Z-Wave incompatability with CFL Ballasts A large part of my never ending list of home projects is making (almost) everything “smart.” This requires converting 4-pin CFL to LED. Nine years ago, I started on a Z-Wave journey, and have been adding to it ever since. I’ve been converting our switches and outlets to Z-Wave devices….
Category: Home and Tech Projects
Entryway Closet Refresh
Our Entryway Closet Refresh with Ikea, Target & More! Besides our office, which is an ongoing constant project of it’s own, our entryway closet became a catchall. Not sure what to do with some random item? It’ll go in the closet. Don’t feel like taking your shoes upstairs to your own closet? Stick them in…
DSC Sensor Battery Replacement
Recently, our DSC alarm system started showing a low battery warning. On our keypad, you can scroll through the different warnings item by item. I found that two of our door sensors had low battery conditions. It was clearly time to perform a DSC sensor battery replacement. Which Battery to Use Normally when I replace…
Tesla Model 3 – Integrated SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Tesla SiriusXM Satellite Radio – Ditch the Portable A few years ago, I wrote detailed instructions on how to install SiriusXM Satellite Radio in your Tesla Model 3. The downside was that this was accomplished via an add-on portable tuner. As of August 2022, you can now install SiriusXM Satellite Radio into your Model 3…
Installing a Genie 1055 Garage Door Opener
The Genie 1055 garage door opener is a 3/4 HP opener that we purchased from Home Depot. We installed it to replace our old Genie 2024. The installation was surprisingly much easier than I expected. Background: Our opener died! On Halloween night, shortly after we arrived home, Lora noticed that our garage door wouldn’t open….
Unlocked Galaxy S20 WiFi Calling Issues
I purchased my unlocked Galaxy S20+ for use on the T-Mobile network in late July. While I do love the phone for the most part, as of late there has been an issue where the unlocked Galaxy S20 WiFi Calling Preferences are randomly changed by the system. I have used Android phones for almost a…
Channels DVR: Remapping Channel Numbers
We’ve been using Channels DVR to allow us to record and pause/rewind/fast forward live TV associated with our Locast, AT&T TV Now and Philo streaming accounts for the past two years. The one thing we weren’t really happy with was the numbering scheme that Channels uses. I had hoped to be able to re-map the…
Home Assistant: Updating with Custom Components
A few months ago, I wrote a tutorial on modifying Home Assistant to allow for customizing Ecobee hold modes. Today, I’ll explain how to upgrade HASS once you have this (or any other customization) in place. It’s a little more complicated than just a straight upgrade as described in their documentation. For the original tutorial…
Adding CYA to a Pool
Adding CYA (Chlorine Stabilizer) Up until a few weeks ago, on the rare occasion when I’d need to add CYA (CYanuric Acid / chlorine stabilizer / conditioner) to our pool water, I would go to Leslie’s and get their liquid conditioner. It is pretty much instant mixing. No need to wait a few days for…
Ecobee: Customizing Hold Modes in Home Assistant
Ecobee: Customizing Hold Modes in Home Assistant For more than a few years, I’ve been using Home Assistant to run our home automations and smart home devices. I’ve always loved pretty much everything about it. However, one of the few things I disliked was their integration of Ecobee thermostats – of which we have two….