Small Projects and Small Annoyances

This post is about both home improvement and home automation. Sometimes a project isn't as easy as it should be. For example, when installing some Z-Wave light switches to control my yard lights,  I ran into a strange problem. A previous owner (I am assuming) had installed door trim over a portion of the gang box. They trimmed the cover to fit and I had never even noticed it.

In order to do a proper looking installation, I needed to remove the old box and put in a new one with enough space to clear the trim. Step one was flipping the breaker and testing to ensure that power was indeed cut off. I recommend a non-contact tester. Next I removed the old switches, labelled the wires and photographed everything.

Since power was cut to my entire basement, I used a head-mounted flashlight which is definitely handy. Next, I cut a whole a few inches above the box to pull all of the wires through so that they were out of the way.

The old box took some work to get out. I ended up using my cutoff attachment to cut the nails. Thankfully, an "old work" gang box is super easy to install. Once I fed the wires back through the box, I needed to patch the space between the box and the trim. I decided to use a paint stir for support.

Using drywall screws to hold it in place, I then cut a piece of drywall to fit and reinstalled the new switches.

Next, I flipped the breaker on and tested to ensure the switches were working properly.

All that is left is to finish the job. I applied some patch material and allowed it to dry.

After a few rounds of sanding and reapplication, it was time to paint and enjoy my new SmartThings device!

A job that probably should have taken 15 minutes ended up taking a few hours. That happens from time-to-time and it certainly won't be the last time it happens to me. It was a challenge worth tackling though and I am happy with my new remotely controlled light switch.

-Chris

More Than Just a Timer with SmartThings

Our Christmas lights aren't elaborate. We put up icicle lights every year and have added a few pieces here and there but nothing to crazy. Normally, we plug everything into a timer or two which turn the decorations off and on based on a schedule.

This year, we decided to use SmartThings and put our outdoor Z-Wave enabled plugs to use. It is one of the items on spreadsheet.

The device pairs easily and has a convenient manual override button on it. The people at SmartThings also include several festive images to differentiate the switch from your other devices. They are available in the "Seasonal Winter" section of the icons.

One simple way to make this a step up from a simple timer is to customize and control the plug with "Turn on using a schedule", "Turn off using a schedule" or "Turn off after a period of time". That gives us the option of turning the lights on at sunset and then off a few hours later which is exactly what we want.

Now hipster Santa can make his appearance at just the right time each evening and be turned off automatically. Additionally, we can remotely turn the lights off.

Happy holidays!

-Chris

Quick Recommendations for SmartThings Purchases

I will be updating this list as I go, but I figured I would create a quick reference of products that I have tried and liked. The ratings are on a scale from one to five, and I plan on doing a full review post for each item eventually. Anything that paired the first time and worked as advertised gets a 5. Since I have friends that are also installing their own systems, I left room for them to rate products that I haven't tried.

If you are planning on following my strategy, you should definitely sign up for Amazon Prime.


Let me know if you find this helpful or have other feedback on the products.

-Chris