How to use smartthings to automatically turn off your thermostat when you open a window
One of the most powerful parts about the SmartThings open platform is that it brings together developers from our growing Community and SmartThings customers. When these developers create and submit valuable new ways to use SmartThings, we’ll publish them in the free SmartThings app for all customers to use. We call these new applications “SmartApps.”
We recently published 21 new SmartApps in the “More” section of SmartSetup. Today, we wanted to highlight five of our favorite ones that are now available.
1) Bright When Dark and/or Bright After Sunset
This SmartApp is found in the “Convenience” section of SmartSetup and is designed make it easy for you to automate your lights based on activity and time of day.
You can trigger lights and/or dimmers to turn on when there’s movement and the room is dark; and/or between sunset and sunrise times. You can also trigger lights and/or dimmers to turn off after a certain number of minute(s) when the brightness of the room is above the illuminance threshold, or off after a certain number of minute(s) when there is no movement.
2) Nobody Home
This SmartApp is also found in the “Convenience” section of SmartSetup and lets you automatically trigger a mode change when everyone associated with your SmartThings account is away from home.
If at least one person is home, you can trigger a mode change based on the time of day.
3) Thermostat Window Check
This SmartApp is found in the “Green Living” section of SmartSetup and is designed to help you save energy and money on climate costs.
If your home’s heating or cooling system is on, Thermostat Window Check will send you a push notification if SmartThings detects that you’ve left any windows or doors open. This is likely Al Gore’s favorite SmartApp.
4) Thermostat Auto Off
Another “Green Living” SmartApp, Thermostat Auto Off will (as the name implies…) automatically trigger your thermostat to turn off when SmartThings senses that you’ve left a door or window open.
Then, once you’ve closed any necessary doors or windows that had been left open, the SmartApp will trigger your thermostat to kick back into action.
5) Enhanced Auto Lock Door
This SmartApp is found under the “Safety & Security” section of SmartSetup and is designed to help ensure that your home’s doors are shut and secure after you leave.
It will automatically lock a specified door after a certain amount of minutes after you close it. You can also trigger another door to automatically unlock after a certain amount of seconds once you open a different door.
Keep an eye on and control what’s going on at home—no matter where you are—by linking Cortana with your Nest, Wink, Insteon, SmartThings, or Philips Hue account.
Adjust your lights, outlets, switches, and thermostats with just a few simple voice commands using Cortana on your PC, speaker, or phone.
Follow the instructions below to connect your account and control your smart home devices.
Connect your smart home accounts to Cortana
Select Notebook , then Connected Home.
Switch on the toggle under Enable Connected Home, then sign in with the Microsoft account you use with Cortana.
Choose your service, and enter your account information.
Select Notebook , then Connected Home.
Switch on the toggle under Enable Connected Home, then sign in with the Microsoft account you use with Cortana.
Choose your service, and enter your account information.
Android
Select Notebook , then Connected Home.
Switch on the toggle under Enable Connected Home, then sign in with the Microsoft account you use with Cortana.
Choose your service, and enter your account information.
Speaker
To connect your smart home account to Cortana, open Cortana on your PC or phone and follow the instructions above.
Control your smart home devices
Turn lights on or off
“Turn on all the lights.”
“Turn on the kitchen lights.”
Set the brightness of a light
“Set the lights to 70%.”
Dim or brighten lights
“Dim the lights.”
“Brighten the lights by 50%.”
Control a group of lights
“Turn on the kitchen lights.”
“Set the kitchen lights to 30%.”
Set the temperature
“Set the temperature to 72 degrees.”
“Set the living room thermostat to 68.”
Turn the thermostat up or down
“Make it warmer in here.”
“Make it cooler in here.”
Tip: To create a group of lights that you can control together, give the lights similar names. For example, “Kitchen light 1” and “Kitchen light 2.”
Craig Lloyd is a smarthome expert with nearly ten years of professional writing experience. His work has been published by iFixit, Lifehacker, Digital Trends, Slashgear, and GottaBeMobile. Read more.
Warm weather is on its way, which means that air conditioning units are firing up. However, there are some days when the temperature actually drops to a pleasant level. Here’s how to make your Nest Thermostat automatically shut off whenever the outside temperature gets cooler.
Using a neat online service called IFTTT, you can tell your Nest Thermostat to automatically turn off if the weather ever reaches a specific temperature, that way you can open windows and save money by not running your AC when you don’t need to.
For example, if the outside temperature reaches 73 degrees (which is good enough for opening windows and cooling your house), but the inside of your house is still pretty hot and the AC is still cranking, this is where something like this would come in handy. You don’t need the AC on when the weather is that nice outside, so being able to automatically turn off your thermostat when the weather gets cool can not only save you money, but can also be a great convenience to have.
If you haven’t used IFTTT before, check out our guide to getting started for info on how to create an account and connect apps. Then, come back here to create your Nest Thermostat IFTTT recipe.
For your convenience, we’ve created the recipe in its entirety and embedded it here–so if you’re already well versed in IFTTT, just click the “Add” button below and off you go. You’ll need to connect the Weather channel and the Nest Thermostat channel if they aren’t already.
If you want to customize the recipe, here’s how we created it. Start by heading to IFTTT’s home page and click “My Recipes” at the top of the page.
Next, click on “Create a Recipe”.
Click on “this” highlighted in blue.
Type “Weather” in the search box or find it in the grid of products and services below that. Click on it when you find it.
After you connect the Weather channel and get to the “Create a Trigger” page, select “Current temperature drops below” from the options.
Enter in the outside temperature that you want it to be in order for your Nest Thermostat to turn off and then click “Create Trigger”.
Next, click on “that” highlighted in blue to set up the action that happens whenever the trigger fires.
Type “Nest Thermostat” in the search box or find it in the grid of products and services below that. Click on it when you find it.
After you connect the Nest Thermostat channel and get to the “Create an Action” page, click on “Set temperature”. Since IFTTT can’t turn off your Nest Thermostat, you’ll simply be setting the thermostat to a higher setting so that the AC turns off.
On the next screen, select your Nest Thermostat under “Which device?” and enter in the temperature that you want to set your Nest Thermostat to. Something high like 80 degrees should be fine. Click on “Create Action” to continue.
Give the recipe a custom name if you want and then click on “Create Recipe”.
From now on, whenever the weather outside drops below the temperature you specified in the recipe, your Nest Thermostat will be set to a higher setting, thus the AC will turn off and you can open windows.
If you want, you can even set up another recipe that will send you a text message alert whenever this happens. Simply create the same trigger as before, but the action will be sending a text message. You could even just create that recipe and turn off your Nest Thermostat manually whenever you get the notification.
You can also create another recipe that notifies you when it gets hotter out so that you can turn your Nest Thermostat back on, but that’s really up to you.
When I started to use SmartThings, I was a little intimidated and confused. Now after using it for almost a year, there are some things, I wished I known before getting started.
To be honest, I wasn’t always the biggest fan of smart hubs. Especially, since most of my smart home devices work with a Wi-Fi connection, but that changed when I learned to many Wi-Fi devices can be a strain on your home network.
My wife, Melissa, brought me Samsung SmartThings as a Christmas gift and since then I haven’t look back. In the beginning, it was a little confusing, but after some research online I was able to set up my account and get things started.
In today’s post, I would like to share some of the best SmartThings tips and tricks you should know about.
Door Sensor Features
When using the multipurpose sensor make sure you put the bigger part on the door for the vibration sensor. So, if anyone knocks on the SmartThings will notify you, pretty cool!
Another thing you can do with the multipurpose sensor is if you have kids you can put it on their door and have it alert you if the door is open between curfew or bedtime hours. Now, you can know if they are sneaking in and out of their room. 😆
Here are other examples:
- Mailbox door
- Refrigerator door
- Pool gate door
- Garage door
Window Sensor Feature
You can attach the multipurpose sensor to your window which uses a magnet to detect when the sensor is detached from the other smaller part of the sensor.
When the window is open, you can be notified if it’s about to rain. Now, you have time to close your windows before it starts raining.
It can also turn off your thermostat when the window is open so you are not wasting energy from your AC if the windows are opened, and when the window closes the AC will turn back on.
Motion Sensors
We use SmartThings motion sensor to turn on the lights when walking into our living room. Sometimes it can be a slight delay but it does work.
Another thing you can do is turn off the lights if it doesn’t detect motion. This will also help save energy if no one is in the room.
You can also use motion sensors for a security system in any room such as your bedroom. If a motion is detected, you will get a notification if someone accesses your bedroom.
It also has a temperature sensor integrated, which will allow it to control the temperature in your home.
This will work by connecting the motion sensor to the SmartThings outlet. When the motion sensor detects motion and it’s a little too hot in the room, it will trigger the SmartThings outlet to turn on the fan.
Now, you can be sitting in the living room and the fan will automatically turn on if it’s too hot. You don’t even have to worry about turning your fan on or off as it only works if someone is in the room. That’s cool!
Smart Camara Sensors
You can use a motion sensor in your camera to trigger other devices just like any other motion sensor. If you have an Arlo indoor camera, you can have it record video while you are away from home. You can also use it as a normal motion sensor.
Arrival Sensors for a Pet
You can use SmartThings Arrival Sensors to keep track of your pets. If your dog runs away, the Arrival Sensor can alert you if the sensor is not connected to the SmartThings hub anymore. I would recommend using it on a big dog since the sensor is a little big for a small pet.
Arrival Sensors for keys
You can attach the Arrival Sensor to your keys to notify you if the car was moved. Also, you can make it beep if you lose your car keys or misplaced them.
Updating Devices
When updating a device such as the name of a LIFX light bulb in the LIFX app, it might not update to the SmartThings app. So, if you rename or update any smart device in your home make sure you also go in the SmartThings app and make the same update.
Final Note
This is just scratching the surface from the many things you can do with SmartThings. Their other devices you can use and tons of smart apps you can check out.
If there are any ideas you would like to know or add to this list please shoot me an email. Until then I hope this article gave you some great tips and tricks for your smart home.
Don’t forget to check out our recommended gadgets for the best tech for your buck.
For more useful tips and tricks with Home automation, please continue to check out AutomateYourCrib.com.
Please e-mail me ( [email protected] ) your opinion, comment or if you have any ideas for a future post you would like to read, drop me a line or two as I appreciate my audience. Thank you again for reading this post.
Honeywell’s Lyric smart thermostat warms up to third-party platforms after initial cold shoulder.
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Honeywell has announced that its Lyric thermostat is now certified to work with Samsung’s SmartThings connected-home platform. The announcement comes less than two weeks after the thermostat maker introduced a new Lyric model featuring HomeKit support, which is something the original, launched in June 2014, lacks. According to Honeywell, both the first- and second-gen models are compatible with SmartThings.
This essentially means the Lyric can be controlled using the SmartThings Hub and its companion app. You can configure Routines or use SmartApps (downloadable app extensions) to automate all kinds of tasks involving the smart thermostat. For example, there’s a SmartApp called the Thermostat Mode Director that can automatically turn off your thermostat if any windows/doors are open (requires compatible window/door sensors, of course).
Pairing the hub and the thermostat is pretty straightforward: Open the SmartThings app on your iOS or Android device, navigate to Marketplace > Things > Climate Control > Thermostats > Honeywell, select “Honeywell Lyric Thermostat”, tap Connect Now and enter your Honeywell credentials. That’s it, you’re all set up.
Why this matters: The Lyric is seen as Honeywell’s answer to the category-defining Nest Learning Thermostat. But until now, it was far behind the latter in terms of third-party integrations, the one thing that matters most when choosing between smart-home devices. The company has plugged that gap to some extent by integrating Lyric with SmartThings and HomeKit.
The already undeniably cool Web service just got that much cooler. Here’s what you need to know.
The case for IFTTT as a site worth watching just got a little bit stronger, as it’s announced a powerful new SmartThings channel that should help cement its place as a major player in home automation.
This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen IFTTT, short for “If This, Then That,” expand into home automation. IFTTT was originally designed to sync up apps, social networks, and Web services by allowing users to create “recipes” where an action on one would trigger a corresponding action on the other. A post on Instagram could automatically trigger a new Tumblr entry, for instance. Before long, though, IFTTT had added new channels for smart products like the
Philips Hue light bulb
Belkin WeMo Switch + Motion
, creeping out of virtual space and into users’ homes.
Now, with SmartThings’ wide lineup of automatable sensors joining the party, the possibilities for smartening up the home using IFTTT are only going to grow. Through the SmartThings channel, you’ll be able to work with the following triggers (the “if this” part of a recipe):
Switched on/Switched off
SmartThings’ variety of plug-and-play switches will allow you to turn lights and appliances on and off remotely, or set them to turn on and off automatically at a preset time. With IFTTT in the picture, you can attach a corresponding action to the switch, so that every time it’s turned on or off, something else happens as well. Maybe you want to create a spreadsheet in Google Drive that lists how many times the lights are being turned on and off, or maybe you want a tweet to go out on your behalf whenever you turn on a specific appliance.
Conversely, you can use a SmartThings switch as an “action” (the “then that” part of the recipe). A common usage of this might be to turn a light or appliance on whenever a supported sensor detects motion.
With IFTTT and a SmartThings hub, you’ll be able to automate compatible smart locks, like the Schlage Camelot Touchscreen Deadbolt. Colin West McDonald/CNET
Locked/Unlocked
If you’ve got a SmartThings-compatible door lock, such as the
Camelot Touchscreen Deadbolt
from Schlage, you’ll be able to use it as a trigger on IFTTT now, too. Programming a text alert whenever the door gets unlocked is a great way to tell when the kids have gotten home from school. Another option would be to set a specific appliance, like an air conditioner, to turn on as soon as you get home.
If you want, you can also set your door lock as the action in the IFTTT recipe, and use another trigger to cause it to lock or unlock.
Opened/Closed
By attaching one of SmartThings’ sensors to a door or window, you can detect whenever it gets opened or closed. By using IFTTT, you can add a response to such an occurrence. The most obvious example would be an alert — IFTTT can text you, or better still, robo-call you with a user-defined message. If you program this call to be sent to your home phone, you’ve essentially created an alarm that will sound in the middle of the night if someone breaks in through a window with a sensor attached to it.
Any new motion
IFTTT will also let you put SmartThings’ motion detectors to work in your recipes. Just by walking into a room, you’ll be able to trigger an IFTTT response of your choosing. We’ve already seen this with the WeMo, and it’s an incredibly helpful tool, with practically limitless uses.
The SmartSense Presence sensor tracks when you arrive or leave your home — invaluable home automation info. SmartThings
Presence detected/Presence no longer detected
Here’s where things get really interesting. With one of SmartThings’ presence sensors dangling from your keychain, the SmartThings hub will be able to detect whenever you’re in the vicinity — perfect for automatically letting the system know when you’re home, and perhaps more importantly, when you’ve left. Syncing the presence sensors up with IFTTT creates a world of exciting new possibilities. You’ll never again have to worry about leaving the air conditioner on while you’re away from home, for instance — just set it to automatically turn off whenever your presence is no longer detected. Or, if you have an escape artist for a pet, you could clip the presence sensor to its collar in order to get an alert if it ever climbs over your backyard fence and gets loose while you’re at work.
SmartThings recipes are already flying fast on IFTTT’s site and free app. Screenshot by Ry Crist/CNET
By adding a SmartThings channel, IFTTT opens a huge new set of options for its users, giving them greater power over door locks, open/closed contact sensors, and other kinds of notification systems. The explosion of new ideas for recipes is already happening. Along with more-practical ideas, users have suggested everything from protecting their liquor cabinets to tracking how often the toilet seat gets lifted. Absurdities aside, IFTTT fans and budding home automators now have an added incentive to give SmartThings products a try.
If you already have Amazon Echo set up, you know how convenient it can be. There’s nothing like walking out the front door with full hands and telling Alexa to turn off your lights last minute. But these smart lights and plugs can be slow to react as you keep adding more smart home devices and clogging your network.
Alexa only “speaks” WiFi (and ZigBee if you have the EchoPlus). It currently doesn’t support Z-Wave, the protocol of choice for home automation thanks to its high speed and low interference with other connected devices in your home. That means you can’t have a Z-Wave switch or plug speak directly to your Echo. BUT you can use a smart home hub as a bridge between your Z-Wave devices and Amazon Alexa. Now that’s a whole other level of functionality to unlock!
And if you already have a Z-Wave hub but no smart speaker, you might be thinking how cool it would be to have voice control for your automations and smart home devices. It’s a step towards a more integrated, easy-to-use smart home with improved security, comfort, and convenience.
Luckily, many hubs out there have native integrations with Alexa, making the configuration process quick and straightforward. Below we’ve outlined the Alexa set-up for 3 popular smart home systems we consider the best match for Alexa: SmartThings, Hubitat, and Ring Alarm.
How to connect Amazon Alexa to Samsung SmartThings
- If you haven’t already, download the SmartThings mobile app for Android or iOS and create an account
- Set up Alexa and download the Alexa mobile app
You can link SmartThings and Alexa in either the SmartThings or Alexa app. Here is how to link them using the SmartThings app:
- Tap the Plus (+) icon on the app’s home page and select Voice Assistant
- Tap Amazon Alexa. You will automatically be directed to the Amazon App
- Tap Enable to use with SmartThings
- Tap Authorize and you should see this message: “Alexa has been successfully linked with SmartThings.”
- Tap X to close the window and begin device discovery
Next, Alexa will need to “Discover” your devices, scenes, and routines – the above process was only giving Alexa permission to access your SmartThings set up. Note that Alexa will only work with routines involving lighting, switches, and thermostats for security reasons .
Here’s how to discover your SmartThings set up using the Alexa app:
- After closing the “Alexa has been successfully linked with SmartThings” message in the previous steps, the Alexa app will automatically direct you to discover devices
- Tap Discover Devices
- Wait for device discovery to complete (this includes discovery of your scenes and routines)
Watch this video to see Alexa and SmartThings in action and learn a few smart home tips from a pro:
And finally, start automating! Depending on your particular set up, give Alexa a test command to access one of your SmartThings devices to verify connections. For troubleshooting tips and more advanced set ups, here’s SmartThings’ official Alexa resource .
How to connect Amazon Alexa to Hubitat
Before anything, make sure you have the Hubitat system up and running. You’ll also need to set up Alexa and download the Alexa mobile app .
- In your Hubitat web interface, select Apps on the left side of the page
- Select +Add Built-In App
- Click on the Amazon Echo App
- Select the devices you’d like to control with Alexa
- Click Done
Next, in your Amazon Echo app:
- Tap the Devices icon in the bottom right of the app
- Tap the plus (+) sign in the upper right of the app to add a new device type
- Tap Add Device
- Tap Other
- Tap the Discover Devices button
- Alexa will then attempt to discover the Hubitat devices you selected previously. If not all selected devices are found by Alexa, try the process again.
Once your Alexa and Hubitat are successfully linked, you’ll have voice control of the discovered devices. The cool thing about Hubitat is that it allows you to pick and choose which Z-Wave devices you want your smart speaker to have access to (and therefore to control them through the cloud) and which of them you want to keep fully local and private.
How to connect Amazon Alexa to Ring Alarm
Since both Alexa and Ring are Amazon-owned, integration should be seamless. Just note that, in terms of Z-Wave compatibility, Ring will support the Z-Wave items on its official lists in addition to single Z-Wave switches from other brands, like Zooz switches. Ring may not support sensors and multi-channel devices from other brands, or it may offer limited functionality for these types of devices. Here’s how to add Ring as a skill in your Alexa app so that you can have direct control of your Ring-connected devices using voice commands:
- Download the Alexa app if you haven’t already
- In the Alexa app, tap the 3 horizontal bars in the top left corner
- Tap Skills & Games
- Search for Ring in the search field
- Tap the Enable button
- Sign in to your Ring account. This will link you Ring and Alexa accounts
- After signing in, you’ll see a prompt asking you to discover devices. Tap Discover Devices.
- Once successfully linked, all of your Ring devices should be connected to Alexa.
One more advantage to connecting Alexa is that Ring has a less developed rule engine, so Alexa’s easy-to-use Routine menu can help with creating home automation rules for Z-Wave devices connected to Ring. For more information about setting up notifications and specific Alexa commands, check out this resource by Ring. And check out this great video to get inspired when combining Alexa with your Ring system:
Let us know how you’re using home automation with your smart speaker in the comments section. We’d love to hear which integrations are your favorite, what’s missing, and which smart home platforms work best for you.
The Rules API enables the developer to create automations, both simple and complex, that can operate on the SmartThings cloud. In a future release of the API, local execution of rules on the SmartThings hub will be supported, making rules a great choice for those looking to create fast, stable and secure automations.
Using the Rules API the developer can create automations such as:
- Turning on all your lights when your door opens
- Turning off all your lights at a certain time of day
- Changing your location mode to away when all presence detection devices are not present
With this quick overview we will provide you with the basics for creating your first rules. Please take a look at Rules Breakdown to get a more in depth look at how rules work and the possibilities unlocked with the API.
Interaction with the SmartThings Cloud
Use the Rules API to work with rules.
Personal access tokens require rules scopes. See Authorization and Permissions.
Rate limits and guardrails apply for rules. Also note that rules are subject to the same rate limits that Apps are. See Rate Limits
Example with Postman
For this example we will create an automation that will turn off a light if we change our location mode to Night or it will turn the light on if we set our location mode to Home or Away . Make sure you have a bulb paired to the SmartThings Hub in your account or a virtual device created for this test. You will also need to obtain the device id for the device you will use in this rule. In this example we will use the Rules API to create the automation.
Install Postman
Install the Postman app and create a Postman account for yourself (a free account is sufficient for this example).
Obtain SmartThings personal access token
If you don’t have it already, open your Samsung account.
Next, get a personal access token for calling the SmartThings API. You will use this as a bearer token in the Postman app. Go to the personal access tokens page and click on the Generate new token on top-right.
Make sure that you select Rules > Read all rules, Rules > Write all rules, Rules > Execute all rules, Devices > Read devices and Locations > Read locations for Authorized Scopes.
Obtain device id’s, location id and location mode id’s for use in Rules
In Postman make a request to the Devices API to get a list of devices and their id’s.
In Postman make a request to the Location API to get a list of locations and a location id.
In Postman make a request to the Location API to get a list of the location modes.
Create a Rule
To create a rule with Postman, send a POST request to .
- Start Postman. In the Authorization section of the Postman window, for the TYPE field, select Bearer Token from the drop-down menu list. This will display the Token form field on the right. Copy and paste here the personal access token that you generated above.
In the Postman window, select POST and type in the following url: .
In the Postman window, select Body and then click raw and then to the right select JSON from the drop down.
Here is our POST request body to create a rule that will turn off a light if our location mode is changed to Night , otherwise it will turn the light on if the location mode is changed to any other state (by default this would be Home and Away ).
With our new rule created via the Rules API SmartThings will automatically turn on or off your light depending on the current setting of your location mode.
Get the list of created Rules
To see the rules that you have created via the Rules API, again using Postman, send a GET request to .
Start Postman. In the Authorization section of the Postman window, for the TYPE field, select Bearer Token from the drop-down menu list. This will display the Token form field on the right. Copy and paste here the personal access token that you generated above.
- Router-free connection
- Broad smart compatibility
- Nonintuitive app
Samsung SmartThings Hub: Commendable Compatibility, but Awkward App
Since Samsung has been in the hub game longer than the rest, it’s gotten the hang of keeping up with technology and adapting its hub to work with almost anything. It has the best compatibility of all the smart home hubs we’ve reviewed. However, using the mobile app requires some trial and error.
Samsung SmartThings Hub Pros and Cons
SmartThings Hub Pricing
Google, Amazon, Ring, Honeywell, and more
Data effective 8/8/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.
Samsung’s 3rd generation SmartThings hub costs less than previous models thanks to its lack of backup battery and switch to cloud storage. While we like the lower price tag, no backup battery means it’s open to power outage vulnerabilities. But the SmartThings cloud has added even more memory, allowing you to integrate all your IoT devices, so we can’t complain there.
Equipment
One of the first pleasant surprises about the Samsung SmartThings hub was that I didn’t have to plug it into my router. The area around my router is something of a jungle, and I was happy to avoid adding another gadget to the mob.
I ended up placing the SmartThings hub in my home office, about 30–40 feet from my router in another room. Despite the distance, connectivity was fine with the exception of a handful of “Not Connected” alerts that lasted a few seconds at most.
What’s in the box:
- SmartThings hub
- USB power cord
- Ethernet cable
Installation and Setup
Physically installing the SmartThings hub was a cinch—all I had to do was plug it into an outlet. Connecting the SmartThings hub to the app was also easy, but it did take longer than I expected. The app was slow to load, and setting up my Samsung account was a hassle because it kept saying my passwords didn’t match, even when I knew they did. I finally gave in and let my smartphone pick a password for me, which satisfied the SmartThings app in the end.
Since I’ve never set up a smart home hub before, I was confused when it wanted me to connect to a Wi-Fi network I didn’t recognize. I eventually realized that it was connecting my phone to the hub itself so that the hub could then connect to my Wi-Fi network. It would have been nice to have more explanation throughout the installation process so I could have more easily understood what was happening.
There was a lot of lag time between each setup step and some lag time waiting for a software update, but overall the process went smoothly, if not quickly.
Smart Features
The Samsung SmartThings hub is compatible with a wide variety of smart home devices. I tested mine with a Wi-Fi smart bulb and a smart plug. Unfortunately, the Discover Devices feature of the SmartThings app didn’t work with any of the devices I added, requiring me to look up each device by typing it into the app. To connect each device, I had to log into each product’s account first, which was time consuming. If you were connecting only Samsung SmartThings devices, this process would probably be a lot smoother.
Rooms
One thing I like about the SmartThings app is the ability to sort your devices by room. Because I tested only two devices, I didn’t really need this feature. But if I had a whole houseful of smart devices, it would make it a lot easier to identify each one from the app.
Scenes
The SmartThings app lets you create custom scenes to control multiple devices with one touch. For example, you could create a scene called Good Morning that turns off your smart home security and turns on your coffee maker and a kitchen light.
I initially created two scenes: Night Lighting and Work Lighting. Night Lighting turned on my office lamp to 20% brightness and turned on the string of lights I’d plugged into the smart outlet. Work Lighting turned off the smart outlet and turned on the office lamp to full brightness.
While both scenes executed perfectly, I was perplexed that I couldn’t just push the scene icon again to turn the scene off, turning all the lights off at once. To work around the issue, I created a third scene that could operate as an off button for the other scenes. I called it No Lighting and it worked fine. It would be nice if Samsung added some in-app tips for creating scenes and automations so I could have avoided the frustration of having to figure that out myself.
Automations
SmartThings automations use an IFTTT-type protocol so you can set certain conditions to trigger specific devices. Conditions can be based on your phone’s location, time of day, app mode (e.g., Home or Away), or the status of another device. For example, you can tell SmartThings, “If I’m gone, turn off living room lights.”
I ran a few different automations based on the time of day and my location, but I learned that I had to make sure automations didn’t interfere with each other: I had an automation that would turn lights on at 6 p.m. and off at 9 p.m. A second automation would turn lights on when I arrived home. But if I had the first automation running and I arrived home at 10 p.m., after the smart lights had been turned off, then they wouldn’t turn on, because they were still under the direction of the first automation.
Much like creating scenes, it was like a tricky logic puzzle to figure out how to get the automations to work the way I wanted them to, but once I sorted it out, the hub worked fine. Once again, I would have appreciated more in-app guidance, maybe with some warnings to let me know when one automation I was creating was going to interfere with another one.
Voice Control
As a mom, probably my favorite part of testing the SmartThings hub was connecting it to my Amazon Alexa so I could use voice commands to control my devices and scenes. After all, it’s not often I can tell someone what to do and they’ll actually do it without argument. While sitting in my office, I could simply say, “Alexa, turn on Work Lighting,” and she’d say, “Okay,” and my desk lamp would turn on at full brightness. I could also control each device individually by calling them by name, like, “Alexa, turn off kitchen plug.”
Compatibility
Here are a few smart device brands that work with SmartThings:
- Amazon Alexa
- Google Home
- Philips Hue
- Ring
- ADT
- Schlage
- Honeywell
- LIFX
- Ecobee
- Bose
by admin | Nov 15, 2018
There’s a misconception that “if one is good, two are better.” If one slice of a 1,000-calorie caramel-fudge-butterscotch cake is good, two must be better. If having one credit card is good, two must be better. If having your air conditioning unit running is good, running it while windows are open must be better. We can’t vouch for the first two, but the last one is definitely not true.
You may think that opening windows while the air conditioner is running will cool the room faster. You may also think that the fresh outdoor air will perk up the cold, motionless indoor air. Unfortunately, leaving the windows open while running your air conditioning can cost you in many ways. Here’s why it’s best to close your windows when your AC is on:
1. Irregular Cooling
When even one window is open, it creates dissimilar temperature zones within your house. If the window is near a thermostat, that room will be impossible to cool, since hot air is constantly flowing in.
It’s kind of like those cartoon characters you may have seen who are in a sinking boat. They’re using buckets and buckets to bail the water out, but it keeps flooding. Your AC is in a similar futile struggle to cool air that’s constantly flowing. While it’s trying to regulate the hot room’s temperature, it’s turning the unaffected rooms into iceboxes.
2. Unwanted Dust
Leaving windows open brings dust into your home. Your air conditioner’s filter may be unable to trap the particles that enter the air handler. These impurities will plaster its evaporator coil, fan motor, ducts, and electronic components.
If this buildup is substantial, it can trigger breakdowns and escalate your electricity bills. Dust on the evaporator coil impedes the cooling process. Dirty filters constrict airflow through the air handler. This drives the AC to run longer. A clogged air filter paired with a dusty evaporator coil may cause the coil to freeze and possibly fry the compressor.
The experts at Progressive Air Systems can effectively diagnose and remedy the problem or give you insightful guidance if your system needs to be replaced.
3. Delayed Cooling
It’s invigorating to throw the windows open in the morning and inhale the sweet, cool breezes. Why leave the air conditioner on? Well, in the summer, air is going to heat up fast, and your house is going to start cooking. When you finally turn on your AC, it will need to strain to get your house nice and cold. An overworked air conditioner can also malfunction, wear out, or need to be replaced.
4. Increased Humidity
Leaving windows open before turning on the air conditioner is an open invitation for humidity. The longer you leave them open, the more that humidity can permeate your home. Along with keeping your house cool, air conditioners keep it free of excess humidity. By the time you close your windows, your AC has to do double-duty to eliminate humidity, and your electricity bill will reflect this.
5. Forcing Cool Air Out
Even opening a window a crack is going to interfere with your air conditioner’s efficiency. This creates vacuum pressure that will force the cool air out of your window and siphon air from other gaps in your home. You can see this happening when your curtains are sucked against the window and flattened out.
6. Incorrect Cycling
When you leave windows open, the thermostat will be desensitized to the right temperature, and the AC won’t shut off when you want it to. This will cause the unit to keep running, ratcheting up your bill because it’s cycling much more frequently than it should.
Use Air Conditioning At Night
In Florida and other hot climates, many homeowners turn off their air conditioners and open their windows at night. This actually makes homes less comfortable than they could be with the AC on and the windows closed. You’ll be inviting a lot of moisture inside that could damage your house.
Research by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) analyzing several test homes determined that five more gallons of water accumulated in houses that were opened for the night than those that were closed.
In Florida’s heat and humidity, morning temperatures are about 77 degrees to 80 degrees. The air is usually near saturation at 95% or more relative humidity. If you turn your air conditioner off at night, this excess moisture will actually make you feel more uncomfortable. When the air has to crank on during the day, it will exhaust a lot of energy reaching an adequately cool temperature.
Opening your windows when your air conditioner is running may feel refreshing, but it has more shortcomings than benefits. When your windows are open, and your AC is running, the unit can be stressed or damaged. It may even break down completely.
Contact Us
Progressive Air Systems is here to help get your air conditioning up and running. Backed by 33 years of experience, we provide our Tampa Bay area customers with expertise and honest work ethics. Our skilled professionals can analyze and rectify your AC issues. Contact us today and we’ll show you that we’re not just window dressing.
