Want to integrate 2 light switches with your home automation setup? One way to do this is to replace both light switches with smart switches. Smart switches can be pricey, however, and so there’s another means of converting two light switches in an electrical box into smart switches. Just as a smart relay can help […]
See below for content relating to:How-To’s
Upgrade Your Shelves With Built-In LED Lighting
I recently remodeled my master bedroom’s walk-in closet with a wrap-around closet organization system. In the midst of planning the job, I decided that I wanted more than just the overhead lighting – I wanted LED lighting on each of the shelves in the new organizer. In the guide below, I’ll take you through the […]
How To Extend LED Strip Lights By Cutting And Soldering
I recently purchased an inexpensive LED light strip off Amazon. I picked up a battery-powered kit with an integrated motion sensor (click here for my review of the product itself). My plan was to line the inside of the door frame on my new linen closet with the light strip. This way, I could have […]
Can’t Get Your CT101 Iris Smart Thermostat To Pair With SmartThings?
If you’ve been reading this blog, you know by now that I’m an Iris survivor. After making my choice for home automation systems that I would use to replace Iris, I’m working on getting everything set up. (I chose the Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit, btw). While most of my Iris devices were not compatible […]
Could Not Send The Command To The Device – Shelly Cloud Edge Switch For Button Type
Having trouble setting your Shelly 1 to a Button Type of Edge Switch? If you’re receiving either of these errors in the Shelly Cloud app: Could Not Send The Command To The DeviceFailed To Change Button State … then hopefully I have some good news for you. There’s a simple setting for you to check […]
How To Inexpensively Convert Any Light Switch Into A Smart Switch
As I expand my home automation system, I find myself wanting to be able to turn my lights on and off remotely or via voice control. There are a million great products out there that would allow me to integrate my light switches, but I wanted to select something that will be scalable (read: affordable) […]
Pairing a 1st-Gen Iris Security Keypad With a Next-Generation Iris Hub
Update, 29 Mar 2019: If you’re an Iris owner, you’ve probably heard by now that Iris is shutting down on March 31st, 2019. With the shutdown impending, I spent some time evaluating different options for home automation hubs and home security kits to replace Iris. I put all of that information together in this post, […]