71 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
71 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: I Got a Robot Vacuum
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date: 2022-12-31
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tags:
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- Privacy
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- Home Assistant
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description: I recently bought a Robot vacuum. I have been amazed how good it is.
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---
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So, you have probably seen or heard about robot vacuums. I had, although
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honestly thought they were a bit of a gimmick. However, a few people I know have
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them and sung their praises so I thought I'd see what the fuss was about.
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I did some research and settled on the [Dreame L10 Pro](https://amzn.to/3GacxLz)
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([Non-Associates
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link](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreame-Dual-Line-Navigation-Multi-Level-Compatible/dp/B09YQ3VF3J/?th=1)).
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This was in no small part because it is known to work with
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[Valetudo](https://valetudo.cloud/) which allows for fully local control of the
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robot. As well as a very usable web interface, it also provides MQTT control
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which I use for [Home Assistant](/tag/home_assistant/) control.
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It is fair to say that my expectations have been shattered by this device. I
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expected it to do a reasonable job, but that I would probably have to do a
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"proper" hoover once a week or so. That has not been the case. I have not had to
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manually hoover the floors at all since setting it up. I have been especially
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surprised by this as we have a dog who malts.
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I have the vacuum set to vacuum our daytime living areas (lounge, kitchen, hall,
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study) every morning at 1am. I did not expect the quality of life improvement
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that we got from waking up every morning to a vacuumed house. Our bedroom is
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then vacuumed during the day while we work. Apart from emptying the vacuum's
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dustbin, this is entirely automatic.
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The vacuum I have has a detachable cloth and water tank that it can drag behind
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it and keep wet. I mostly got the device for its vacuum capabilities. However,
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the addition of the mop is nice. This, too, exceeded my expectations; although
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not to the same extent as the vacuum. It is nice to have, but I wouldn't buy
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this particular robot for its mopping capabilities. We tend to attach this mop
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and manually instruct the vacuum to mop various rooms when we go out.
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## Any Cons?
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Although this device has been an overwhelming positive in our life, it may not
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be for everyone.
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We have hard floors throughout our flat. This obviously makes vacuuming and
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mopping easier for the robot. We do have a thick rug which it can struggle with
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a little. However, I have taken the robot to our parents' houses who have carpet
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and it has tackled even quite thick carpets without issue. If you have a lot of
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very thick rugs, you may want to do a bit more research into robots that can
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deal with them.
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Also, the dustbin in the vacuum is quite small. I tend to empty it every other
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day. Paying more can get you features such as auto-emptying dustbins which the
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robot I got doesn't have.
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We live in a flat, so we don't have stairs to contend with. We are due to move
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very soon into a house. My long term plan is to buy a second robot, in order to
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have one up stairs and one downstairs. This (obviously) makes a fully automated
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vacuuming setup significantly more expensive. However, the fact that I am
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planning this hopefully demonstrates how happy I am with this vacuum.
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## Home Assistant
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As mentioned, Valetudo allows me to control my robot entirely locally. My home
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automation platform of choice is Home Assistant which is [supported by
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Valetudo](https://valetudo.cloud/pages/integrations/home-assistant-integration.html).
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With my smart light switches, it allows me to do things like push and hold the
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light switch in order to instruct the vacuum to come and hoover the room I'm in.
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It can also stop the vacuum from vacuuming every day while we are on holiday.
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