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Modern home materials & technologies discussion thread

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Fujitsu Introduces AIRSTAGE Orion XLTH+ Cold Climate Heat Pump:


Product page:


Fujitsu General America has introduced the single-zone, wall-mounted AIRSTAGE Orion XLTH+, the newest addition to its H-Series R-32 heat pump line.

The Orion XLTH+ (Extra Low Temperature Heating Plus) system is a cold-climate mini-split system designed to deliver exceptional heating performance in extremely low outdoor ambient conditions. This premium system ensures indoor comfort even at outdoor temperatures as low as -22°F (-30°C) while maintaining high efficiency with a SEER2 rating of up to 33.5 SEER2. AIRSTAGE Orion XLTH+ offers superior heating performance, maintaining full rated (100%) capacity at -15°F (-26°C) and 90% rated capacity at -22°F (-30°C).

Its compact outdoor unit, slim wall-mounted indoor unit, and extended line set lengths (up to 66 feet) simplify installation in almost any space. Both the indoor and outdoor units are extremely quiet, with sound levels as low as 23 dB (A) indoors and 44dB (A) outdoors.

Orion XLTH+ is available in three capacities: 9,000, 12,000 and 15,000 BTUh, with maximum heating capacities of 24,000, 27,300 and 28,000 BTUh, respectively. The indoor unit features ProCore™ (high corrosion resistant copper) coils for long lasting protection. In addition to an inverter-driven compressor, the compact outdoor unit includes a base pan heater for optimal winter performance.

System control options are nearly endless, including built-in WiFi connectivity with remote monitoring via the AIRSTAGE Mobile App, a backlit wireless remote, compatibility with a variety of Fujitsu wired controls, and third-party interface options, including BACnet and Modbus for integration with building and home automation systems.

Many optional accessories are available, including Fujitsu’s wired remote controllers, wireless controllers, Building Management System (BMS) adapters, hail guards, snow hoods, wind baffles, and more.

For more information, please visit www.FujitsuGeneral.com
Click to expand...

Airstage wireless smartphone control:


Home Assistant integration: (DIY smarthome)

github.com

GitHub - danielkaldheim/ha_airstage: Connects your Fujitsu Airstage air conditioner to Home Assistant.

Connects your Fujitsu Airstage air conditioner to Home Assistant. - danielkaldheim/ha_airstage
github.com github.com

1765875399206.png
 
Micrornd said:
Just put up Govee permanent outdoor lights, these things are great.
If you put up holiday lights, take the time to check them out.

Govee - Making Life Smarter | LED Lights & Appliances

Govee leads with next-gen RGBIC tech, delivering smart LED strip lights, outdoor lights, floor lamps, TV backlight, smart appliances, and more for your ...
us.govee.com us.govee.com
Click to expand...
I'm planning to put them on my house next spring when I repaint all the trim that the painters drunken drug addicts screwed up. Going to rent a boom lift because I'm way to old to work off of a 24' extension ladder or walk around on a 12/12 roof.
 
I am now fully invested in Home Assistant as my smarthome brain:

www.home-assistant.io

Home Assistant

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first. Powered by a worldwide community of tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts. Perfect to run on a Raspberry Pi or a local server.
www.home-assistant.io www.home-assistant.io

Cloud-free & open-source:

github.com

Home Assistant

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first. Powered by a worldwide community of tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts. - Home Assistant
github.com github.com

Notes:

1. 3,300+ integrations
2. Talks to pretty much everything:

* Supports Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, Matter, MQTT, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
* Common radios: Sonoff, ConBee, SkyConnect, Zooz, Aeotec.
* Can act as a Matter controller (local-first design)

3. Easy UI programming
4. Runs on a ton of stuff for CHEAP! (Linux, Raspberry Pi, VMs, Docker, and bare metal)

A paid version with cloud support is >$7/mo and is VERY good! "Home Assistant Cloud" by Nabu Casa:

www.nabucasa.com

Nabu Casa

www.nabucasa.com www.nabucasa.com

Paid features:

1. Remote access with mobile app support
2. Voice assistant (Google Assistant & Alexa
3. Enhanced cloud features (Webhooks etc.)
4. Cloud backup

For me, the biggest benefit of the paid version is that you can create Amazon Virtual Switches (authorized) to talk to the Alexa Echo system.

Vendor hardware:

1. Home Assistant Green server ($129)
2. Home Assistant Connect ZB-2 Zigbee & Thread antenna ($49)
3. Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 Z-Wave antenna ($69)

Custom interfaces:

The Ultimate Guide to Home Assistant Displays: Transform Your Smart Home - Latest News from Seeed Studio

Explore how to pick the right Home Assistant Display among esphome epaper display, and home assistant touch screen. You can also expect to learn how to build a beautiful, functional lovelace dashboards for your smart home setup.
www.seeedstudio.com

Demo:

demo.home-assistant.io

Home Assistant Demo

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first.
demo.home-assistant.io demo.home-assistant.io

Additional integrations I suggest:

1. AI for programming & design:

I use ChatGPT, Nano Banana Pro, and Midjourney. You can exactly ZERO programming & do any custom programming work you want with ChatGPT! I use Nano Banana & Midjourney for UI, graphics, image customization, etc.

2. Pi hardware:

I recommend buying a Pi 5 & running HA in Docker. ChatGPT will build the whole thing for you! I have a primary & a spare board and have an automated backup system. Again, YOU don't have to do any programmimg, which is a GAMECHANGER!!

3. Tailscale:

This is private mesh VPN (base version is free!).

4 Telegram:

Easy way to do remote control & get status alerts. I built my own private version using a web server docker rubbing Flask on the Pi along with Tailscale. Again, YOU just have to ask (not program it yourself!!).

5. Grafana:

grafana.com

Home Assistant integration | Grafana Cloud documentation

Learn about Home Assistant Grafana Cloud integration.
grafana.com grafana.com

Custom data dashboards for TV's, tablets, etc. I built my own private version using a web server docker rubbing Flask on the Pi along with Tailscale.

6. Cheap Android tablets:

Very cheap on Amazon. You can get an 8" or even a 21" haha. GREAT for wall-mounted custom interfaces. I like using custom webpages designed for touchscreen access with custom AI-generated photos & GUI's. I like minimalist launchers such as:

* Olauncher
* Before Launcher
* Minimalist Phone Launcher

7. Spiffy wireless pushbuttons:

flic.io

Flic | The Smart Button and Dimmer for Lights, Music, Smart Home and more

Flic: IoT and Smart Home controllers for all! Use Bluetooth or WIFI to control anything with Smart Buttons and Dimmers from Flic. Check it out!
flic.io flic.io

8. Frigate

Open-source NVR plus AI detection. Great with Wyze & REOlink cameras!

9. SnackBOT:

One of my custom projects as an example! This handles:

* Meal-planning (recipe selection, shopping list generation, etc.)
* Smart kitchen appliance control (Instant Pot, Anova Precision Oven, Combustion gen2 thermometer, DREO Chefmaker, etc.)
* Timers & schedules (great for bread proofing, dehydration, long sous-vide jobs, etc.)

10. Custom routing:

OpenWRT & OPNsense are both excellent! Enterprise-grade features on consumer hardware!

11. ESP Home:

Custom device integration:

esphome.io

ESPHome

Smart Home Made Simple. ESPHome turns ESP32, ESP8266, and RP2040 microcontrollers into fully-featured smart home devices.
esphome.io esphome.io

esphome.io

Getting Started with ESPHome and Home Assistant

Getting Started guide for installing ESPHome Device Builder as a Home Assistant add-on and creating a basic configuration.
esphome.io esphome.io

Starter links:

blog.sanghviharshit.com

My Home Assistant Setup - Harshit's Blog

Although this is a constant work in progress, I will try and summarize my home assistant setup. This will hopefully provide an overview of how I have
blog.sanghviharshit.com blog.sanghviharshit.com

wiki.seeedstudio.com

Getting Started with Home Assistant | Seeed Studio Wiki

How to install Home Assistant on reTerminal
wiki.seeedstudio.com wiki.seeedstudio.com
 
Last edited:
Kaido said:
Done!

www.home-assistant.io

Lawn mower

Instructions on how to setup and use lawn mowers in Home Assistant.
www.home-assistant.io www.home-assistant.io
Click to expand...
A little pricey. There are obstacles in my yard that require very precise positioning of the mower, and I'd still have to trim the edges where the mower can't reach. I may at some point be to old and crippled to mow my lawn, I'll take a serious look at the offerings at that time, but my hunch is none of the remote mowers will come close to what a 16 year old kid needing date money can do.

 
Pre-flashed Smart RGB LED bulb:

www.athom.tech

12W Color Bulb for ESPHome | AthomTech

Pre Flashed ESPHome With Bluetooth Proxy WiFi Smart Bulb Pre configed IOs plug and playPre flashed before assemblingBuild in ESP32C3 4MB This 12W smart LED bulb is powered by the ESP32-C3 chip and comes pre-flashed with ESPHome firmware for seamless integration with Home Assistant. Supporting...
www.athom.tech www.athom.tech

* $15
* ESP32-C3 chip pre-flashed for ESPHome (cloud-free Home Assistant integration)
* 3000K – 6500K (Adjustable) with 5 channels (Red, Green, Blue, Cool White, Warm White)
* 1,000 lumens
* Wi-Fi 2.4GHz (802.11 b/g/n) & Bluetooth 5 (Bluetooth Proxy Support = works as a BLE extender)

YAML:

github.com

esp32-configs/athom-rgbcw-light.yaml at main · athom-tech/esp32-configs

ESP32 configuration for athom device. Contribute to athom-tech/esp32-configs development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com github.com

Functions:

1. Great for standard E26-base bulb replacements & mood lightning
2. Alerts (I use these for remote site & serving monitoring lol)
3. Bluetooth extension (lets the bulb act as a BT hub via Wi-Fi, which is great for my Combustion thermometer)
1767362665833.png
 
Last edited:
Anker battery competitor to the Tesla Powerwall:

www.engadget.com

Anker's Solix E10 battery backup can power your entire house in a blackout

Anker is going up against Tesla in the home battery backup segment with Solix E10 that promises "whole-home backup" and one-stop installation services.
www.engadget.com www.engadget.com

As for pricing, the Solix E10 costs $4,299 by itself, $4,599 with the Smart Inlet Box, $5,799 with the Solix Power Dock and $7,399 with the Solix Power Dock and Smart Generator. Adding an extra E10 unit would boost the latter price to around $10,000.
Click to expand...

Website:


Anker SOLIX E10 is a Whole-Home Backup System, uniting battery, solar and a smart generator to keep your home always powered with ease.
Click to expand...

Neat features:

Auto Start/Stop | Noise-Aware Scheduling
Quiet Power
5 Hours of Charging, 24 Hours of Peace
Unlike gas generators that roar all day and night, E10 charges its batteries with smart generator during off-peak hours (about 5 hours daily), then powers your home silently for the full 24 hours. No constant engine noise. No fuel runs. No disturbing your neighbors—or your own sleep. Just clean, quiet energy on your schedule.
Click to expand...

Predictive Weather Alerts | Automatic Pre-Storm Recharge | Power Level Reminders
Always One Step Ahead of the Storm
E10 proactively monitors severe weather and charges itself to full capacity using solar and grid power-so you don't have to. When outcages strike, timely power level reminders keep you informed, ensuring you're prepared for anything the storm throws your way
Click to expand...

37kW-66kW Surge Power Start It All
Even 5-Ton Central A/C
Up to 37.2kW (155 LRA) surge power per unit starts a 5-ton central AC. Dual E10 deliver 66kW (275 LRA) for simultaneous 5-ton and 3-ton systems.
Click to expand...

Power Whole-Home All at Once
One E10 delivers 10kW turbo output for up to 90 minutes and 7.6kW continuous output, covering whole-home peaks and always-on power demand. Expandable to 30kW Turbo and 22.8kW continuous output with 3 E10s, even high-consumption families are well covered.
Click to expand...

Smart Hybrid Whole-Home Backup Solution:

1. Battery storage
2. Solar charging
3. Smart tri-fuel generator

≤20ms Seamless Switchover
Backup power activates in under 20ms — preventing equipment damage and data loss. Traditional standby generators take 10-30 seconds, leaving your home dark while cranking. Fully automated — no switches, no timing, no worries.
Click to expand...

Installation:

1. DIY
2. Technician

Batteries:

1. Single E10 + 1 Pack: 28.8kW (120 LRA)
2. 2+ Packs: 37.2kW (155 LRA)
3. Dual E10: 66kW (275 LRA)

Automotive-grade LFP cells
10-year lifespan, 4,000+ cycles, -4°F to 131°F range.
Click to expand...

I like it!

1768362494375.png


1768362881756.png

1768363044991.png
 
Samsung vented combo washer/dryer review: (video is ~30 minutes)

1. ~95-minute real cycle
2. ~4.5-hour max cycle (ex. huge comforter)
3. Can hold 16 pounds of clothes
4. Wi-Fi push notifications for job complete (smarthouse integration as well)
5. Tank refill saves ~30 cents per load & can run 25 loads with detergent & softener before refilling
6. Time delay feature (run at night, away from home, etc.)

www.samsung.com

Bespoke AI Vented Laundry Combo™ All-in-One Washer Dryer in Brushed Black | Samsung US

Shop the Bespoke AI Vented Laundry Combo™, All-in-One Washer Dryer in Brushed Black with Super Speed wash, extra large capacity, & vented electric dryer.
www.samsung.com www.samsung.com

 
Last edited:
Kaido said:
Samsung vented combo washer/dryer review: (video is ~30 minutes)

1. ~95-minute real cycle
2. ~4.5-hour max cycle (ex. huge comforter)
3. Can hold 16 pounds of clothes
4. Wi-Fi push notifications for job complete (smarthouse integration as well)
5. Tank refill saves ~30 cents per load & can run 25 loads with detergent & softener before refilling
6. Time delay feature (run at night, away from home, etc.)

www.samsung.com

Bespoke AI Vented Laundry Combo™ All-in-One Washer Dryer in Brushed Black | Samsung US

Shop the Bespoke AI Vented Laundry Combo™, All-in-One Washer Dryer in Brushed Black with Super Speed wash, extra large capacity, & vented electric dryer.
www.samsung.com www.samsung.com

Click to expand...
So everything old is new again. Ideas that flopped get revived after a couple generations forget them.
Bendix Duomatic (1953) and several other brands throughout the 1950's didn't survive for many reasons, we'll see how these do or flop. 🙄
 
Micrornd said:
So everything old is new again. Ideas that flopped get revived after a couple generations forget them.
Bendix Duomatic (1953) and several other brands throughout the 1950's didn't survive for many reasons, we'll see how these do or flop. 🙄
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, he addresses that in the video...the OG price equivalent today with inflation would be $5,000 USD 😳

Surprisingly, he gave the unit pretty high marks on the cleaning tests. With the price drop from $2,800 to $2,000, that helps compared to modern standalone pricing:

* Standalone washer: ~$700 to $1,300
* Standalone dryer: ~$800 to $1,200
* Washer + dryer set: ~$1,000 to $2,300 on average

What I like:

1. Uses normal detergents
2. One cycle for everything (I have ADHD & forget to swap alll the time LOL)
3. Vented (most are ventless)
4. One compact unit
5. Actually-useful smarthome features:

a. Alerts (phone, Alexa, smarthome, etc.) when done
b. Doorbell camera integration (see visitors on the lol)
c. Schedule the runs when away from home, at night, or off-peak for cheaper power
d. Adjusts washer & dryer as needed

What I don't like:

1. Single point of failure
2. Still pretty expensive

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1768950980449.png

1768951033980.png
 
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