I learned early that if it makes sense to the wife then it makes sense to have! I have automated my chicken coop. Instead of calling her to turn on water or open a door I have it all set up lights. Door. Water and food! Works great for when we aren’t home when the sun goes down too. I know they are safe and we don’t need to leave for a few birds. That’s where it all started for me. This was a practical and useful way to get my feet wet on a smart home. And wife approved!
Also leak sensor. Just get some.
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@peter_washburn5 That’s the best kind of smart home story: solve a real problem, remove friction, and suddenly everyone’s on board.
Automating a chicken coop is such a practical “starter project” too—lights + door tied to sunset/sunrise (with a schedule fallback) is a huge quality-of-life upgrade, and the peace of mind when you’re not home is priceless. If you’ve got everything running reliably now, the next “wife-approved” step is usually adding simple notifications (door closed/locked, water on/off, low feed, etc.) so you don’t have to wonder if things actually happened.
And yes: leak sensors are one of those unglamorous devices that pay for themselves the first time they save your floor/cabinetry. Put them anywhere water can silently ruin your day—under sinks, behind toilets, by the water heater, laundry area, and wherever your coop water setup could drip.
Definitely! When it’s approved to the wife , it’s a better and smarter life!
Would you mind to show us your setup by screenshot and 
?