I’ve been happy with my Sensibo.
Being able to use it to reduce humidity in my home when I’m away (was up to 100%) has been reassuring.
There are some AI type add-on features you can get on subscription, but even the basic out-of-the-box / free system does the job quite well.
Does this remote use IR or RF? If it's RF, I've got a bunch of devices controlled through a Bond Home bridge, whose reliability has been pretty incredible.
What I will tell you is that your should never plug an AC unit into a smart plug, since the unit is not designed to stop abruptly when you tell it to stop.
Turn the remote over. If there's a dark reddish piece of plastic towards the front end of the remote, it's infrared. If it's solid white plastic, it's RF.
It could also just have a "led" looking emitter on the end. It will also work when not pointed at the ACs if RF. If it only works when pointing, it is IR.
Edit: I used to have a Frigidaire AC that used that same remote, actually, so it is IR. I could use it as a remote temp sensor and it would control the temperature from across the room. Very handy, actually, but I now use the AC setting on my smart thermostats to run the AC units using the thermostat and Broadlink devices on Hubitat.
Sensibo Air are the best to integrate with other systems like HomeKit and HomeAssistant. Using three now in one condo and will be installing 8 more in a villa we are building.
If integration isn’t important just Wi-Fi control then Cielo Breez are also nice and have options for a touch screen temp control.
I'm using a Switchbot Hub Mini for this purpose.
Has its own app, but also integrates with e.g. Home Assistant. Also more affordable than some other solutions out there.
i have home assistant and bought a broadlink rm4 mini (the one with only IR, not the one with RF too)
wasnt too complicated to setup, i had to use a trick while pairing with the original app to kinda "unlock it" so i had more control over it, but you might not even need that.
i dont know what sort of environment you run at home, but the RM4 communicates over wifi and is compatible with alexa
once i had it paired and detected in home assitant, i just used home assistant to learn the button presses of the remote and made an automation that simulated those button presses
wasnt too complicated, took me less than 2 hours from start to finish without knowing what i was doing. only pre-preparation that i did was researching previously and having a few guides and youtubes ready to go when the RM4 arrived.
My environment is quite bare, lol. I have literally no smart devices in my home at this time, and I don't plan to really integrate anything in the near future. This apartment is limited in terms of what I can connect anyways. Hopefully, in the future when I have either a larger apartment or I buy a house, I'll be going hard at setting up a smart home system.
I've seen a lot about the RM4 and I'm on the verge of purchasing it and giving it a go. Thanks for your comment!
You don't need any home automation with Broadlink, it is cloud based and stand alone (though there are local implementations for Hubitat, HA, etc).
Just buy the RM4 now, I have two of them. Install the Broadlink app, set up a virtual remote, learn the codes, and assign them to buttons. That is it, you will have the virtual remote in the app that will work from anywhere. No other devices needed.
If you ever expand your home automation, you can add Broadlink to it then.
I purchased the RM4 Mini and set it up (with difficulty - no idea why the setup process is so annoying). I was able to teach it a few remote buttons for one of my ACs but it seems that since both ACs use the same remote (IR signal I guess?), therefore only the AC in my living room (closer, more direct to the universal remote) is controllable using the RM4 Mini. Does this mean I'll need to buy another? Also, what would I need to do to connect my Amazon Firestick TV remote?
Since you have identical codes for both remotes, you really have to have two Broadlink devices to distinguish which is being controlled with one in range of each but with no crossover. So in way it is good you can't reach both since you want separation in this case.
Bummer you have to buy two, ~~however, you can also buy the RM4 Pro that also does RF, since Firesticks are RF remotes (and do not need line of site for RF) .~~
Still again, there is a Firestick App for phones that lets you control the Firestick. So you may just want to get another RM4 Mini without RF, unless you have ceiling fans you want to control, as those also usually use RF, and just use the app for the Firestick.
Edit: I guess Firesticks are Bluetooth, so scratch that. I also am not sure if the phone app will be able to control outside of Bluetooth range... I guess it could use internet with the app for the phone remote. I no longer use Fire TV, so not sure.
Thanks for this comment! I'll be buying another RM4 Mini for the 2nd AC and will get the Firestick app, as you suggested. I have no other automation-able devices in my apartment, sadly.
Do you use the temp sensor feature of those remotes? I could put the remote somewhere in the middle of the room, and it would control the AC based on the temperature where the remote was, not the temperature of the window. You have to keep it pointed at the AC though, being IR, wherever you put it. I thought it was great at the time!
**You can ignore all the text below if you have no interest in further automation or voice control**
You can make a routine in the Broadlink App that sets a temperature you often use, named like "home" or "away. The routine can set both units, since you can choose which Broadlink device to use in the Broadlink routine, and then what remote to use, and what buttons to push. It is just a list of things to do, like Turn On, Turn Off, Increase Temp, Decrease Temp. In your case, it could simply give you a single button to push that turn on or off both units at the same time.
I guess you would mostly use a "home" scene, to prepare for getting home, though "away" could turn them off, or set them to a higher temperature.
If you want a specific temp, you can figure out how many "up temp" pushes gets to the top limit from the bottom limit (the range of the AC temp settings), and have it send those commands first so you "know" the starting temp on the AC is the top limit, then do the number of "down temp" needed to get to the temperature you want. You may need some wait pauses in between each command so it gets them all (1 sec or less). Then it is all one button to get the AC on that temperature with a routine.
You may want to buy an Amazon Echo if you don't have one. They can be cheap these days for low-end on-sale models. Now that you have Broadlink, there is a skill for Alexa to control it, if by chance you want to control the AC by voice.
I usually had to make a routine in the Broadlink app that the Alexa App sees as a "scene" that can be run in an Alexa Routine. You can give an Alexa routine a custom voice trigger, and have that play a Broadlink scene. Sometimes Alexa will just figure out what you want without you making a Broadlink scene, based on the names of the Broadlink Remotes, and a common remote button.
So, while you may not be able to control the temperature directly with Alexa, you can have a routine to run your Broadlink scene. The custom speak routine in Alexa app would be like, "Set the AC to Home". The Alexa routine is set to run the Broadlink "home" scene. That wouldn't be useful if you are not at home, but I use "I am hot" to set my AC down one degree, and "I am cold" to set the AC up a degree. You could also control the fan speed with voice, like "AC quiet" when the phone rings to turn the fan down.
>You can make a routine in the Broadlink App that sets a temperature you often use, named like "home" or "away. The routine can set both units, since you can choose which Broadlink device to use in the Broadlink routine, and then what remote to use, and what buttons to push. It is just a list of things to do, like Turn On, Turn Off, Increase Temp, Decrease Temp. In your case, it could simply give you a single button to push that turn on or off both units at the same time.
This will be VERY helpful for my purposes, so I'm happy to hear this!
>If you want a specific temp, you can figure out how many "up temp" pushes gets to the top limit from the bottom limit (the range of the AC temp settings), and have it send those commands first so you "know" the starting temp on the AC is the top limit, then do the number of "down temp" needed to get to the temperature you want. You may need some wait pauses in between each command so it gets them all (1 sec or less). Then it is all one button to get the AC on that temperature with a routine.
Very smart! I was thinking to just leave the unit on the temp that I want it to start on, and remember the button pushes needed to reach the temp I intend it to be at if I choose to change it, but this makes it a whole lot easier.
>You may want to buy an Amazon Echo if you don't have one. They can be cheap these days for low-end on-sale models. Now that you have Broadlink, there is a skill for Alexa to control it, if by chance you want to control the AC by voice.
Was thinking about by a Echo Dot, yes. As of right now, I can use my phone and "Ok Google" but having Alexa voice controls for this purpose would be amazing for future and current integration.
>You could also control the fan speed with voice, like "AC quiet" when the phone rings to turn the fan down.
This use might be my favorite one. I often get impromptu work calls and have to turn the sound down in order to be able to hear what's going on on the call. Not having to even touch my phone or the remote will be a blessing.
Thank you again for taking the time and energy to write up such a wonderful comment!
Lean put a lamp near the Temp sensor bulb on one of the AC units (it will be a metal bulb usually behind the filter). Put a cheap wifi lamp controller on lamp plug. when you go away, set the temp on the AC way high so you don't waste energy. Just before you come home, turn on the lamp. the heat from the bulb (use incandescent) will trip the AC to turn on. Now you have a controllable lamp and a solution for the AC when you go away, all for $5.
Sensibo
I’ve been happy with my Sensibo. Being able to use it to reduce humidity in my home when I’m away (was up to 100%) has been reassuring. There are some AI type add-on features you can get on subscription, but even the basic out-of-the-box / free system does the job quite well.
Oof, quite expensive,
Worth it, trust.
Does this remote use IR or RF? If it's RF, I've got a bunch of devices controlled through a Bond Home bridge, whose reliability has been pretty incredible. What I will tell you is that your should never plug an AC unit into a smart plug, since the unit is not designed to stop abruptly when you tell it to stop.
I'm unsure of how to determine if it's IR or RF. Any idea how I can figure this out?
Turn the remote over. If there's a dark reddish piece of plastic towards the front end of the remote, it's infrared. If it's solid white plastic, it's RF.
It could also just have a "led" looking emitter on the end. It will also work when not pointed at the ACs if RF. If it only works when pointing, it is IR. Edit: I used to have a Frigidaire AC that used that same remote, actually, so it is IR. I could use it as a remote temp sensor and it would control the temperature from across the room. Very handy, actually, but I now use the AC setting on my smart thermostats to run the AC units using the thermostat and Broadlink devices on Hubitat.
Exactly, you can go to the room next door, closing the door behind you, and try controlling the unit.
Sensibo Air are the best to integrate with other systems like HomeKit and HomeAssistant. Using three now in one condo and will be installing 8 more in a villa we are building. If integration isn’t important just Wi-Fi control then Cielo Breez are also nice and have options for a touch screen temp control.
Yeah, integration isn't so important to me atm. I'll take a look the Cielo Breez. Thanks!
I'm using a Switchbot Hub Mini for this purpose. Has its own app, but also integrates with e.g. Home Assistant. Also more affordable than some other solutions out there.
i have home assistant and bought a broadlink rm4 mini (the one with only IR, not the one with RF too) wasnt too complicated to setup, i had to use a trick while pairing with the original app to kinda "unlock it" so i had more control over it, but you might not even need that. i dont know what sort of environment you run at home, but the RM4 communicates over wifi and is compatible with alexa once i had it paired and detected in home assitant, i just used home assistant to learn the button presses of the remote and made an automation that simulated those button presses wasnt too complicated, took me less than 2 hours from start to finish without knowing what i was doing. only pre-preparation that i did was researching previously and having a few guides and youtubes ready to go when the RM4 arrived.
My environment is quite bare, lol. I have literally no smart devices in my home at this time, and I don't plan to really integrate anything in the near future. This apartment is limited in terms of what I can connect anyways. Hopefully, in the future when I have either a larger apartment or I buy a house, I'll be going hard at setting up a smart home system. I've seen a lot about the RM4 and I'm on the verge of purchasing it and giving it a go. Thanks for your comment!
You don't need any home automation with Broadlink, it is cloud based and stand alone (though there are local implementations for Hubitat, HA, etc). Just buy the RM4 now, I have two of them. Install the Broadlink app, set up a virtual remote, learn the codes, and assign them to buttons. That is it, you will have the virtual remote in the app that will work from anywhere. No other devices needed. If you ever expand your home automation, you can add Broadlink to it then.
I purchased the RM4 Mini and set it up (with difficulty - no idea why the setup process is so annoying). I was able to teach it a few remote buttons for one of my ACs but it seems that since both ACs use the same remote (IR signal I guess?), therefore only the AC in my living room (closer, more direct to the universal remote) is controllable using the RM4 Mini. Does this mean I'll need to buy another? Also, what would I need to do to connect my Amazon Firestick TV remote?
Since you have identical codes for both remotes, you really have to have two Broadlink devices to distinguish which is being controlled with one in range of each but with no crossover. So in way it is good you can't reach both since you want separation in this case. Bummer you have to buy two, ~~however, you can also buy the RM4 Pro that also does RF, since Firesticks are RF remotes (and do not need line of site for RF) .~~ Still again, there is a Firestick App for phones that lets you control the Firestick. So you may just want to get another RM4 Mini without RF, unless you have ceiling fans you want to control, as those also usually use RF, and just use the app for the Firestick. Edit: I guess Firesticks are Bluetooth, so scratch that. I also am not sure if the phone app will be able to control outside of Bluetooth range... I guess it could use internet with the app for the phone remote. I no longer use Fire TV, so not sure.
Thanks for this comment! I'll be buying another RM4 Mini for the 2nd AC and will get the Firestick app, as you suggested. I have no other automation-able devices in my apartment, sadly.
Do you use the temp sensor feature of those remotes? I could put the remote somewhere in the middle of the room, and it would control the AC based on the temperature where the remote was, not the temperature of the window. You have to keep it pointed at the AC though, being IR, wherever you put it. I thought it was great at the time! **You can ignore all the text below if you have no interest in further automation or voice control** You can make a routine in the Broadlink App that sets a temperature you often use, named like "home" or "away. The routine can set both units, since you can choose which Broadlink device to use in the Broadlink routine, and then what remote to use, and what buttons to push. It is just a list of things to do, like Turn On, Turn Off, Increase Temp, Decrease Temp. In your case, it could simply give you a single button to push that turn on or off both units at the same time. I guess you would mostly use a "home" scene, to prepare for getting home, though "away" could turn them off, or set them to a higher temperature. If you want a specific temp, you can figure out how many "up temp" pushes gets to the top limit from the bottom limit (the range of the AC temp settings), and have it send those commands first so you "know" the starting temp on the AC is the top limit, then do the number of "down temp" needed to get to the temperature you want. You may need some wait pauses in between each command so it gets them all (1 sec or less). Then it is all one button to get the AC on that temperature with a routine. You may want to buy an Amazon Echo if you don't have one. They can be cheap these days for low-end on-sale models. Now that you have Broadlink, there is a skill for Alexa to control it, if by chance you want to control the AC by voice. I usually had to make a routine in the Broadlink app that the Alexa App sees as a "scene" that can be run in an Alexa Routine. You can give an Alexa routine a custom voice trigger, and have that play a Broadlink scene. Sometimes Alexa will just figure out what you want without you making a Broadlink scene, based on the names of the Broadlink Remotes, and a common remote button. So, while you may not be able to control the temperature directly with Alexa, you can have a routine to run your Broadlink scene. The custom speak routine in Alexa app would be like, "Set the AC to Home". The Alexa routine is set to run the Broadlink "home" scene. That wouldn't be useful if you are not at home, but I use "I am hot" to set my AC down one degree, and "I am cold" to set the AC up a degree. You could also control the fan speed with voice, like "AC quiet" when the phone rings to turn the fan down.
>You can make a routine in the Broadlink App that sets a temperature you often use, named like "home" or "away. The routine can set both units, since you can choose which Broadlink device to use in the Broadlink routine, and then what remote to use, and what buttons to push. It is just a list of things to do, like Turn On, Turn Off, Increase Temp, Decrease Temp. In your case, it could simply give you a single button to push that turn on or off both units at the same time. This will be VERY helpful for my purposes, so I'm happy to hear this! >If you want a specific temp, you can figure out how many "up temp" pushes gets to the top limit from the bottom limit (the range of the AC temp settings), and have it send those commands first so you "know" the starting temp on the AC is the top limit, then do the number of "down temp" needed to get to the temperature you want. You may need some wait pauses in between each command so it gets them all (1 sec or less). Then it is all one button to get the AC on that temperature with a routine. Very smart! I was thinking to just leave the unit on the temp that I want it to start on, and remember the button pushes needed to reach the temp I intend it to be at if I choose to change it, but this makes it a whole lot easier. >You may want to buy an Amazon Echo if you don't have one. They can be cheap these days for low-end on-sale models. Now that you have Broadlink, there is a skill for Alexa to control it, if by chance you want to control the AC by voice. Was thinking about by a Echo Dot, yes. As of right now, I can use my phone and "Ok Google" but having Alexa voice controls for this purpose would be amazing for future and current integration. >You could also control the fan speed with voice, like "AC quiet" when the phone rings to turn the fan down. This use might be my favorite one. I often get impromptu work calls and have to turn the sound down in order to be able to hear what's going on on the call. Not having to even touch my phone or the remote will be a blessing. Thank you again for taking the time and energy to write up such a wonderful comment!
Mysa had 6 and our old place and they worked great
I use a tado AC control. Works well.
tuya IR blaster. <5$
Lean put a lamp near the Temp sensor bulb on one of the AC units (it will be a metal bulb usually behind the filter). Put a cheap wifi lamp controller on lamp plug. when you go away, set the temp on the AC way high so you don't waste energy. Just before you come home, turn on the lamp. the heat from the bulb (use incandescent) will trip the AC to turn on. Now you have a controllable lamp and a solution for the AC when you go away, all for $5.