Home automation article 1

The bulbs work well and I'm happy with them. One bulb was delivered faulty but Amazon replaced it quickly.

I could have gone with multi-colour bulbs, but cool white to warm orange was enough for us.

I chose bulbs controlled by WiFi because I can operate them from anywhere, I have good WiFi coverage and they are relatively inexpensive.

I could have gone with Zigbee-controlled bulbs, which would have allowed me to operate them without an internet connection (there are fall-back options for WiFi) but Zigbee is about to be replaced and the WiFi bulbs can be operated (albeit with some hassle) without needing any third-party servers.

The LED bulbs are a lot cooler than the halogen ones they replaced, but I figured I probably ought to fit them.

They are a bit fiddly. They have push-fit connectors which don't need a screwdriver, but getting two wires into each connector (in order to daisy chain the bulbs) took a bit of doing. I'd have much preferred a classical screw fitting.

The enclosures are (understandably) slightly wider than the previous non-enclosed fittings so I had to enlarge the holes in the ceiling (I used a Stanley knife) which - even though I used dust covers - caused some mess.

The cover has a slot in it so the switch can still be operated with a credit card, or a piece of cardboard.

That's useful in case any of the bulbs lose their WiFi connection. Switching them off and on again reconnects them.

Also, if we were to lose our internet connection, switching the bulbs off and on again restores them to the colour/brightness setting they last had when they were on - so we still get some light while the connection is restored.

I used the free Android app to set up the bulbs to start with. I already had other Tuya-controlled devices otherwise I'd have had to create a free Tuya account.

I used a single socket to connect each bulb to Tuya individually (turn each one off and on again a few times in succession until they start blinking, then follow the instructions in the Tuya app). That way I could give each bulb a useful name and fit it to the right place in the ceiling.

I can use the app to create 'scenes' (collective settings for all or a subset of the bulbs) and control them from my phone or tablet. But we mostly use our Amazon Echo...

To gain control of the lights, I just installed the Tuya skill, connected it to our Tuya account and all the bulbs and scenes I set up in the Tuya app can be controlled by voice.

I can say "Alexa, turn bulb 1 on", "Alexa, bulb 2 50 percent", etc.

Using the Amazon app to add all the bulbs to a collection, I can say "Alexa, turn lights off", "Alexa lights soft", etc.

Using the Amazon app to create routines, I can use shortened phrases like "Alexa, night setting", "Alexa, cinema setting", "Alexa spotlight Sofa" (turns on the lights above the sofa to maximum brightness), etc.

There are many variations of Echo device, but they can all use the Tuya skill. In fact just about all home automation software implements an Echo skill before considering other types of device. Some Echo devices include a Zigbee hub which is worth having if you're considering further automation.

I could have gone for a Google Home or Apple HomePod instead, but they are both more restrictive devices.

When he's talking about something I know about, I mostly agree with his conclusions so I guess that's some kind of recommendation.

His channel is here. You can also see his "Starting a smart home in 2021" broadcast here.