exposed and was fixed in 2 days. There is a reason it's the 2nd largest open source project outside visual Studio. Like Linux, more eyes on the code is a good thing.
@@wbarber69 well unless you're rich and they want to peek at your bank account
Or if they want to use your IoT devices as part of their botnet.
I have never in my life thought about the orientation of the screws holding my wall plates, but seeing you make such a big deal about it made me realize that if I cared, I think it would look better horizontal.
I put all of mine horizontally. i also install my plugs with the "face" upside down. Muahahahahahaha!!
I'm not concerned, but my friends tell me that vertical is "right" because the horizontal position collects the dust like a tiny shelf ❓
@@DoItForMeSolutions In that case the top of the wall plate is collecting dust just the same, if you're worried about it you'll be dusting there anyway.
@@boomstick900 I'm not even in the 45 degree club, and avoid the horizontal versus vertical argument entirely as I prefer to use screwless plates 😉
You want the plate on tight but not enough to break it or leave it loose.
'screams in Hibbert' "HomeAssistant!!!"
Gotta have the hip thrusting along with it! 😂😂😂
@@monas.6839ooh, the ZigBee!!
I'd put a hairdryer on a smart plug not to turn it on or off but to monitor the power usage and be able to sense when it's in use. That would be a useful trigger for automation.
Personally, I can't stand the screw slots vertical. They look way better horizontal.
I strongly agree.
Came here to say it got much worse when he turned it vertical since horizontal is obviously superior! (but in reality, I just couldn't care less.)
ah, we have a new version of the good old big endian little endian conversation here ;)
(I wonder who remembers that book...)
Bigger question... Why is the outlet installed upside down? The ground should be on top.
@@johnsathe2429 LOL! Yes, that is a bigger question.
I've been using Kasa for years. They're cheap enough and I've never had one stop working. Plus, once I set them up on the Kasa app my Alexa app picks them up automatically and adds them into the mix. It does the same for any automations you do for them.
Same here. The Google Home app finds them as well. I also like I can control their devices in two different houses or locations from the same app.
@@stephenmiller6690 Yes, once they're connected to your network, you can use them anywhere using your phone or an Alexa/Google device that's also connected.
I use a Wyze Thermostat at my shop so I can turn the air on when I leave my house and then off as I leave the shop. Saves me a lot of money overall.
Yes, much preferred Kasa over Govee
So much talk of home assistants and no mention of Home Assistant. You have brought dishonor on the House of Brad
This is a 101. Didn't want to go over the deep end just yet 😉 I definitely have a HA Linux server
@@Fixthisbuildthat Totally get that but one could take the no-mention as a dis of HA. Great vid tho.
@@Fixthisbuildthat Zigbee smart plugs are definitely missing here. Got some tiny ones from aliexpress that even offer power metering and unlike my huge tapo ones also never disconnect while being like 3x cheaper.
the round ones make no sense for US sockets.
100% almost seems like an Amazon stealth sponsored vid.
Make sure you buy quality. I bought a few smart plugs with the remote as a digital thermostat. They control my widow air conditioners and space heaters much better than their own internal thermostat. They are rated for 15 amps, 1800 watts. But, two of them got very hot and melted the plastic housing with scorching when used with my small 900 watt space heater. Upon opening them up, the internal wiring was very cheaply built, with very poor electrical connections. They clearly used the wrong kind of low temperature thermoplastic; it should never have melted.
Now, I really love how these should work. So the ones I could save, I soldered all the connections, and now you can't even detect any warmth at all. But I would never leave these on a space heater unattended. It's just too dangerous and I unplug the heaters when I'm finished using them in those rooms.
I had been using either Teckin, BN-Link, and initially Wyze 15A smart plugs with small space heaters with no issues. I kind of went away from those because the space heaters still use way too much electricity and drive up my power bill, versus just running my gas furnace (with a WiFi thermostat).
Also the Govee smart space heaters with their own WiFi connection and control seem to work better at providing supplemental heating without overrunning, and they weren’t very expensive.
My smart plugs are all into surge protector strips, and whenever i need more room, i use these heavy duty 6 inch extension cords to space them away from the other outlets. I'm amazed that anyone has so few things to plug in that they can even worry about having room directly at the wall outlet
I've been using the Kasa plugs for the last 6+ years. Absolutely love the plugs AND their app. I even use their outdoor plug to for my Christmas lights every year, since the timer is easier and better than the photosensor I was using before. The Kasa plugs work seamlessly with my Alexa, and the app has no problems with however I name each plug. I can even put certain plugs into a "group" so they all turn on and off at the same time. That feature is also handy for my Christmas lights. I won't be switching anytime soon.
From my experience, just get the Kasa Matter plugs, they're decent price, are 15a, and have energy monitoring. In home assistant, you can set up that energy monitoring to alert you when energy consumption drops. How is that useful? My brand new washer cost $600, it would have been $800 for the smart washer, i just wanted it to alert me when clothes were done. Instead of paying $200 extra for that, i got a $13 kasa smart plug, set it up on home assistant, and now i get a notification on my phone and an led blinks in my home office 5 times when the clothes are ready to be swapped to the dryer, easy peasy🤷♂️
2:57 3:02 You said Alexa Party Time - Guess what happened 😂 My two security camera tablets switched to Party Time. And you were being careful the whole time not to say Alexa. Bad boy 😅
It was a test. You failed.
So many warnings to disable voice commands.
for what it's worth, the round govee smart plug seems like it'd allow a grounded plug in the bottom outlet if you put the govee smart plug in the top outlet rather than the bottom... but having to make these kinds of special considerations is the kind of red flag that tells me to buy a different smart plug instead.
Yeah, missed that, lol
Correct, the Govee and other 10A smart plugs allow grounded appliances to be plugged into them. However (not shilling for Govee or other brands, I don’t even have those), I think the point being made was not “Govee = Bad”, but the difference between the 10A vs. 15A ratings. I have 10A smart plugs all over my house; the Teckin has been best but they aren’t on The ‘Zon anymore. I use one to control string lights strung around my crawl space to provide better lighting; it has worked fine for almost 4 years. POWRUI and KMC have been less reliable.
I love my ZigBee smart plugs with home assistant! Since I can host it myself, there are no security concerns of the plugs phoneing home.
That did bother me 10/10, but I'm not sure if it got perfectly vertical... Otherwise great video as always!
I agree that it didnt go full vertical
It did not get full vertical. And it still bothered me
😂 😂 Left that in just for yall (I Def saw it)
@@Fixthisbuildthat I KNEW IT! I just couldn't imagine that you didn't see it🤣🤣
@@Fixthisbuildthat well that is just mean lol
As someone who hates "an app for everything" I'm glad I still use the analog timer.
The remote outlet is exactly what I needed and didn't know I needed it. Thank you Brad! I have a lamp on a sofa table behind the sofa at the far end of the room. I have to walk around the dog cushion to get to it. Turn it on, then turn it off. It's no big deal to do that, but can be a pain in the whazoo. I'm ordering a simple Dewenils right now. :)
I love the simplicity of a remote switch
Being an Electrician for 40 years that screw has been a pet peeve with me and my apprentices for years lol
Is it in the code or at least does the inspector care. No? Then why bother.
@@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648 if looks and perfection doesn't bother you go ahead . I myself like everything looking good. no crocked pipes , wires , panels or screws simple . You do you I'm just said what I like on my jobsites .
Let it go.
I have a smartplug attached to my electric oven, that plugs into a wall socket. And I use it as part of a timer function to know when my food is cooked. I am used to using my voice function via Alexa to start it off as well, with the end of it tied to the light, which switches on and changes colour to indicate when done.
And yes, I am UK based. The Teckin brand smartplug is 230V 13A too. And has a push switch in the side as well...
The Wyze plug can do 15A. We are looking to use one at work to shutoff the garage door opener (better than a padlock)
Coffee makers *do* draw a lot of power - typically 700W-1300W in the U.S.
That’s not a lot of power. That’s eel within the limits of the everyday 15a circuit. Anything under 1800 watts is perfectly acceptable.
@@wbarber69 Yes, but it still can be over the 10A limit of some timers.
@@yeroca simple solution. Don’t use anything that isn’t rated for at least 15a.
@@wbarber69 Yes, but my point was that he listed coffee makers as low power devices that you don't need to worry about its current limit, and my point is that you still need to pay attention to power usage for coffee makers, because as appliances go, they aren't particularly low power, like say a light fixture typically is.
yeah I was about to say that too, coffee makers are not low power, a 1300 watt coffee maker will likely burn up one of the 10 amp ones. Its one of the reasons kitchens are required by code to have two 20 amp circuits in addition to a dedicated refrigerator circuit.
Or use zig bee or zwave and keep everything local. I also use Home Assistant.
I settled in on the Kasa switches and outlets about 8 years ago and I've never had a problem with them. I prefer the in wall versions. Totally agree about using Alexa or Google for the automations. One thing you didn't mention is, they consume power to operate. If you have a lot of switches, it can add up.
Good point, should have plugged them all into the BN Link and monitored them that way
The Kasa brand plugs can be scheduled to turn on or off and will continue to work independent of the wifi.
I use the Govee's all around my house. Love them. Outdoor lights around the firepit. Porch. fish tank lights. etc etc.
The screws perfectly vertical or perfectly horizontal always looks unnatural to me. Especialy on plates with multiple screws like a switch or double/triple-gang. I tend to put all screws at about 45 defgrees the same way you started with.
My son is an electrician and he said any one who doesn’t have the screw perfectly vertical is a barbarian 😂😂😂
Ha!!! Just had a bunch of electrical work done. Not only did the electrician put all his screws vertically, but he moved all the others he came across to vertical as well!
Ground should be up
@@massmike11Most people don't realize this.
Was the first thing I did when I bought my first house several years ago - make all the screws vertical like a civilized home owner.
Your son sounds like a smart man.
I think the biggest need for those original timer switches was Christmas lights. You don't want to reach around the christmas tree every day twice a day to toggle your lights. Likewise for outdoor lights when there is a foot of snow everywhere.
4:00 Moved into a new house and spent 1/2 hour getting all the outlet/switch screws in the proper orientation - whew! !! !!!
A problem with the receptacle replacement models is that you have now embedded electronic accessories directly into your home’s wall. If it fails for whatever reason, you can no longer just unplug it. That can range from an inconvenience to actually being dangerous if there was a serious fault that caused overheating, smoke, etc.
I resist even installing built-in USB outlets for this safety reason.
Good I won't have them either because they draw energy whether it's charging something or not. The plug in bricks are the best even in cars. Just pull it out when not in use. 73
I have the Feit electric one and it's internet connected. I can also program a schedule on the app. So, I can turn my ac on before I get home. Works great!
Love the video. I'm 14 minutes in and don't know if you covered it or chose to not mention it due to it's complexity to setup but there is a product called Home Assistant. I have mine setup on an Intel Nuc that I purchased used for about $100. It allows the use of many products without needing to rely on the cloud availability of these devices. I'd say that it's a bit difficult to setup for the far majority of people but works great as after learning how to use it, I have a setup that can work at home despite working internet of not. I also have a private DDNS to allow me to control it when away from work using the internet.
This was good as the Cloud of a Tuya device was completely broken and it turned on every day after 10 am and no ability to stop that, their cloud for that specific device was broken until it took it off their cloud.
I use the TPlink Kassaa smart plugs for turning on my animal pen lights at night and the turn off a few hours later so we can see when closing up pens. Great for the winter as well with the pen heaters
The screw should be horizontal!
Negative! Vertical!
No
Horizontal gives the receptacle a “meh” expression. I prefer the “!” Impression
It needed to be said. Thank you.
@@BiggMo It is all personal taste. Just keep them all the same.
Oh no, I was going to rate it an 8, but then you turned it vertical. Full 10 then
The jobs not done until all the screws are vertical. My solution was to replace all my covers with screwless wall plates.
I forget about telling folks about solid state vs digital devices with these plugs, that was a great demo and explanation.
IF you are comfortable tinkering a little, a Zigbee hub and some smart plugs and other devices that use that 900 something frequency space and not the 2.4g that so many of our other devices use, is really much better. It really isn't that hard to set up and some of the plugs out there can be flashed easily to use Tasmota so you can graph usage in Home Assistant.
I like the harder options because your privacy is the cost for convenience and once you set up a few things, like practicing and learning any new workflow, it gets easier and more honed to your needs. I love the Home Assistant route because I can find devices that work that won't track my data and bog down my network. Ever see what your smart TV does when you connect it or turn it on, lulz. Now expand that to all of your "smart" devices run on company clouds.
Another great video, bud. Thanks for your work!
I think I've officially been watching your channel for too long. I knew about the screw in the outlet right away lol. Also, I've started noticing that in my own home. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MEEEEE. Anyhow, love the videos and the channel. Thanks for another great one!
FWIW, you can use the other socket for a grounded plug when using a round smart plug if you put the smart plug in the top socket, then the interference with the ground terminal is no longer an issue. :)
Duh, great catch
I've been doing smart home since X-11. I STRONGLY suggest that you just buy everything matter + Alexa + Home Assistant compatibility. Doing this allows you a lot more functionality if one brand's stuff won't do the specific thing you want to do... then you have 2 other routes to get it done.
Coffee makers are high amperage. Fyi the damn screw is still crooked. Fit it or the electricity on the plug will be unbalanced😂🤪
😂 😂
I use a bunch of Kasa outlets in my shop with automation that turns everything off at night and when I leave the house. This assures that all my dangerous power tools are turned off when I'm not using them. Very important if you have kids in the house.
And that they can be turned on at anytime by someone that hacks your setup. 🙂
@@gsftom They can't be turned on because the switches on the tools turn them on not the outlets.
Those rounded plugs if put in the top outlet should allow room on the bottom outlet for a grounded plug.
The "Shelly" line of products is pretty solid with a good app and set of integrations. They also have a variety of smart devices beyond plugs which limit some of the apps you then have to deal with to manage all this stuff.
as a former construction worker who routinely finished small things like plate covers, I can honestly say "the screw goes in whatever orientation it stops at" 😁
Dukes, Dynasty and Dallas!!! Those bring back memories. And yes I am old enough to have watched them.
Of note - most of the plugs that say they don't work with HomeKit do still work with Apple devices using their apps and Apple Shortcuts. Basically, you can set up macros via the app, sync those with Apple Shortcuts, and then you will have voice control. The down side is you need a macro for every setting and you need to remember the exact phrase. So, you need to set up macros for "Turn living room light on," one for "Turn living room lights on 75%," one for "Turn living room lights on 50%," one for "Turn living room lights on 25%," one for "Turn living room lights on red," one for "Turn living room lights on blue," etc. Then you need to remember the exact phrases. If the macro is "Turn living room lights on" but you add a word, like "Turn THE living room lights on," or mess up the word order, like "Turn on living room lights," then it won't work. I have this set-up in my living room using Feit plugs. It was a pain to set up all the macros, but it works well enough. Most of the time I just use the app shortcuts on my iPhone home screen.
you can fit a grounded plug with a round smart outlet by putting the smart plug on top, and the grounded plug below (given the orientation of your receptacles)
The biggest benefit of Matter, for me, is that it still works when my internet goes out. My home assistant doesn't have to talk to a server in another country to turn on a light 10 feet away.
Drawback of the full mechanical timer is that it will be thrown off if you have a power outage. This could be a problem if you are on vacation and using it to time your lights to make it seem like there is someone at home. The electronic timer will not get messed up if the power goes out.
There are home automation projects on YT where they use sensors to determine if a room is occupied and only run the space heaters when someone is there. Those projects you definately want to check the watt/amp ratings of the plugs.
3:57 horizontal screw gang where are you all at?
7:40 The button on the wall unit is to turn it on or off if your batteries in the remote fail (need replaced). Or if someone has the key chain attached to their belt loop and leave the house or can't remember where they put it, the other people in the house can turn the connected device on or off.
The Meross smart power strip works with Google, Alexa and HomeKit. Four power outlets and four USB ports are provided. I mounted mine to a plywood backer board in my garage. It controls the lights (Barrina LED shop lights) and a HomePod Mini. As far as power goes it drives my craftsman shop-vac and various power tools without any problems. Each power port can be controlled independently but the four USB ports are ganged under one control point. Highly recommended.
As an electrician myself I would strongly recommend not using one of the smart receptacles that goes inside the wall. the reason being is that always on electronics can be a serious fire starter, and if it catches fire, its burning inside the wall, and can go unnoticed for longer.
If you are going to use these things, use the plug in ones over a regular receptacle, because at least if they burn they aren't burning in the wall. Potentially dodgy electronics inside the wall is never a good thing.
A lot of these were originally designed for either people who were out of town and wanted to prevent their homes from being burgled, and/or people who have Christmas lights/decorations. The button on the outlet is mainly for turning off things like your Christmas tree quickly. I am surprised you did not talk about string lights at all. Many people like to use them even in off seasons, and because they can be dangerous if left on too long people would buy a smart plugs to ensure they turn off, especially if they are prone to falling asleep with the lights on.
Apparently, large motors aren't a good idea with these. TPLink says "If the type of load device is capacitive or inductive, the maximum current of the load device cannot exceed 1/6 of the rated current value of the plug." That's only 2.5A inductive for a smart plug rated for 15A resistive.
Brb hooking up a 3 phase squirrel cage induction 480v motor to these and pulling a 2000 amp load
we have an 8 year old portable AC and we've been lucky that even if it's "digital" and no analog buttons, it works with 15A smart plugs. If it's ON and smart plug cuts power, the next time the smart plug connects power, the AC turns on. same with our small space heaters and dehumidifier.
Nice!
I saw that issue immediately with your plug. EVERY outlet in my home have the screw orientation correctly calibrated. (Yours is not completely straight though which would bother me in my home - I see you corrected it later in the video)
Left that in there for the real ones. You sir, are a real one 💪
Some of mine have been converted to screwless. So I can't say they are all oriented correctly.
The screw not being vertical is what I noticed first! I know all of mine in the house are!!!😊
One think that maybe be important for advanced users is the plug integrates with IFTTT. Amazon smart plugs do not, and I don't think Goove do either. IFTTT will bring home automation together.
Not only did I notice, but I am still bothered that the screw is not perfectly vertical after you "fixed" it!
Good and informative video, thanks for publishing.
The wall screw had me laughing. I normally make sure the screws are horizontal on outlets and vertical for light switches…but when i have a bank of switches i will purposely leave one crooked…just to draw out that type of person.
Another note about the simple remote switch units - most of those style don't have settings so you can't use them on different outlets that are too close together because one switch will trigger them both.
Use the app to set up "routines" for the specific devices, as there are some controls they have that aren't always available in the assistants. You can then call that routine from the assistant. It allows for greater flexibility if you want to add, remove, or change device settings without having to edit the overall routine.
For all the people saying the screw slot should be vertical or horizontal, you are all wrong, they should all be done up tight, they stop where they stop, if you line it up anywhere you are under or over tightening the thing!
I’m an engineer who has to regularly use a torque wrench, there’s no such thing as a calibrated wrist or elbow! 😅
Touch lights will all eventually be compatible with smart plugs. Why you may ask. When the touch circuit eventually fails the device will end up in an always on state making it perfect for use with a smart plug.
I use the Kasa smart plugs for a secondary wi-fi router for the kids, and the Kasa outdoor plugs for bug zappers
Misleading info. You must also check the AC switching capacity by load type. Those tiny plugs dont look like they can switch more then 1A AC3 load, if that.
So dont connect any motor or inductive loads. Only lights no machines, fans or similar. Unless you like wearing out the contacts or just streight up causing a fire if it switches the load off.
I got a lot of Kasa stuff and I love it. Works great.
Horizontal sir..fight me Brad! jk
My wife thinks i'm nuts for wanting them all aligned, horizontally
I only use remote outlets for holiday lights and my shop vac with my table saw. I'm not a luddite I just don't feel the need to overcomplicate my lighting needs :)
A reason to have the button on the plug-in is when you do not have the controller handy. I use it half the time in my dark lab because I don't want to wake up my phone (that is my controller), it is faster to bend over and click it.
The screw was driving me nuts from the get go, and I literally thought, "This is Brad, there is no way he didn't notice that!"
As someone who works in IT, your recommendation to use a separate network sets you apart sir.
During one part of the video it almost sounds like you’re saying
2.4 & 5g networks are different networks. Unless your router has some setting for this, they are both on the same network as well as your wired network devices.
Not everyone is as savvy as you about setting up separate networks, but most every modern router has a ‘guest network’. I recommend setting these devices up to use the guest network and your normal computers or other sensitive devices using the regular network
I use the basic timer style with fans and air purifiers so that the fans and large purifiers will turn on and circulate air in the middle of the night. It works great because it cleans lots of dust and pollen out of my sheds and garage throughout the night, but then is quiet during the day. Electricity prices are also cheaper by me during the night. I would highly recommend it. They also never fail, if power goes out, internet goes out or whatever, they will keep running without you having to go reset them.
i've been clocking my screws since i saw an episode of the woodwrights shop where chris schwartz did it and 20 years later i just cant shake it.
LOL, at some point in your video, MY Alexa was telling me how to buy party supplies. Guess I'm having a party!
I would love to see you cover the Globe series of Smart devices; I picked those up at my local Source, and this was pretty early in the adoption phase. They're a bit of a pain in the butt to set up, but they're fairly decent overall. Definitely interested in some of the other options you've mentioned though!
2 comments
1st on form factor for the hockey puck shaped outlets, all you need to do is put it in the other side of the outlet and it will not block other 3 prongs connections since the ground plug is not interfered with.
2nd on the mechanical simple timer the biggest downside is that if the power goes off the time does not advance so you have to go around and reset each one after a power outage, they have earned a trip to the Restore.
Brad- One minor correction: You mentioned "5G' while talking about your home wifi; 5G is a *cellular* network (like 4G, only faster). Most wifi routers are "dual-band," providing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, each offering its own advantage in your home. Thanks for the best description of these smart devices I have yet to find.
thanks Jeff. the Hz was just silent when I said that :)
Another thing is what smart plugs allow you to control them locally from the network? So if the internet drops out or their service goes down, you can still control everything in your house.
I have a Kasa, not because i feel its the best but because it has a model that does something the others don't.
A power meter. It can tell you how much energy has gone through the outlet and how much it has cost you if you enter in your local ¢/kW
Jsut a thought, if you plug the round smart plug into the top socket in the pair, you can plug a ground plug into the lower socket.
Have both Kasa and Amazon basics. Had Kasa for many years and startup now much easier. App already integrated with Alxa and just added 2 new Kasa plugs and no additional step needed after initiating on Kasa app to get it to work with Alexa. Units are also smaller and cheaper than Amazon basics.
It'd probably be worth saying a lot of the plugs are built using the Tuya Smart interface, and as such you can use the Tuya app to connect different vendor's equipment to the same app.
TP-Link Kasa all the way. Had them turning lights on and off in our house for the last 3 years with zero problems.
Since dumb outlets (at least in the US) usually have a tab that can be broken t' have the two outlets on different lines, like for a light switch, I'm the person who likes having the screw be vertical to show connected plugs, and horizontal to show a barrier between plugs (when they're wired to different sources.)
For heavy loads you can use a smart plug wires to pilot a contactor.
Just one more option that you can consider, especially if you already have a bunch of the RF remote outlets, is to get a Broadlink RM4 or RM Pro. Its a RF and IR remote that works with all the smart home assistance. A little more complicated to setup but can be used without the assistance in its own app to setup schedules and timers.
A question/observation re at about 5:40. If you plug the smart plug in the top the three prong cord might fit in the bottom.
I'll definitely note the space issue isn't an issue in the EU or UK from what I hear. A lot of those devices, and it's quite similar to powerline adapters, are made for EU-spec sockets but with 110v compatible hardware.
Also, some routers can make a separate 2.4ghz network for IoT devices, I know TP-link routers can at least. but the only things that are IoT in my home are my Google Nest hub and a Gratkit Firefly filament dryer, and the latter uses Tuya.
I bought two Leviton smart outlets to *gasp* turn on space heaters from airports on my way home, so my place would be warm by the time I got home. While they worked great, I felt uneasy having that setup, so only used it a few trips. Now, I have no use for them since I dont travel like that anymore.
Good video. I prefer Z-Wave devices over wifi devices because: 1) longer range, 2) doesn't clutter your wifi network with lots of little packets, 3) works even if wifi is down or being interfered with. Z-Wave devices are more expensive and require a Z-Wave enabled hub, though. Zigbee is my second choice because it uses the same 2.4 GHz band as wifi.
I’ve found that Kasa light bulbs and switches are the easiest to set up. I’ve got YoLink for thermometers, motion detectors, and water detectors.
And I have some random vendor light bulbs for non-standard light bulb shapes-they tend to be more “forgetful.”
The slot of the screw of an outlet has to be horizontal!
I can't believe I've subscribed to your channel.
Hello there my guy that was a good one. I did catch the screw but the screw isn't the issue. The issue is your plug is upside down The ground is always facing upwards so that if someone was to pull a cord from out of the plug they would necessarily pull it upward and the ground would be last to where they wouldn't get shocked. Have a good day sir