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Building a Matter powered “under-the-counter” light switch for my kitchen worktop
Light switches are great, but when paired with ordinary bulbs, they have their limitations. Smart light bulbs are better, but require a different approach! My main problem with light switches is that they aren’t always beside you when you need to flick them. 99% of the time it’s not a… Read ⇢
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Switching my Temperature Sensor from BLE to Zigbee (Part #1)
Having had a lot of success with a Matter device project, I started thinking about my twin probe temperature sensor. I wondered if was possible to convert from my dodgy BLE mesh to Zigbee. My BLE Mesh wasn’t behaving itself, so perhaps going to Zigbee would help improve my radiator… Read ⇢
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Does low temperature heating actually use more gas?
With the first cold weather snap behind me, I wanted to share the results of a little experiment I ran to answer this question: Does having your heating on low and slow use more gas than having it hot with short bursts? This is the question I often get asked… Read ⇢
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Avoid Outdoor Temperature Sensor Mistakes: My Own Experiences
This came as a surprise to me. My kitchen extract fan and my bathroom extractor fan have been interfering with my outdoor temperature sensor! I’m using an Ecowitt Temperature sensor (https://amzn.to/4i2dNCf) mounted on an enclosure (https://amzn.to/4fH2yxy). I don’t have the waterproof version of the sensor, which is also available. I… Read ⇢
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Adventures in low temperature heating
In this video, I give a brief explanation of that low temperature heating is and how I’m able to heat my 1950s home with radiators at between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius! If you’re interested in getting more performance from your boiler or want to better understand how low temps… Read ⇢
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A brief update on my radiator sensors
As we’re now (almost) back into the heating season here in the UK, I thought it would be worth posting a brief update on my radiator sensors project! The aim of this project is to develop a set of sensors that connect to the flow and return pipes of a… Read ⇢
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How I stopped my Zappi from draining my battery (2nd edition)
In this video, I break down the role that CT clamps play when it comes to EV chargers and Solar Inverters. Read ⇢
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My DIY Air Source Heat Pump Installation Journey
In February of 2024, I decided I was going to have a go at installing my own Air Source Heat Pump. To give me the best possible chance at doing a quality install, I’m going to go very slowly and do all the assessments and blocks of research in a… Read ⇢
@tomasmcguinness 