Home Automation

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Home automation is the residential extension of building automation.

It is automation of the home, housework or household activity.

Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), appliances, security locks of gates and doors and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security.

Warning: Working with electricity can result in injury, property damage, or even death if it is not done properly. Please keep this in mind while assisting others. If you are not sure about what you are doing, hire a licensed professional.

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Tracking my garbage cans. (alien.top)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hi,

I would like to know if my garbage bins made it to the curb before family members left home on trash day. I would think a battery operated gps with zigbee would be perfect. I couldn't find a commercial product like this, if anyone is aware of one please comment. Otherwise, I think I will have to roll my own, maybe with an esp32 and zigbee or even esp32home.

Unless there is a better way to track location of my bins, i just need to know if they are at the curb or not. I could put a magnet at the curb or something.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I have cameras pointing at the street where the garage cans would be.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I like cameras. Otherwise you're looking at something like a "roll up door contact" and some water proof conduit maybe. That way you can monitor it on a plugged in device.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Knowing when the bins are at the curb might be doable. But would it not be easier to know when the bins are NOT in their normal parking spot?

How about attaching a magnetic alarm switch to the bins at park? You could use a magnetic alarm switch, a little length of wire, and a Z-Wave(or other) door/window sensor.

Glue the magnet to the bins. Magnetically stick the sensor to the magnet. When the bins get pulled out, the sensor disconnects and changes the sensor state. You can then re-attach the magnet when the bins come in.

Simple. Cheap. Could be effective.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

One option is a Bluetooth beacon along with ESPresence, assuming you're using Home Assistant.