Home Assistant Podcast

Neil walks us through how he has managed to leverage AI tools to create his dream smart home with Home Assistant. From automating blinds to automating a winter cottageWatch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA239Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.Chapters00:00:00 - Welcome00:01:21 - Neil’s background00:03:33 - Starting with Google Home00:04:53 - Lutron and motion sensors00:06:06 - Complex HVAC challenge00:08:52 - DIY manifold control00:10:52 - Radiant cooling by dew point00:13:23 - Gas vs electrification debate00:15:51 - Coding with AI tools00:19:59 - Sauna and smart blinds00:24:21 - Cottage winter automation00:31:20 - Remote access choices00:33:55 - Multi-building MQTT design00:40:41 - Plant care automation00:44:54 - Device health monitoring00:49:59 - Zigbee vs Z-Wave talk00:55:06 - Future plans and tools00:59:38 - Wrap-upThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Sign up for your free trial in your Home Assistant system: https://my.home-assistant.io/redirect/cloud/ or visit https://nabucasa.comZoozIf you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.comApollo AutomationApollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.Products we RecommendHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeePrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mike joins Phil and Rohan to share how he hides smart tech in a 1953 mid‑century home so it looks analog but works like magic. Plus: Roborock tricks, leak sensors that turn rooms blue, HomePod TTS vs Sonos ducking, Samsung Frame art‑mode headaches, and running full HA OS in a VMware Fusion VM on a Mac mini.Watch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA221Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.Chapters00:00:00 Welcome00:03:00 Lighting gateway and Hue hack00:05:30 Sneaking tech and dance reveal00:08:00 From HomeKit/HomeBridge to HA00:10:30 Dashboards and camera setup00:12:30 Bulbs vs switches in 50s home00:14:30 Bathroom fan and comforts00:16:30 Homelab and Zigbee backbone00:19:00 LLMs and announcements00:21:30 Laundry alerts and Mac lab00:25:30 Presence sensing strategy00:28:00 Leak sensors and water safety00:31:00 Light signals around the home00:33:00 Roborock automations and hacks00:40:30 Bedroom presence routines00:43:00 Bayesian sensors and design00:49:50 Time Machine and Frame TV00:54:30 Pool fountain control00:56:30 Power and crawlspace cabling00:59:10 Party trick and outroThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.ZoozIf you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.comProducts DiscussedPhilips Hue bulbs and lightstrips: https://amzn.to/4k7paurAqara T2 wall switch: https://amzn.to/4jUTZm1Samsung The Frame TV (43"): https://amzn.to/4t5mTnrZigbee main water shutoff valve (generic): https://amzn.to/4aURldjAqara water leak sensors: https://amzn.to/3Nest6AAqara door/window sensors: https://amzn.to/49hmu9BThird Reality sensors: https://amzn.to/455ZR5FEcobee thermostat with room sensors: https://amzn.to/4t4XYjOBond Bridge (ceiling fan RF hub): https://amzn.to/3YAbHBmAqara roller shade controllers: https://amzn.to/3O8ihwILevel Lock: https://amzn.to/3ZcU3UgSwitchBot Lock (with keypad/fingerprint accessory): https://amzn.to/4a55H92HostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteSmart Home ProductsTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteSmart Home ProductsTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Miranda from the Open Home Foundation takes us inside the Works With Home Assistant program: how devices are tested, why the badge matters, and how vendors—from startups to big brands—can get certified. We cover Zigbee vs Z‑Wave vs Matter, badge misuse, regional device coverage, and Miranda’s own fun automations.Watch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA219Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:03:20 Miranda’s path to HA00:08:00 CES stories and community00:14:30 Moving program to Foundation00:22:30 Fees, pushback, endorsement?00:29:30 Guidance, safety, and testing00:36:30 Zigbee, Z‑Wave, Matter realities00:43:00 Big brands, IKEA, relationships00:50:30 Cloud integrations, Genie00:55:30 Miranda’s home and automations01:03:30 Blinds, garden, robots01:10:00 Regional coverage and filters01:15:30 Badge misuse and enforcement01:20:30 2026 goals and wrap‑upThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.ZoozIf you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.comProducts DiscussedHome Assistant Connect ZWA2 (Z‑Wave radio): https://amzn.to/3MfPzsPHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteSmart Home ProductsTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteSmart Home ProductsTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

By day Artem works for JetBrains, developing coding IDEs for software professionals. But today we want to learn about his smart home, and how he is using Home Assistant to make it more energy efficientWatch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA217Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.Chapters00:00:00 - Welcome, sponsors, guest intro00:02:30 - Developer life and new home00:06:30 - Shutters and first automations00:12:20 - Wi‑Fi presence and WAF/PAF00:17:30 - Cabling regrets and PoE lessons00:21:30 - Zigbee over Ethernet; IKEA fix00:25:58 - Dynamic tariffs, solar and battery00:33:20 - Smart appliance scheduling00:41:00 - mmWave presence sensors00:45:20 - Doorbell NFC and Nuki lock00:50:10 - Wishlist, Hue and wiring00:53:10 - Climate tuning and valve fix00:58:40 - Versatile thermostat and wrap‑upThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.ZoozIf you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.comProducts DiscussedUbiquiti UniFi Protect G4 Pro Doorbell: https://amzn.to/4aT1IhFAqara FP2 mmWave presence sensor: https://amzn.to/4s4M4WMHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteSmart Home ProductsTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteSmart Home ProductsTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis podcast contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Josh from Josh’s Smart Home joins Phil and Rohan to unpack a 300-device Home Assistant setup running on Home Assistant Green. We dive into the move from SmartThings, building a reliable Zigbee mesh, energy automations with Tesla Powerwall and a smart pool pump and theatre room presence.Watch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA215Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:01:22 - Meet Josh00:02:18 - Early smart home missteps00:04:12 - SmartThings and Lutron00:05:54 - WebCoRE ends, HA begins00:09:29 - Home Assistant Green setup00:09:34 - Zigbee mesh with Aqara00:12:55 - Theater gear quirks00:14:18 - Theater automation philosophy00:22:02 - Time-of-use energy automations00:23:00 - Powerwall + solar in HA00:26:31 - ROI and arbitrage00:28:28 - Tesla automations00:32:42 - Dashboards and voice control00:37:19 - Washer/dryer and doorbell alerts00:40:37 - 187 automations, time saved00:44:20 - Motion and humidity control00:48:56 - Measuring automation impact00:50:02 - Smart blinds convenience00:50:19 - Yarbo mower and snowblower00:58:43 - Security and utility uses01:06:59 - Starting Josh’s Smart Home01:10:27 - Automation content plans01:12:45 - Top new-build tips01:15:56 - Designing and building01:21:26 - Where to find JoshThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.ZoozIf you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.comProducts DiscussedReolink Video Doorbell: https://amzn.to/4a7LIIdApple TV 4K: https://amzn.to/4prsT7nNarwal robot vacuum and mop: https://amzn.to/3KgSaSKUV insect light traps: https://amzn.to/484CNEYYarbo robotic core with mower/snow modules: https://amzn.to/3LOtOQVHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteSmart Home ProductsTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteSmart Home ProductsTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis podcast contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy