4 things I learned adding my new HVAC system to Home Assistant
It’s summer here in Australia and the subtropics where I live, which means high temperatures, intense sun and terrible humidity. This resulted in a costly investment that we’ve been putting off for years: a whole-house ducted air conditioning system.
Aside from efficient cooling, I wanted my new system to integrate with my smart home. Here’s what I learned along the way.
There’s Nothing Like Home Assistant for Device Compatibility
I had a few prerequisites when looking for HVAC. I let the experts handle the logistics, while I took the time to overthink how I was going to interact with the system. The controller has become a sticking point for me, especially since many rely on an unsightly, cheap tablet hanging on the wall.
If I ever put a tablet on the wall, it will be one that exclusively allows me to interact with Home Assistant (and that’s something I probably don’t need). For the day-to-day operation of my smart home, I much prefer set-it-and-forget-it automations, occasional voice commands, and picking up my phone when it’s convenient for me.
The solution I chose was a relatively new product on the market called MyPlaceIQ, which removes the tablet entirely in favor of controlling the network via a hub that connects directly to the modem. This hub then connects to a proprietary app for iPhone or Android, with which I can control the heating or air conditioning.
As the product is relatively new, no Home Assistant integration exists yet. A quick email to the developer revealed that while the Home Assistant feature was on the roadmap, it’s not a priority at the moment. A few minutes of web searching revealed a Home Assistant community thread, which inspired a community member to create their own MyPlaceIQ integration and bridge the gap.
This little piece of software frees my HVAC system from its proprietary prison, and that’s only possible thanks to Home Assistant and its dedicated community.
Finding a solution is fun, but not for everyone
I installed this integration by first adding the author’s GitHub repository to the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS), a third-party resource for all sorts of missing Home Assistant integrations. Given the slightly hacky nature of the integration, setup required a few unorthodox steps.
The first thing I had to do was assign a static IP address to the hub using my router’s control panel. After going through the list of connected clients, I tied the MAC address to an IP so that Home Assistant knows exactly where to look on the network to find the controller.
Then I installed Bluestacks Android emulator on my Mac. I then downloaded the Android app required to control my HVAC controller and paired it with the proprietary hub. Then came the slightly tricky part. With the Wireshark network analysis tool filtering my hub’s IP address and monitoring traffic, I connected to the hub by launching the Android app in Bluestacks.
I then combed through the captured data to find an HTTP packet containing the “client_id” and “password” fields, and made a note of it. Finally, I used the network address and credentials to configure the integration in Home Assistant.
It went as well as I could have hoped; everything worked. It was a surprisingly satisfying experience. But that might be beyond the realm of what many are comfortable doing. I just followed a tutorial, but it’s easy to forget how useful a basic level of knowledge can be.
Fortunately, not all HVAC systems require third-party integrations or packet inspection.
Integrating such a complex device is just the beginning
With my new system showing up in Home Assistant, I immediately had access to the commands I needed. I can open and close zones, set modes and adjust the temperature. The only downside is that as I rely on my own temperature sensors, the integration system temperature is not accurate at the moment (something I am working on).
The second thing I noticed was that I Really I need to sort out my Home Assistant dashboard now that I have a whole bunch of extra controls scattered everywhere. There are all kinds of third-party thermostat integrations to explore and hacks to pull off. I also use Apple Home to interact with my smart home, so figuring out which entities to expose via HomeKit Bridge required a bit more trial and error.
Finally, it’s time to sort through the automations and find the best way to trigger them. A “cool the house” script might be the first thing I can run when I go out in the evening after a hot day. Deciding what to do with this new connectivity is just the beginning!
The people who make this possible deserve your support
We’re big fans of the Home Assistant project here at How-To Geek, and we’ve sung the praises of Nabu Casa in the past. Paying for Home Assistant Cloud is a great way to support the project, as is purchasing proprietary hardware like the ZBT-2 Thread and Zigbee radio.
But much of what makes Home Assistant so great is contributed entirely by volunteers. These people not only want to improve their own experience, but also that of others. If possible, consider supporting them with a small donation if you are able to do so. That’s what I’m going to do, because this little third-party integration has made my HVAC journey much more satisfying.
Looking for a more visual way to design Home Assistant automations? Discover the flowchart method made possible by CAFE integration.
