Bet you didn’t know it was easy to automate your home in today’s time. With the introduction of motion sensors and smart technology, the existing fixtures in your home can become automated. You won’t even have to undergo any reconstruction or install replacements. The installation itself isn’t much of a hassle with such smart tech available.
One thing that you must know is that all smart devices feature their mobile apps that allow for remote control, and these devices are also compatible with voice assistants which can enable voice control over these devices. Pretty cool right? So here are 4 ways you can use smart devices in order to automate your home.
1. Install a Smart Thermostat
One of the best things you can do in order to automate your home, and which would also count as a sound investment is installing a smart thermostat in place of your standard one. So why did we just call it an investment? Well, smart thermostats aren’t exactly cheap but they are very energy efficient. That means these devices are designed to cut back on energy wastage with all their brilliant features.
Take the Google Nest Learning Thermostat for instance. Retailing for $249, this smart thermostat can auto-adjust the temperature settings of your home. It can turn itself down if it notices that you’re away, and as its name suggests, it quite literally learns the preferred temperature settings of your home so that it can auto-adjust itself to keep the home environment cozy.
With the Google Home app, homeowners can set up the device and access all settings and controls – even when they’re away from home. Now that’s not only cool, but it also leaves no room for carelessness. And with additional sensors that can be installed in each room, the thermostat can be adjusted to different settings for each room.
If you find that the nest temperature sensor won’t connect to the thermostat, you should check the Google Home app to see whether it was disabled or not.
2. Switch to Smart Lighting
Smart lighting is not only for adding that fancy touch to your home, but it essentially automates your home’s lighting system while also cutting back on extra electrical usage. So automatic lighting, and lower electricity bills every month – now that’s a win!
There are of course different kinds of smart lighting available. You have individual light bulbs that can replace your ordinary ones, there are strip lights that not only light up the room in a much better way but can also feature multiple colors, and then there’s installing a central hub to automate and control a major chunk of lights in your home instead of having to do it individually.
While controlling individual lighting makes things much simpler, so does having a hub in place for when you need to control multiple lights at a time.
3. Use a Keyless Door Lock
Keyless door locks are also referred to as smart locks. A keyless door lock makes it tamperproof, so there’s no key opening where anybody can pick the lock from, and it also eliminates the idea of leaving behind, hiding, or lending keys to people.
So how does a keyless door lock automate your home? Well, these devices can be accessed through their associated smartphone applications. From their apps, you can check on the lock status, and even lock or unlock the door from wherever you are. Some smart locks are even compatible with voice assistants so you can lock or unlock your door with voice-enabled commands too.
Other than being remotely accessible in order to lock and unlock the door, keyless door locks come in various forms. There are those that use motion sensors and location tracking to auto-lock and unlock themselves upon your arrival or when you leave home. Also,some have a keypad where you can have personalized passcodes and generate temporary ones for family and friends.
4. Get a Smart Speaker
Smart Speakers feature built-in voice assistants that are kind of like the virtual assistants you didn’t know you needed till you get one of these speakers. You probably already know of Amazon’s Alexa which is featured in the Echo series, but there’s another contender in the market: Google Assistant features in its smart speakers in the Nest series.
So how does a smart speaker automate your home? It’s more of the voice assistant’s job to do that actually. Voice Assistants can take down your personal reminders, conduct internet searches, look up weather forecasts and traffic situations, read out your texts and emails and even place calls for you – all with a simple voice command from your end. But what can it do for a home?
Smart Speakers sync to other smart devices within your home, which allows them to activate voice-enabled control. This way you can switch off the lights, turn down the thermostat, and set a schedule for the front door lock to lock as the clock strikes 10 p.m. The possibilities are endless!
Is There More?
There are of course more and many other ways in which you can automate your home with the help of smart devices and smart technology. You’ll find that there are different categories: kitchen appliances, domestic appliances, security devices, and so on.
Head on over t-o www.firstenergyhome.com and browse through their Smart Home catalog. You’ll find that there are so many different types of devices and something that would definitely be a fit for your home.
