The Right Smart Home Setup is Just Waiting For You

An automated home is a house with internet-connected devices to facilitate remote management and monitoring of systems such as lighting and heating. Smart home technology is rapidly becoming a must-have for new and existing homes. Home automation provides security, comfort, convenience, and efficiency to homeowners. A smart home connects electrical appliances to a hub, which helps them communicate with each other and the homeowner. Smart home systems include smart lighting, smart speakers, smart thermostats, and smart doorbells, among many others.

With smart lighting, homeowners can change the atmosphere of the house with the push of a button. Lighting systems work without a hub and are still capable of communicating with other smart appliances. Smart bulbs communicate over Wi-Fi while some, while others communicate with Bluetooth on the homeowners’ smartphone.

Smart speakers are wireless; voice activated devices that have virtual assistant software. Homeowners give commands to smart speakers by merely speaking, and in turn, the virtual assistant executes the command. Smart thermostats save energy by establishing a heating and cooling schedule. Smart thermostats detect when the homeowner is home; hence the HVAC system operates only when needed.A home security system enables homeowners to keep an eye on their homes, especially when away. Indoor cameras help homeowners watch their children. Outdoor cameras discourage break-ins into a house.

The 5 Important Questions About Turning Your Home Into a Smart Home

1: How do you get started in setting up a smart home?

A: Homeowners should start by familiarizing themselves with how a smart home works. Some home devices need technical skills more than others. Homeowners should start with basic smart devices that are easy to use. From there, decide how much they are ready to spend on a smart home device, as some are affordable while others are expensive. Before buying a smart device, interested people should match the home automation device with their unique needs. After finding the best fit smart devices, homeowners should read customer opinions and reviews before purchasing them.

2: What are the benefits of having a smart home?

A: An automated home gives the owner comfort and convenience. Smart home systems learn the owners’ habits such as lighting, heating, and entertainment. All these are bundled in an application that gives homeowners complete control when they are at home or away. Home automation improves the safety of the home. Smart smoke detectors alert homeowners when a fire or smoke is detected and guide them to a safe exit. They also alert homeowners when their children are back from school. Installing smart devices makes the home more secure. Cameras capture potential intruders and send the snapshots to the owner who, in turn, may call the police.

3: How is smart home technology controlled?

A: The default controllers of a smart home are mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Homeowners can check the security cameras, unlock the door, or even turn off an electric appliance using a mobile device. Applications made by companies such as Nest and Savant have made controlling a home a great experience. These mobile apps ensure homeowners have control of the house, especially when they are away from the house.

4: How does smart home technology save money?

A: Several smart home gadgets are designed to reduce homeowners’ energy bills by making the home more energy-efficient. Smart thermostats regulate heating more effectively than traditional systems. They turn down the heat when the homeowner is not around, thus saving money. The Google learning thermostat programs itself to adjust to the weather and the homeowner’s schedule, thus optimizing a home’s energy efficiency. Smart lighting can be programmed to turn off when a person leaves the room to save on electricity bills. Smart bulbs are more energy efficient than traditional bulbs because they are low energy LED lights.

5: What happens to the smart device if the internet goes down?

A: Some devices rely entirely on the internet to function while some lose some functionality while offline. There are also some smart home devices with battery backup when power is out. Others merely need to be connected to home wifi to function at full capacity. Smart alarms would continue to function as a standard alarm but lose the functionality of remote monitoring. Similarly, without the internet, a smart door can be opened like a regular door, but it can’t be opened remotely. Security cameras would work normally but won’t be able to save the footage online to the cloud.