How to Automate Your Air Conditioner, TV and Lighting

In 2022, I visited Exposec, the largest security trade show, and Eletrolar Show, the leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances.

At both events, the highlight was the smart home.

It was amazing to see dozens of new brands launching hundreds of products to automate lighting, sensors, cameras and much more!

The decision to enter this market is easy to understand: there is a blue ocean for smart home devices.

So, in this universe of devices, how do you get started? How do you make the right choices?

In this post, you will learn how to automate your air conditioner, TV and lighting in the best possible way.

How to automate your air conditioner

To automate your air conditioner, install an infrared (IR) hub in the same room, with a clear line of sight to the unit, and add the unit's remote control to it. The hub then sends the same commands as the remote (on, off, temperature, mode and fan), which you trigger from the app, by voice, on schedules or within scenes.

1. Choose the IR hub: Wi-Fi, which connects directly to the router, or Zigbee, which needs a Zigbee hub.

2. Install the hub in a spot where it can "see" the air conditioner, with no furniture or walls in the signal's path.

3. Add the remote in the hub's app and test each button; if a command does not respond, use the learning function, pointing the original remote at the hub.

4. Link the hub to Alexa or Google and create the routines: turn on the AC before you get home, turn everything off with the "Leaving home" scene and set the nighttime timer.

The TV joins the automation through the same hub, with one caveat about the power button, which I explain further below, under IR Hub. And if the air conditioner comes with built-in Wi-Fi, you can use the manufacturer's app without the IR hub; first, check whether that app works with the voice assistant or the automation system you use.

Zigbee air conditioner

The air conditioner receives commands by infrared, like those from the remote. To put it on a Zigbee network, use a Zigbee IR hub: it receives the command from the Zigbee hub and passes it on to the unit in infrared, without using the Wi-Fi network. Some models also work with Home Assistant, through Zigbee2MQTT. QA has its own Zigbee IR hub, at the QA Store, with reseller pricing for companies with an approved registration. See the step-by-step guide in how to set up the Zigbee IR hub.

Lighting

Lighting control is the first step toward a smart home.

Scenes such as "all off", "good morning" and "movie" are amazing and involve controlling the lighting, among other devices.

There are a few alternatives for controlling the lighting.

Smart bulbs

The first is to replace traditional bulbs with smart bulbs, but this is not the ideal route.

Since the bulbs need to stay powered to be controlled, the wall switch loses its function, which is not good.

In practice, smart bulbs are ideal for table lamps or light fixtures.

Smart switches

Another option is to replace the switches with smart models.

The vast majority of smart switches are touch models with a glass finish.

Although they look good and give a high-tech feel, it is important to know a few things to watch out for.

The first is visual consistency.

It is hard to find smart outlets that match the switches.

And when you do find them, they usually do not come in the configuration you need.

Another thing to watch is three-way switching.

The vast majority of these switches have no input for three-way switching.

And, to make matters worse, not all of them offer a three-way option in the app.

Another thing to watch is the LED.

Some models have an LED so bright that it lights up the room.

If the switch has no option to turn off the LED, that can be a problem.

Mini modules

Mini modules are a great option, both for new construction and for finished homes.

The big problem with mini modules is their size.

Switch boxes usually do not have room to install them.

Another thing to watch is how the button works.

Dimmer and curtain modules work with momentary push buttons. Relays work with regular switches.

And finally, the vast majority of mini modules "reset" their network settings when you press the button five times, which can be a problem.

The solution

These points are essential for usability and, unfortunately, consumers do not have this information.

With mini modules, you can mix curtain, dimmer and relay control on the same switch, such as a 6-button 4x4 plate, for example.

You can use premium plates, outlets and push buttons and put together whatever combinations you want.

Three-way control can be done physically or through the app, if the mini module has that function.

Wiring push buttons in parallel is simple and does not require 3-way or 4-way switches.

And, to solve the space problem, there are 40mm mini modules, which fit easily in 4x2 and 4x4 boxes.

Still undecided between the two routes? See the differences in smart switch or automation module.

Zigbee network

Choose Zigbee modules that are routers, that is, that repeat the Zigbee network signal.

This feature helps keep the network stable, especially if you add sensors, locks and other battery-powered devices, which do not repeat the signal.

Since Zigbee works at 2.4GHz, the same band as Wi-Fi, its range is reduced by outside interference (see how to reduce it in the post on Zigbee and Wi-Fi coexistence).

Fortunately, there are affordable Zigbee hubs, which create a network close to the modules.

Instead of placing the hub in the center and hoping the distant modules work, you can add more hubs and eliminate the communication problem.

Since October 2022, there has also been Matter, a standard developed by more than 280 companies, including Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung SmartThings, which runs over Wi-Fi, Thread and Ethernet. It is worth considering when choosing devices: see how Matter is changing the market.

IR Hub

Add an infrared hub wherever you want to control air conditioners and TVs.

Air conditioners have discrete on and off codes, but TV remotes usually have a single button that toggles between on and off.

One tip is to use a universal remote app with the discrete codes of the main brands (in 2022, I used SURE) and, with a phone that has an infrared emitter, copy those codes to the hub.

Conclusion

To automate the lighting, air conditioning and TVs, from small apartments to 2,000 m² homes, you can use Zigbee mini modules together with the push button line and finish of your choice.

Add Zigbee hubs as needed and eliminate connection problems.

Add IR hubs and copy the discrete ON and OFF codes to them.

Make sure you have a properly sized Wi-Fi network, and you will have an amazing home automation system.

Just a few years ago, a solution like this would have cost tens of thousands of reais.

Today, if you know what to buy, how to install it and which scenes to use, you can do all of this for a fraction of the price.

And remember: hire a professional for your project.

The cost of not preparing the house and buying the wrong products is not worth it.

Take care, and see you next time!