u/chimpanzeenator

I’m not being paid to say this. Im not even sure why I’m writing this here I just wanted to ramble. I’m just extremely confused why this doesn’t seem to have more market presence. Is it because it’s not on Amazon? That’s literally the only reason I can think of. And I guess it’s pricier than the cheap models out there but if you can budget for this it is so worth it

I consider myself a robot vacuum veteran. Gone through the last decade with numerous robots: Eufys, Roombas, Sharks, Zoozies (oh God), Neatos, and more, and now the Matic. The Matic may be the endgame for me for a very long time; I’m so over buying more and more of these robot things and going through parts and errors and troubleshooting.

I bought two of these after my wife told me there is a cute, quiet cleaning robot that is privacy-forward and low maintenance (all of the things that otherwise drove me nuts about the other robot vacuums out there). One is upstairs and one is downstairs. So far they have been an absolute dream.

Our house is currently being worked on and there are lots of contractors coming in and out. Despite this, when I return to the house, the floors are basically spotless. I walk around barefoot and don’t get a bunch of dirt on my soles. Refilling the water is super easy. And this thing is QUIET and unobtrusive and avoids running over your feet when you’re walking around. And it doesn’t have a super loud emptying docking station that sounds like a fighter jet taking off. It just works, toss out the whole bag when it’s full. And the little things and attention to detail - the lid, while sturdy and hefty, opens easily with just a one finger lift, reminiscent of an Apple notebook computer. The on-screen shows you just enough information and is easy to read. Even the water refilling process - the screw cap clicks into place with a satisfying snap when you’re done filling the water so you know it’s secure and not leaking water into your robot.

The app is phenomenal. Leagues ahead of all the other robot vacuum apps I have ever used. Easy to use, easy to make and modify schedules, very easy to locate your robot in real time and monitor its progress, and… MOST importantly, it loads almost instantaneously. No “connecting to your vacuum” loading screens or “retrieving status”. It just works. Also a huuuuge perk for me: switching between my two Matic robots happens instantaneously at the tap of a single button where it shows the name of your robot. I used to hate opening my iRobot app so much. Sometimes my roomba would start cleaning when I was on the phone and I wud want to stop it quickly but I would open the app, it would load, then connect to the robot, and then would take long enough to respond to my command that by the time the robot paused it was already zooming halfway across the room. The Matic just works. It does what you want it to do when you want it to do it. And the HomeKit integration via Matter is an absolute killer feature. I do wish I had slightly more control and faster status updating in the Apple Home app on iOS but I don’t know if that’s an Apple issue or a Matic issue or both.

They say that home technology is good when you don’t even have to think about it. Contrary to this principle the Matic is so great that I can’t stop thinking about it. And the fact that I found their Reddit page and the founders themselves are like replying to stuff. Wtf. One of the best things I’ve purchased. I have been raving about it at work and everyone is like “what is that thing? Never heard of it.”

Matic - I’m just some random guy so don’t take my advice but I would dial up your marketing engines. It’s pricey yes but stand your ground. This is the Lamborghini of robot vacuums. People have to know what they’re missing out on.

Hi! I just bought a new home and need some advice. I have a gas water heater currently in a closed compartment of my basement (that does have some ventilation) that I’m trying to replace with either electric or heat pump. I was told that heat pump was a bad idea because it would make the basement really cold and that it wouldn’t work well in an enclosed space, and I was recommended electric. Is this true? Or should I go heat pump?
Also electric would only store 50gal of hot water, which makes me worrry I would need a tank booster as a family of 3. Would this be an issue with heat pumps too?

Thank you!

Hello!

I just became a first time home owner (and know very little about houses, been renting my whole life up until this point) and I would love to update the electrical in the house. I’m having an electrician come to drop some power-over-Ethernet runs to wire some home security stuff, as well as some new outlets. My goal is to replace the outlets and switches with more modern ones. Right now the existing outlets are 3 prong and grounded, but I’d like to put in new ones with new better looking plates and that have USB output on the hem. The switches look very old and I’d like to put in Lutron Casetas in them.

How much outlet/switch work is doable for a non-electrician? Obviously if I see unfamiliar wiring I will defer to expert help, but the estimate I got from my electrician for changing outlets and switches and a few extra outlets and Ethernet ports was $26k and I almost fainted when I saw the number.

Thank you so much!!

How do I minimize the odds of ever seeing these critters? I have never seen them prior to moving here. We had different insect pests on the east coast (mainly carpenter ants) but these are horrific demon creatures compared to those. Probably the worst looking thing I have ever seen in my life. I’m terrified by them. I have seen them in my basement where my office currently is and I honestly don’t ever want to go down there anymore.

Before you tell me, yes, I am aware that they are “friendly” and “harmless” and “rarely bite” and “are scared of people”. I am not a normal person. All bugs and critters choose to fly/crawl towards me or onto me. Always.

Please help me make my basement safe again. I’ll take any advice.