Tips and tricks

📦

Amazon subscriptions for automation

Not all automations have to go through your smart home system. You can use Amazon subscriptions to automate yourself to complete repetitive maintenance tasks.

How it works

Subscribe to certain products to be automatically ordered and delivered at specific time intervals. When items arrive, install them right away. This eliminates the need to remember when to order and replace items.

Popular subscription items

Water filters Every 6 months

Air filters Every 4 months

HVAC filters Every 3 months

Sensor batteries Annually

Pet supplies Monthly

Cleaning supplies Bi-monthly

✓ Never forget to order replacement items

✓ Installation becomes automatic when delivery arrives

✓ Save money with subscribe & save discounts

✓ Reduce mental load of tracking maintenance

💡

Manually disable automation in a room

Sometimes you don't want automations to run. For example, kids love turning lights off to play with flashlights. It ruins the fun if lights come on automatically when motion is detected.

The solution

Disable automation when lights are manually switched off. When lights are manually switched on again, re-enable automations automatically.

Requirements

Smart light switch that can detect manual (physical) operations
Ability to distinguish between manual and automated control

When lights are manually turned OFF

→

Disable motion-based automations for this room

When lights are manually turned ON

→

Re-enable motion-based automations

Compatible switches

Most smart switches support this feature: Zooz (Z-Wave), Inovelli (Z-Wave/Zigbee), GE/Jasco (Z-Wave), Lutron Caseta, and many others - check specifications for "physical button" or "manual control" detection.

👆

Turn off all lights from one switch

In most rooms, the main light switch by the door can turn off all lights in the room with a special gesture.

The double-tap trick

Many smart switches support double-tap actions. Configure double-tap on the OFF button to turn off all lights and smart plugs in that room.

Example: Leaving the living room

1 Walk to door

2 Double-tap OFF switch

3 All lights, lamps, and plugs turn off

4 Exit room

Setup instructions

Identify devices

List all lights and plugs in each room, then group them by room in your smart home app.

Configure switch

Enable double-tap feature on your smart switch and set double-tap DOWN to trigger "All Off" scene.

Create scene/routine

Name it "Living Room All Off" with actions to turn off all devices in that room.

Test and adjust

Double-tap the OFF button, verify all devices turn off, and adjust timing if needed.

Multi-tap possibilities

Some switches (Inovelli, Zooz, GE/Jasco) support multiple gestures:

Double-tap UP: All on at 100%
Double-tap DOWN: All off
Triple-tap UP: Custom scene 1
Triple-tap DOWN: Custom scene 2

📱

Dashboard status tiles

Replace notifications with visual status tiles on a dashboard. Instead of getting push notifications that get dismissed and forgotten, display status on a tablet you see regularly.

Problems with notifications

Easy to dismiss and forget
Interrupt your flow
Don't provide persistent status
Require checking phone

Benefits of dashboards

Always visible status at a glance
No interruptions
Entire household can see
Multiple statuses simultaneously

Perfect for tracking

Appliances

Washer done - move to dryer
Dishwasher clean - ready to empty
Dryer finished - fold clothes

Deliveries

Grocery delivery arrived
Package at front door
Mail delivered

Home status

Doors/windows open before leaving
Robot vacuum runs soon - tidy up
Trash day tomorrow
Low battery on sensors

Implementation tips

Best placement

Kitchen counter, entryway, master bathroom, or garage entrance

Design principles

Large tiles, color coding (green=good, red=attention), most important info at top

Hardware options

Amazon Fire tablets (budget), iPads (premium), or Android tablets (mid-range)

Software choices

SharpTools, Home Assistant Dashboard, Hubitat Dashboard, ActionTiles, or Fully Kiosk Browser

🔁

Create patterns throughout your home

When you implement a feature in one room, consider making it a pattern throughout the house.

Example: Light switch double-tap

Pattern: Double-tap any light switch to control all lights in that room

✓ Easy to remember once learned

✓ Works the same in every room

✓ No explanation needed after initial teaching

✓ Intuitive and consistent

Other pattern ideas

Long-press for scenes

Bedroom: Reading mode, Living room: Movie mode, Kitchen: Cooking mode

Triple-tap for special functions

Triple-tap any switch → All lights in house off (useful when leaving home)

Hold for dimming

Hold UP → Gradually brighten, Hold DOWN → Gradually dim

Visual markers

Mark switches with special capabilities using small colored dots, printed labels in switch plates, subtle engraving, or consistent placement of "smart" switches.