You get back home from work, and while you enter the driveway, your home thermostat turns on by itself. As you unlock your door, the blinds automatically open on their own while the TV starts playing your favorite shows—all this without even touching a button.
This is how a smart home automation system makes your life easier and convenient.
In smart home technology, any suite of appliances, devices, or systems is connected into a common network that can be remotely controlled. You can easily automate your lighting, security systems, and appliances.
However, with a variety of smart devices available for any home, one of the biggest challenges to getting started is knowledge, especially if you are a beginner. What are the basic things to be covered by your smart home project? Don’t worry!
Here is a rundown of some simple yet essential home automation ideas to start your smart home project on the right foot.
Smart Thermostat:
Installing a smart thermostat is the first step to create a smart home. A smart thermostat not only controls your HVAC system but also takes the center stage of your entire home’s automation. And depending on the model you install, the device can even be adjusted according to your heating and cooling preferences.
To make the most of your smart thermostat, keep two things in mind.
Firstly, run your HVAC system only when required. It will ensure maximum heating and cooling effect as well as minimize long-term wear and tear on the appliances.
Secondly, make sure to set (program) the thermostat appropriately. The point is here to program it for various real-life scenarios such as daily work and school schedules, waking up and sleeping times, and regular weekend activities. This way, you can save money down the road.
Lighting Automation:
It is another hallmark of a full-scale smart home.
Lighting automation creates automated changes in lighting levels to accentuate architecture, create the environment for a range of activities and events, uplift the mood and highlight the artwork. You can control the home lighting by using a mobile app or a dedicated remote control.
Lighting automation works in different ways given below:
a. Automatically dimming the household lights during bedtime and making them brighter at the right time (based on how you program them).
b. Turning off all lights when you are off to bed. It can be done via the app installed on your phone or a dedicated remote control.
c. Working for a sunrise alarm.
d. Automatically turning on the entry and pathway lights before you enter or drive-in.
e. Turning on or deeming the lights when you’re up at night.
However, it is important to set up a lighting schedule that matches your needs to save on energy bills.
Security Automation:
How to sense a potential fire breakout threat? How to monitor your house for potential burglary? How to let somebody in when you are not home?
Security automation systems have got you covered. Today’s automated home security systems make it easier and convenient for you to protect your home.
a. You can get started with the following smart security systems:
b. Security cameras to monitor your home even when you are not around
c. Outdoor sensors to detect outdoor movement at night
d. Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to sense potential fire breakouts
e. Video doorbells and electronic locks to see the visitors at the gate and provide the digital keys to the guests when you are not home.
These are some simple smart security gadgets that ensure peace of mind and let you monitor your home even when you are not there.
Smart Entertainment:
With a smart home entertainment system, you can use voice commands to play music, podcasts, and audiobooks in every room where speakers are installed. Besides, you can play different music in a different room at the same time. You can program your TV to turn on when you enter your driveway to catch up on your favorite TV shows. And the TV will be turned off on its own at bedtime.
Smart Sprinkler System:
You can automate your lawn too. All you need to choose is a smart sprinkler. Like most gadgets listed here, you can connect your smart sprinkler to an app. You can turn off or on the sprinkler as well as see the watering calendar and set up schedules.
The smartest sprinkler system also comes with advanced in-ground sensors to learn the condition of your grass. They can tell if you need to increase or decrease the watering schedule based on water saturation and weather predictions data. They can even cancel a scheduled afternoon sprinkling as they know it rained all morning and it might rain the rest of the day.
By actively tracking your water usage and making smart adjustments, a smart sprinkler can lower your water bills and landscaping costs. Some smart systems will even start watering if they sense fire breakout as soaking the yard can prevent the fire from reaching other houses.
The Bottom Line:
By switching to a smart home, you can maximize the comfort, convenience, and security of your home.
While all these smart gadgets can help you create a full-scale smart home, you might not need all of them. Therefore, pay attention to your requirements to choose the right home automation gadget accordingly.
You might like a sprinkler app that notifies you when the sprinkler starts, but you probably should start your control4 smart home automation mission with basic things such as automated lighting and a smart thermostat.
What do you think? Let us know by commenting below!
