WHAT IS A SMART HOME?
"Smart Home" is the term commonly used to define a residence that has devices that are capable of communicating with one another and can be controlled remotely by a time schedule, from any room in the home, as well as remotely from any location in the world by phone or internet.
Installation of smart products give the home and its occupants various benefits — the same benefits that technology and personal computing have brought to us over the past 30 years — convenience and savings of time, money and energy.
WHAT WILL I NEED?
Second, you'll need a smart home hub/platform/ecosystem, the nerve center of home automation. We install a variety of brands, including the following:
Smartthings, WeMo, Wink, Insteon, GE, Philips (Hue), Revolv, Xfinity, Quirky, TCP, Lutron, Schlage, Kidde, Rheem, Bali, Disney, Amazon, Google, Apple, Kwikset, Chamberlain, Honeywell, Nest (Dropcam) & more.
Third, you'll decide which devices you'll want based on your budget, needs and functionality required.
WHAT CAN I CONTROL AND WHAT CAN THE DEVICES DO?
BULBS- Turn them on/off, dim for movies, change color for mood lighting or better sleep, use as alarm to wake up, tune them to music for parties, turn off at dawn and on at dusk for energy saving...
SWITCHES- Turn on/off lamps, control video game time for children, limit energy consuming devices...
SHADES/BLINDS- Automate for natural light, hard to reach areas...
SECURITY
LOCKS- Unlock as you reach home- no fuddling around with keys, send a message to all family members whenever a door is opened or when someone arrives home, let maid/guests/others inside when you're not there, check to see if door is closed...
BELL- If a delivery is scheduled and you can’t be there to open the door, talk to the deliveryman when they ring the doorbell and allow them to leave the package for you, see who is at the door- pizza, uninvited guest, annoying neighbor...
CAMERAS- Safety from theft and peace of mind with being able to check on kids & pets, act as baby monitor, work from home, trace lost steps, download evidence from theft, view area based on voice or motion detection and alert on your smartphone...
GARAGE- check to see if door is open, let deliveryman in, open as you arrive home...
WIFI- control who uses your wifi, different wifi for guests, limit playtime for kids....
TEMPERATURE
THERMOSTAT- Turn up/down AC/heat from room with voice, adapt to preferences, save energy, have cooling start when you leave from work...
SMOKE DETECTOR- protect house when not at home, detect CO or harmful gases,
FAN- turn on/off from bed, automate based on temperature...
VENT- monitor air quality, alert to change filter...
AUDIO/VIDEO
TV- control media center with one action, turn off video games at bed time, change channels/volume/etc with voice...
VOICE CONTROL/SPEAKERS- use voice to turn on or off devices, hear news in the morning, get weather updates and much, much more.
OTHER DEVICES
COFFEE POT- have coffee ready for you automatically, CROCK-POT- get started early on dinner on your way from work, REFRIGERATOR- check contents of fridge and expiration dates of food, OVEN/RANGE- preheat the oven and keep the temperature according to the food, VACUUM- schedule cleanings regularly, LAUNDRY- start/pause/done can be executed or shown by your smartphone, SLEEP MONITOR- achieve better sleep and learn how to improve it, SPRINKLERS- save money and waste less water based on how much rain there has been and don't kill the plants by over-watering, CAR- check how much gas you have left or see what your warning signs mean, SCALE- track your weight, WATER HEATER- save energy when you're away, PROPANE SENSOR- check how much is left in your tank before your next barbecue, COMPUTER- turn on/off and work from away.
WHICH TECHNOLOGIES DO THEY USE?
Wi-F, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Insteon, Bluetooth, X10, UPB
& EnOcean.
WHAT CAN I USE TO CONTROL MY HOME?
Smartphones, computers, keypads/touchpads, remote
controls, watches, iPads/tablets & buttons.
WHICH SENSORS WILL ACTIVATE MY DEVICES?
Touch, motion, temperature, water & voice.