Hi everyone!
I’m new here and getting back into smart home automation.
I have some background in smart homes (courses in trade school), but it’s been a while since I’ve really worked with it. I want to make sure I start on the right foot as I get back into it.
My current setup (nothing purchased yet)
-Apartment (~1070 sqft) in Quebec
-Heating: mini-split heat pump + electric baseboards
-Thinking of buying Sensibo Air (or Pro) for the heat pump
-Planning to use smart Wi-Fi or Z-Wave line-voltage thermostats for the baseboards
-Planning to run everything through Home Assistant
Looking forward to learning from the community — thanks!
Welcome! It’s a fun hobby for sure. (And as time and budget consuming as you let it… )
Everything you listed is very doable in Home Assistant, and does not require high-end hardware. Ecobee thermostats should probably be on your short list.
Some advice on getting started…
Use this forum a lot. The support and suggestions here are fantastic.
Watch out for YouTube videos more than a year or so old. HA changes fast and “how to” videos rapidly become out of date. (This also means AI helpers are frequently outdated as well.)
HA is not a “set it and forget it” system. It requires ongoing tinkering and adjusting to get it the way you want it. (While some will disagree with this view, I think it’s helpful as general advice and expectation-setting for any newcomer).
Smart switches, not smart bulbs! Unless you have specific reasons for color changing bulbs, the home feels more “in your control” and is more practical if the automation controls a wall switch instead of a smart bulb. This will let you (and your guests) manually use the wall switches as normal.
Don’t try to think of everything ahead of time. Let things evolve as you gain experience.
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