I’ve been using Hubitat for a while now and I must say, it’s been a game-changer for my smart home setup. However, there’s one feature I’ve been longing for that I believe would save users a lot of time—device replacement functionality. In my past experience with SmartThings, this feature was incredibly handy, especially when dealing with devices like GE switches that sometimes stop responding or need to be physically replaced. The ability to keep all automations intact while simply swapping out the device would be a massive time-saver.
I recently faced an issue where two GE switches and a GE outlet stopped logging events in Hubitat. While I could still control them digitally, the lack of state logging was problematic. In the end, I had to exclude and readd them, which meant updating all my automations—a tedious process. If Hubitat had a device replacement feature, this situation would have been much smoother.
On another note, I’ve been experimenting with automations based on sunrise and sunset times. For instance, I want my lamps to turn on 30 minutes before sunset and off 30 minutes after. I’ve been trying to use negative numbers in my flows to achieve this, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s the best approach. If anyone has tips or alternative methods, I’d love to hear them!
Lastly, I wanted to share a tip for anyone dealing with printers in their smart home setup. I recently configured my Kyocera FS-1350DN printer with Hubitat, and it’s been working like a charm. I used some custom configurations and regex patterns to monitor toner levels and display statuses. It’s a bit technical, but it’s rewarding to have such detailed control over a device that’s often overlooked in smart home setups.
If anyone has questions or suggestions about these topics, feel free to reach out! Happy automating!