Brian, you know I love this!!! That's essentially what I'm doing in my home with one little addition. The YoLink siren also pairs directly with the valve operator and the leak sensors such that it also works when there's no electricity or Internet which is pretty cool. I'm using their much less expensive valve operator which isn't as beefy as is the Bulldog one, but since in my case this is only intended to operate under "emergency" (leak) conditions, it's fine right now. The only thing you miss without power or the Internet is the ability to be notified by phone or use any IFTTT applets you have until the services are restored. Thanks as always for what you do for the community!!! The reliability of YoLink's LoRa devices has been perfect for me...I have 21 of them which includes 8 leak sensors. Oh, their leak sensor 2 even has a small built-in siren which helps quickly find the source of the leak. Be sure to get the version with the probe-tip, though.
Great video, Brian! Thank you for this tip. Personally, I'm sold on LoRa's long range and apparent dependability. Even since I bought their hub I've been adding more and more YoLink devices to our home, and the one you've featured in this video really takes the cake!
I just purchased this system but I went for the ball valve version. I will integrate it into the system as I retrofit our home with PEX. The old system is beginning to leak and is made from PEX, copper, and galvanized pipe. Time for a massive upgrade and more integration into our ever more automated 1933 home.
Really love to see products that move/manipulate objects in physical space. I think this is next challenge in home automation than industry will need to tackle. Personally, I would love to see windows that automatically open and close. Saw some DIY solutions but something polished would be great to see.
This is exactly how I feel. We need to get things moving! I want to see the windows solve too, doors, and I like that this one does a valve in a nice, smooth way.
"…love to see products that move/manipulate objects in physical space.…" Boy you've really hit the nail on the head, Romans! Great point! Hope to see more and more products that meet your definition.
@@AutomateYourLife I feel like doors could be solved already. I definitely have seen auto-opening doors in malls (both sliding and that open more traditionally) that are triggered by motion sensor. Slap a shelly or a smart sensor on that bad boy and you have a smart door.
@@utuber1000 Totally! As an 'out-there' example: I once saw a concept of smart meeting room where chairs auto adjusted their position after meeting ended. This might sound silly, but my constant struggle is with my robot vacuum making silly rounds around chairs. I see such chairs as a great way to 'prepare' the floor for robot vacuum.
If you setup with the Yolink HUB, do the sensors + cutoff still work together if the internet is off? Or do you have to pair them without the HUB to always work without the HUB?
So can this be integrated to Smartthings as well? I really like the idea that it uses LoRa to connect direct to the sensors (no need for internet and long range) and the long battery life on the sensors... however, how is the integration? I really try to keep everything contained in that platform except for wyze cams (unfortunately).
So that version of it can't go into SmartThings, but the previous version we reviewed for the Bulldog valve can and does! In fact, there's a full Z-Wave option they sell too that goes direct in.
@@AutomateYourLife that’s too bad. So in essence you have safer reliability or more convenient, but not both. I think I’d lean more toward this setup… correct me if I’m wrong (was just working a graveyard shift) is this setup still controlable via an app over the internet as well? So let’s say, I leave for vacation and want to turn the water off while I’m away from the phone? Also, your channel is absolutely great and I, and others I’m sure, are super grateful for your dedication to the comments section.
Ohhh so...go watch the other Bulldog video! It's in the links. 😀 The sensors they sell pair directly without internet too! And thanks for the recognition!
Brain you mentioned you dont need the hub if there is that black smart valve controller but in the yo link website on the product page it says hub required. Can you please confirm if the hub not required because if hub is required then it becomes power dependent
You don't need the hub if (and only if), you just use the direct pairing feature. So when a leak sensor is paired direct. There would be no other options for automation and no notifications.
LoRa uses very similar frequencies to Z-Wave, but in a way that allows very long distance line of sight. It still is not brilliant if encountering walls unfortunately, and a steel enclosure will block virtually any radio signal :). It will also suffer the same issue as Z-Wave as different countries use different LoRa frequencies. So your European LoRa device is not necessarily going to work in the US. LoRa can also use 2.4GHz band, but that then will encounter the same limitations with objects as WiFi, but will still have much more range. That said, LoRa is definitely an interesting solution,.
Wait so you mean the nuclear bomb shelter won't let radio signals through!? Ohhh nooooo ;) Yeahhhh, we've got the whole frequency thing going on here. Thanks for bringing that to everyone's attention sir!
Great info! Do you know if there is anyway to use the Aqara system with their G2 cameras as zigbee hubs. I already have a ton of their leak sensors so trying to figure out if one of their other Aqara automation products would be able to act as a controller for the valve? Thanks!
Hey John, I'm sure Aqara could engineer something but they don't have something today for this actuator. I've seen a Z-Wave, WiFi, and this LoRa version so far. Nothing for Aqara sadly
@@AutomateYourLife Thanks. I guess the LoRa setup is better since when there is a leak as you say, loss of power, or internet, or wifi connection from a hub should not stop the system from working to shut off the water. I’ll get some sensors for key areas like water heater and kitchen where I may have the Aqara sensors too. I’m guessing that there is no way to have this all be somehow homekit compatible? I’ll just use the YoLink iOS app.
@@AutomateYourLife Thanks for all the help. Wondering if you have checked if you have the Device to Device communications setup from the controller directly to the device, will the YoLink hub still see all the sensors and the valve for monitoring and control if there is internet. Or do you have to unlink the devices from each other and connect back to the YoLink hub? Thanks again!
Hi. If I directly connect the sensor to the bulldog, then I will NOT get an alert on my phone if there is a leak - correct? I would need to have a second sensor connected to the internet to do that - is that correct? Thanks!
@@AutomateYourLife Ok, so, I am missing the part where I have to buy the hub in order to get the bulldog connected to my phone. Somehow I didn't pick up on that fact at all.
Hi Brian, hope you are well.... I automated my sprinklers to work at my garden and they are working based on specific time I have configured. I want to make it better and add something that will tell me when its rain and based on that I will create an automation that will not turn on the sprinklers in case there is rain. do you know of such device that I can use? is it regular leak sensor can do the job or maybe there is something else I can use? Would love to hear your thoughts
Could you use SmartThings Weather? I don't know if they have it in your country but that's an option that could be used. Just maybe set a virtual switch on called "ItsRained" whenever it rains and then turn that switch off once a day or something like that. Whatever schedule you want to set. Just a thought. Otherwise, IFTTT has a weather service too and you could push that down to ST which I know you have.
@@AutomateYourLife yep, I already setup ifttt weather to notify me when it rains. By the way, the weather tile in ST is not getting updated (the one you create a device with weather smart station type). Do you know if the leak sensors will be OK outside? Maybe I can use them as well
Well...I don't think they'll work. They will likely get ruined quickly and also hold a rain status for longer than you want. I know Netatmo makes something...but not sure of the automation options.
It’s much better and smoother if you drill the handle and bolt handle to actuator. There is too much play otherwise. I use them in my short 1/4 turn outdoor gas valve to ensure my gas is never left turned on.
Hi. How do I get the bulldog to show itself as online? My Water sensor is triggering the bulldog, but I have no way to control the bulldog with my phone. It is listed in the yolink app but says offline. Thanks!
I can tell you this. I came to this unit to get away from the $60 a year Moen monitoring fee required and you have to rely on internet with their system.
Hey Mark, I've seen Moen's system and I've always thought of it as a different kind of whole home solution. Think of this as easy, generally cheaper, and easier to maintain in the long run. The whole system works together seamlessly, and you had to do nothing to put it in...and you can take it when you go. Moen's system you have to put in-line in your plumbing, which means you have something to deal with when/if it dies or becomes incompatible. I also don't love that it's based on flow. I've done a LOT of flow measurement over the course of my career and it's tough to get right 100% of the time. From what I've seen, people are really happy with the Moen too though, so it seems like they've done a good job there. Still, I'd rather a simple on/off leak sensor deciding my home's fate then a CPU with an algorithm based on flow. We're still in an age where 10 years out of something like this would be great to be able to have it work with the rest of your smart home, so I'm going to pick something that at the end of 10 years, I'll have. I think YoLink works like that, because it's not even based on the internet or connectivity when I directly pair all this stuff!
Brian I was just going to ask the same question...and you smashed the answer out of the park! Long time fan, first time commenter. Keep it up, I'm relying on this channel waaay out here in Malaysia 😂
Oh, this is to do with a water leak. So it’s not a natural gas leak, leaky windows or electrical leak. Yes, I’m being slightly sarcastic but I really wasn’t quite sure.
And that's ok! However I'd say there are two points of failure with Moen too. One is just software with another being their actuator. But lots of folks like Moen
@@AutomateYourLife You were working on the smartthings 5 part series the first 3 came out over a few weeks. Is the plan to continue the series? Loving the content and comparing the my own home. Thank You.
