I’ve been diving into the world of smart home automation, and I’m thrilled to share my recent project with the Shelly devices. My goal was to automate and monitor my chicken coop, which has always been a bit of a manual process. Let me walk you through how I’ve integrated Shelly into this project and what I’ve learned along the way.
The Setup
Our chicken coop is currently controlled by an Eaton easy E4 system. It handles lighting, temperature monitoring, and a few other functions. However, I wanted to bring this into the smart home ecosystem, and Shelly seemed like the perfect fit. The coop is equipped with a variety of sensors and actuators, including a light sensor, humidity sensor, and a motorized door. All of this runs on 24V, which is a bit different from the standard 12V setups I’ve seen elsewhere.
The Challenge
My initial focus was on controlling the coop’s door. The door is currently operated by a joystick and a timer, but I wanted to automate this process. I wondered if the Shelly i3 could handle the monitoring and control of the door. After some research, I realized that using a Shelly Plus 2PM with relays would be the way to go. This setup allows me to control the door motor and monitor its position using the built-in sensors.
The Solution
I decided to use the Shelly i3 to monitor the door’s position. The i3’s GPIO pins are perfect for this task. I connected the sensors to the i3, which now sends status updates to my smartphone. The Shelly Plus 2PM handles the actual switching of the door motor. This combination gives me both monitoring and control capabilities right from my phone.
Lessons Learned
One thing I learned early on is the importance of proper wiring and sensor placement. Ensuring that the sensors are correctly positioned to detect the door’s open and closed states was crucial. I also found that the Shelly devices are incredibly reliable, even in less-than-ideal conditions. The 24V system was a bit of a hurdle at first, but with the right adapters and configurations, everything worked out smoothly.
Future Plans
Looking ahead, I plan to expand this setup. I want to integrate the humidity and temperature sensors into my smart home system, allowing for automated responses based on the coop’s environment. For example, if the humidity levels get too high, I could have a fan automatically turn on. The possibilities are endless!
Final Thoughts
This project has been a fantastic learning experience. It’s amazing how Shelly devices can be adapted to handle such specific and unique use cases. If you’re looking to automate something a bit unconventional, I highly recommend giving Shelly a try. The community support and extensive documentation make it accessible even for those who are new to smart home automation.
Happy automating everyone! 
