"Honestly, I'm starting to think these devices are secretly plotting against us..."
Haha, I totally get where you're coming from. Smart-home tech can definitely feel like it's got a mind of its own sometimes. I've worked with plenty of clients who've had similar struggles—you're definitely not alone in this. The good news is, your instincts were spot-on about adding manual backups. It's always smart (no pun intended) to have a reliable analog option when tech inevitably goes rogue.
One thing I've found helpful is to gradually introduce smart devices room by room rather than all at once. It gives you a chance to troubleshoot and adjust without feeling overwhelmed. Also, firmware updates can be sneaky; check if your app has settings to delay or manually approve updates to avoid those surprise resets.
Hang in there—you're doing great, and honestly, these hiccups make for the best renovation stories later on.
Haha, reading this thread makes me feel a bit better about my own smart-home adventures. I swear, my thermostat has developed an attitude lately—randomly deciding it's too hot or cold without consulting me first. I ended up going back to a basic manual override for nights when it gets too stubborn. Glad I'm not the only one feeling slightly outsmarted by my own house...
Haha, I feel your pain. My house is over a hundred years old, so when I tried adding smart devices, it was like mixing oil and water. The wiring alone was an adventure—half the time the switches didn't even have neutral wires, so I had to get creative. Eventually got things working, but every now and then my lights decide to flicker dramatically, like they're haunted or something.
"I ended up going back to a basic manual override for nights when it gets too stubborn."
Honestly, manual overrides are underrated. I installed a fancy smart lock once, and after getting locked out twice (once in the rain, of course), I put the old-school deadbolt back on. Sometimes simpler really is better. At least your thermostat isn't randomly turning itself off completely... yet.
I had a similar experience when I tried to upgrade my old place. Thought I'd be clever and install a smart thermostat—easy, right? Nope. Turns out the wiring was ancient, and the previous owner had done some "creative" DIY work that made zero sense. Spent a whole weekend tracing wires, labeling everything, and eventually had to run a new common wire just to get the thing powered up.
It worked great for about two weeks, then randomly started resetting itself at 3 AM. Nothing like waking up freezing because your thermostat decided it was smarter than you. After a few rounds of troubleshooting and firmware updates, I finally gave up and put the old manual thermostat back on the wall. Honestly, I sleep better knowing the heat won't randomly shut off in the middle of winter.
Sometimes all these smart gadgets just aren't worth the hassle...
Had a similar issue with mine at first—turned out the firmware updates were causing more problems than they solved. Rolled back to an older version, and it's been stable ever since. Might be worth a shot before you toss it completely...
